Food Film Festival NYC
The Food Film Festival does not do enough justice in describing what this is all about. It's an experience!
How many times have you watched a film (for me, it's almost anything on Food Network) and saw something that looked incredibly tasty and wished you could sample it? The idea of the Food Film Festival was born from that very craving.
The Food film Festival marked its 10th anniversary this weekend at AMC Empire 25. The festival offers a unique experience where guests get to actually taste the foods they see on the screen right in the comfort of their own seats. It was a dream come true for food and film lovers alike. Since 2007, the festival has been showcasing films that use food and beverages as thematic elements. What makes this event so special is the fact that guests are able to sample the items that they see on the screen.
The four-day festival which ran from Oct 20th to the 24th showcased independent films accompanied by different dishes featured in said films.
Opening night (Best of a Decade!) revisits the best films from the fest's ten years and offers treats from Amanda Cohen’s Dirt Candy, The Brooklyn Star, Max & Mina’s Ice Cream and more.
On the second night (Taste of Louisiana), the theme was celebrated Cajun cooking with Volcano Bread from Laugarvatn Fontana Spa, Pickles from Leibowitz Pickle Works, Pizza from Denino’s Pizza, BBQ Shrimp Boule by Chef Jude Tauzin, Spring Rolls by Jeannie Ongkeo, and Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream by Chef Jenny McCoy. The highlight of this night was definitely the alligator dish from City Pork Brassiere.
On the third night (Food Porn Party), the festival’s rousing Food Porn Party returns, with extreme eats from Meyers Bageri, Top Pot Donuts, Breads Bakery, Night Kitchen and many more, to accompany films that are essentially beautiful shots of food — aka food porn. The famous Chonut was a must try, and the night ended with a strip show – appropriately named food burlesque.
And closing night (Eat Japan!) was all about the Land of the Rising Sun with an amazing selections of food from Patisserie Tomoko, chef Karl Palma’s Takoyaki, Japanese iced coffee, mochi and last but not least, ramen.
In addition to drinks and the numerous courses served during the films, each night included an after party with even more food based on the night’s theme. One thing's for sure, this will be the tastiest film fest you've ever attended.
All Food Festival events benefit important non-profit organizations, such as the Food Bank For New York City, The Billion Oyster Project, The Good Food Project and GrowFood Carolina.
These unique kinds of events is what makes us so fortunate to be living in a place like New York. I thought it was such a fun experience and can't wait to see what they'll bring us next year!
Photos courtesy of The Food Film Festival.
