Food Film Fest
For the 11th consecutive year, the Food Film Festival returned to AMC Empire 25 to continue its tradition of marrying food and film in the ultimate celebration of gastronomy.
The festival, by far the most sensory experience available to New Yorkers, is unique in that event goers can not only see delectable dishes on screen, but taste them, thanks to restaurants taking the time to recreate the meals. Showcasing the best independent food-films, cinema fans also enjoyed an array of an incredible selection of food, both local and international. Still, the festival is not just a feast of self-indulgence -- it makes an effort to show how each dish has evolved from or contributed to a certain aspect of culture, as seen with the first night of the event, a homage to chef James Beard that featured the film James Beard: America’s First Foodie. Guests feasted on original recipes from Beard’s cookbook, Hors D'oeuvre and Canapés, including his famous Onion Sandwich (complete with his mother’s mayonnaise recipe), Leeks à la Grecque, Strawberry Shortcake, and Crepe Suzette -- all while learning about his life and legacy in American Cuisine.
The next day, the Food Film Festival presented “Hometown Heroes,” which paid tribute to original New York City eats. VIPs enjoyed bites from Win Son, a Brooklyn based Taiwanese Restaurant, before watching the short films 1 Minute Meal: A Documentary Portrait of NYC, The Science of Dry Aging, Seared, Sacred Gin, Hometown Hero: The Legend of New York’s Chopped Cheese, and Why Rappers Love Grey Poupon. Guests were treated both during and after the films to recreations of the featured dishes, including the original chopped cheese from Hajj’s Blue Sky Deli up in Spanish Harlem, dry aged beef from DeBragga, and peanut butter and jelly donuts from Leske’s Bakery.
For the third day of the event, the Food Film Festival brought back its famous Food Porn Party, this time focusing on Japanese Cuisine, with dishes such as ramen and takoyaki. There was a special screening of the cult Japanese film Tampopo, as well as the U.S premiere of Taste of Love, a short film that explored the relationship between food and sexual pleasure.
The event culminated on Sunday morning with (of course) a full on brunch, complete with pastries from Bread’s Bakery and coffee from Q Coffee and films such as The Hungover Origins of Brunch and Finding Pisco. Like most brunches, it was both a celebration of what had happened and a conversation about what was to come -- the festival will return in all its glory next year, with just as satisfying a food and film lineup, so be sure to get your tickets then.
For a full list of participating restaurants and films, check out http://thefoodfilmfestival.com/
