The Event: The Grand Reveal of “Devour! The Food Film Fest” October 22-27, Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

The Date and Time:  Sunday September 8, 2019  6PM to 8PM

The Event: The Grand Reveal of "Devour! The Food Film Fest" October 22-27, Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

The Venue: Campbell House, TIFF tent of the Italian Trade Commission

The Target Audience: media

The Quote/Background: The world's largest culinary film festival,Devour! The Food Film Fest announced the full film lineup for its 9th year. Devour! takes place October 22-27, 2019 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The festival will screen 80+ new food-and-drink inspired films from 24 countries, with this year's programming and theme centering around "Celebrating Italian Food & Cinema." For six days, Wolfville is transformed into a festival unlike any other, as it pairs an array of fabulous dishes with captivating films, experiential workshops and 100+ events (including local tours of the Gaspereau Valley gourmet/wine country). This year's opening gala film on Wednesday, October 23 marks the North American premiere of From the Vine, about a downtrodden man who finds new purpose in reviving his grandfather's old vineyard in his travels back to his rural Italian hometown. The film's multi-award-winning director Sean Cisterna and star Joe Pantoliano from the acclaimed television series The Sopranos will be in attendance. Headlining the 2019 festival is award-winning chef, TV host, restaurateur and author Lidia Bastianich, who is curating a special presentation of Big Night on Thursday, October 24, about immigrant brothers from Italy who open their dream restaurant in New Jersey, directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci. Lidia will attend the all-female celebrity chef dinner inspired by the evening's film and will hold a special book-signing of a selection of her award-winning cookbooks. The festival will include 24 feature-length films including Maxima, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival Audience Award winner directed by Claudia Sparrow, which portrays a subsistence farmer's courageous journey to stand against the destruction of resources and corporate intimidation; Honeyland, a multi-award winning documentary directed by Ljubomir Stefanov & Tamara Kotevska about a Balkan woman utilising ancient beekeeping traditions to cultivate honey in the mountains of Macedonia; and multi-award winning documentary Ghost Fleet, that uncovers the vast injustice of slavery in the Thai fishing industry through thrilling escape stories, directed by Shannon Service & Jeffrey Waldron. DevourFest is bringing Italy to Nova Scotia with a solid line-up of films to complement an array of talented chefs from around the world. Thanks to a new partnership with the Italian Trade Commission, festival-goers can catch 60 shorts this year, including Italian programming with new serial episodes from David Rocco's Dolce Italia with David in attendance, short films such as Distance - Short Stories About Food directed by Luigi Capasso and American Marriage directed by Giorgio Arcelli Fontana, and films focused around themes like Italian wine and olive oil. Nova Scotian shorts include That's My Jazz directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kahawa directed by Janet Hawkwood. Closing the festival is The Biggest Little Farm directed by John Chester, that chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature.

 

All films are eligible for the Devour! Golden Tine Awards, chosen by esteemed jurors Peter L. Stein (Frameline), Rita DeMontis (Toronto SUN) and Justin Johnson (British Film Institute). The Awards Brunch takes place on Sunday, October 27 at the Wolfville Farmers Market. Other festival dinners include the Friday, October 25 Celebrity Chef Dinner based on the Spotlight Gala film Food Fighter (about food waste) directed by Dan Goldberg; the Saturday,October 26 Devour! Chefs and Short Gala Dinner featuring short films screened right in the iconic Barrel Cellar of Lightfoot & Wolfville Winery with the diners and inspiring chefs' dishes; and the return of Devour! DownHome Lobster Supper –also on Saturday, October 26. Attendees will have their pick of experiential workshops and tasting tours, such as the Short Doc Shop Talk with Filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, the Gleaning Expedition with FOUND Forgotten Food, the Zero Waste Workshop with Bob Blumer, and the Bubbles Bus tasting tour. Culinary students from coast-to-coast will cook up a storm alongside festival chefs while also being featured on the big screen in both Merci Bocuse directed by Michael Nguyen, which follows Canadian chefs Trevor Ritchie and Jenna Reich as they head to the prestigious Bocuse d'Or chef competition in France and Stage: The Culinary Internshipdirected by Abby Ainsworth. Indeed, there is 36% Canadian film content at DevourFest this year!

 

More details at the website www.devourfest.com

 

The Wines: We were treated to Folonari Soave (88 pts), Fiol Proscecco (92 pts), Cusumano Syrah (89 pts), Campari and Apernol. The cocktail seemed to be Apernol and Campari with Fiol fizz.

The Food: endless platters from a la carte catering focused on Italian food, such as various cheeses, prosciutto, pancetta, salumi, et al. Along with Rocco Agostino's three minute pizza from the $1100 Breville pizzaiolo oven (750 degrees F.). Canoli appeared along with Barocco espresso coffee.

The Downside: it got really crowded really fast

The Upside: a chance to see the Devour Food Film Festival reveal.

The Contact Person: lia@devourfest.com; michael@devourfest.com;

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 92

Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
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Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://winewriterscircle.ca
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.