Devour! The Food Film Fest is an international festival celebrating cinema, food and wine culture that takes place in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, with the fourth edition kicking off yesterday and running through until November 16th – celebs that are on-hand during the event including Anthony Bourdain, Bob Blumer, and Jason Priestley.
In addition to screenings of new food films from around the world, the festival includes a program of industry sessions, farmer’s market events, wine tours, chef demos, tastings & pop-ups, and hosts receptions and special dinners celebrating the very best of local and international food and wine.
Bourdain, known for his incredible career of eating his way across the globe on his most recent project “Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations,” came into town for the event, and although he’s filmed his show in various parts of Canada including Montreal, they have yet to hit The Maritimes. However, he was very receptive to the area and culinary fare of Nova Scotia, particularly their infamous donairs. “I don’t think I’m going to get a chance to have one this time, but actually it’s No. 1 on my list. And I’m not joking at all,” he told The Chronicle Herald. “I look for unique foods, unique to the region. It is your most famous, it’s the signature dish … like the New York dirty water hotdog. We love it, we don’t apologize for it. When we do a show in this area, (a donair) will probably be the first thing we go for.”
“Wolfville, Nova Scotia is Canada’s Secret Foodie Destination and Devour! is the perfect platform to showcase the best of what we have to offer,” said Michael Howell, Devour! Executive Director, on their website. “Our mission is to entertain and educate through the lens of food. This collision of food and film in a locale rich with culture and cuisine inspires us to create perfection on a plate.”
This year, Devour! will screen 18 new features and 37 shorts including the world premiere of Canadian film “Shuckers” directed by Jon Deitcher and produced by Chef Chuck Hughes. Other highlights include the much-lauded Food Chains by Sanjay Rawal and El Somni, an operatic multimedia feast from Spanish director Franc Aleu.
“This program is the exciting culmination of a year’s work – all of the research, connections, hard work and wonder is now going to show up on screen and on your plate,” said Lia Rinaldo, Devour! Managing Director, “It’s been thrilling to have people jump on board for the ride along with us, from the filmmakers to chefs, writers and industry leaders.”
Photo: Devour! The Food Film Fest
