5th Annual Chicago Food Film Festival
No doubt that food and film go hand-in-hand. From food-focused movies to Thai takeout on the couch at home, the two comforting pastimes are meant to be together. Celebrating that merry union is the Chicago Food Film Festival, entering its fifth year in November with a four-day lineup of food-centric films. Taking place at Kendall College from November 19 through November 22, the festivities — which also take place in New York City and Charleston FYI — mark the sole film festival where guests actually get to eat what they see, a convenient departure from all those glorified food films we have to sit through in theaters as our stomachs eat themsevles.
(Food Film Festival in action. Photo: Food Film Festival)
The film roster this year is better than ever, featuring more than 20 food films and 15 Chicago premieres. The lineup runs the gamut from beer and chicken wings to seafood aplenty. If you like food, drinking, dining, and movies, this is the fest for you.
Opening night is November 19, which rolls out with a full-length documentary called The Great Chicken Wing Hunt. As the name suggests, it's about finding the world's best Buffalo wings, as directed by Matt Reynolds and featuring a cast of chicken-loving misfits. Think of it as The Gooneys of chicken wings. The winning chef will be in Chicago for the night, serving up an assortment of his famed Buffalo wings to viewers.
On November 20, spicy condiments step into the spotlight with Sriracha, a documentary that explores the origins of the famed sauce that has risen to rival ketchup. Sriracha-inspired and infused dishes are on hand for the after party.
The Night Aquatic features all things nautical and seafaring on November 21, including an oceanic lineup of films such as Sexy Ocean, The Mobile Blues, and Sweet. To accompany, expect a spread of oysters, sushi, urchin, squid, and more. Keizo Shimamoto, the inventor of cultishly famed Ramen Burger, will be in town for the night to debut a seafood ramen.
One of two events on November 22 is for the beer-lovers. In conjunction with a screening of Craft, a feature-length doc about the craft beer boom, the afternoon showcase comes with plenty of beer to drink, along with sausages, sweets, and other snacks. Rounding out the Film Fest is the Food Porn Party, a miscellany of food porn shorts by Larry Cauldwell. Guests can nosh on beef ribs from Billy Durney of Brooklyn's Hometown BBQ while finishing the Film Fest with George Motz's film For the Love of Beef Rib.
Snag tickets for the fest here.
And that's all folks.
- Matt Kirouac