Grab a slice of foodie films
Filmgoers who frequent Victoria’s only licensed movie theatre will notice there’s a greater assortment of munchies to accompany their favourite libations this weekend.
An increase in food-for-thought on screen at Vic Theatre is another telltale sign that Victoria Film Festival’s Feast: Food & Film festival is back, with a distinct emphasis on regional spirits and cuisine.
“It’s always about the food,” said programmer Donovan Aikman, explaining his motivation for selecting this year’s cinematic entries to be paired with locally-grown food and beverages.
“You’re looking at the idea of food obsession from a variety of viewpoints,” said Aikman, whose lineup includes five documentaries, one narrative feature and a classic mockumentary.
The documentary Seed: The Untold Story, for instance, is about its subjects’ obsession with food diversity as it explores the passionate preservation of ancient grains and seeds, Aikman said.
“Flavour plays a big part, but there are also political issues,” he said. “There’s one beautiful scene where a guy is looking for heritage seeds, driving around the desert trying to find a plant that has gone missing.”
Typical of what festival newbies can expect is grain bread and a local farmfresh salad provided by Mother Nature’s Market, heritage popcorn and a Left Coast Hemp Vodka cocktail from Victoria Distillers.
Authors Robin Roberts and Natalie Chambers (Saving Farmland) will speak at the screening, at which viewers can win prizes including skin care products, organic chocolates and massages.
While it can be challenging finding partners whose products and services complement a film, it’s also one of the most exciting parts of the planning process, operations manager Jenna Savage said. “The fun part is when you tell someone what a film is about and they say: ‘Oh, I know what we can do,’ she said.
“I think people just really want to know where their food is coming from,” Savage said. “People are so much more conscious about their food choices now. I think that’s what speaks to people the most.”
The festival begins tonight with Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table, which focuses on the New Orleansbased chef who revolutionized Creole cuisine. There will be live jazz, a Mimosa cocktail and breakfast hors d’ouevres courtesy of Floyd’s Diner.
Friday night’s Seed event will be followed by Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent, Lydia Tenaglia’s documentary featuring language as salty as some of the taste temptations dished up by the celebrity chef it profiles.
Toque Catering will provide American cuisine-inspired bites that can be washed down with California wine poured by Vessel Liquor.
The locally owned specialty liquor store will also present a wine and sherry tasting to accompany Spanish tapas during Saturday night’s film Deconstructing Dani Garcia, Inigo Ruiz’s documentary about the Michelin chef. Flamenco dancer Denise Yeo of Alma de Espana Flamenco Dance Company and guitarist Gareth Owen are scheduled to perform.
Fans of Chinese food might be tempted by Cook Up a Storm, Raymond Yip’s feature about a Cantonese streetfood chef who competes in a culinary competition with a Michelin-starred rival. The film boasts as much fun as flavours, said Aikman, who likened it to an early Jackie Chan martial arts movie.
Chinese cuisine and traditional baijiu from Dragon Mist Distillery will be available for this feature.
The audience will be entertained by Ocean Rain Arts Academy’s Chinese traditional dancer Jenny Yu.
There is another culinary spin on the festival’s closing event — a screening of Rob Reiner’s 1984 classic American rock music mockumentary This is Spinal Tap at Phillips Backyard.
Tickets include a Phillips beer and a serving of “melted drummer goo.”