A provocative and evocative feast for the senses, the second annual Eatable Film Festival will bridge the divide between the cognitive and the culinary this October at the audience-favourite Royal Cinema. Running October 22 to 25, 2016, Eatable is a mirepoix made of film, food, and libation following the ethos of international food and film festivals such as Berlinale Culinary Cinema, Seoul International Food Film Festival, Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund's Culinary Screenings, Balkan Film Food Festival, and Nova Scotia's Devour! The Food Film Fest.
Co-founded by Rachel Low, an award-winning television producer whose credits include the Gemini Award-winning Opening Soon and Chef School and the James Beard Award winner, Morimoto RAW, Eatable seeks to further connect viewers with feature films by way of inspired food and drink.
Eatable's 2016 programming is a mélange of four screenings featuring some of the most renowned culinary-inspired films and featurettes. Each sensory screening pairs artistic culinary cinematic accomplishments with eclectic Toronto food and beverage purveyors, through whom the films are brought to life via edible experiences.
Eatable 2016 Schedule
Saturday, October 22 at 1 p.m.
Coffee and Cigarettes, Jim Jarmusch's 2003 anthology featuring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Roberto Benigni, features 11 vignettes connected by the common theme of, not surprisingly, coffee and cigarettes. Sam James Coffee Bar, Blackbird Baking Co., and Chocolates X Brandon Olsen will pay homage to the film's thematic narrative.
Sunday, October 23 at 5 p.m.
Pizzeria Libretto's Chef Rocco Agostino and Enoteca Sociale's Chef James Santon will draw inspiration from the silver screen to infuse the viewing of the 1996 film Big Night, which stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub as restaurateur brothers, with Italian excellence. VIP ticket holders will be treated to a 4-course, film-inspired dinner at Pizzeria Libretto's King Street location directly following the screening.
Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m.
Filmmaker Marijn Frank explores our obsession with carnivorous cravings in her documentary, Need for Meat (Vleesverlangen). Simultaneous to the screening, Beast's Chef Scott Vivian will explore his own obsession with meat in his cooking with a film-inspired victual. Stay tuned after the screening for an exclusive filmmaker and chef Q&A.
Tuesday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
To close out Eatable's palatable programming, the documentary Portrait of a Garden will entrance the audience with its story of master and protégé set against the backdrop of a centuries-old Dutch walled vegetable and fruit garden. This screening opens with the Season 3 premiere of In the Weeds, a popular digital series about foraging, featuring Chef John Horne (Canoe) ““ who will also be preparing the evening's edibles ““ as well as a chef and filmmaker Q&A.
With a slate chock-full of thought-provoking films and scintillating flavours, Eatable is truly an immersive and otherworldly cinematic experience. As Eatable executive director Rachel Low says, “The frustrating part about being a food television producer was that the audiences never got to taste the food. Eatable is about creating a fully immersive experience that takes the audience from spectator to participant.”
About Eatable Film Festival
Since launching in 2015, Eatable has become a fan-favourite festival among Toronto's foodies. Eatable is produced by executive director Rachel Low (award-winning television producer), managing director Janine Heath (film/tv producer and VP financial operations), programming director Rachel Wagner (food writer and television producer), and operations manager Ronny Peleg (trained chef and restaurant consultant). Eatable is truly a film festival you can taste.
Eatable runs October 22 to 25, 2016 at the Royal Cinema. For tickets, please visit eatablefilms.com.