Wolfville, N.S. (April 17, 2015) – Devour! The Food Film Fest organizers, Michael Howell and Lia Rinaldo, say the first American based pop-up event came to a successful close with overwhelming support from local partners. Hosted by Food Network personality, Bob Blumer and actor and festival board member, Jason Priestley, Devour! Los Angeles showcased the best of what Atlantic Canada has to offer as a way of promoting the fifth edition of the Wolfville festival slated for November.
“As we grow Devour! into a signature Nova Scotia event, the ability to combine film, food, wines and all the senses in an experiential activity is what we strive for – to represent the best of our province and the best of cinema in an engaging and interactive way,” says Howell, executive director of Devour! “Our guests in Los Angeles got to savour a little taste of Nova Scotia in their own back yard.”
The event at Blumer’s home in the Hollywood Hills featured Atlantic Canadian cuisine generously donated by festival partners Comeau Seafoods, Scotian Gold Apples and Acadian Seaplants. Some of the delicious dishes prepared by Howell (formerly chef owner of Tempest in Wolfville) and Blumer included: Lobster sliders, Fundy Scallops on cured braised pork belly (with chef Jason Lynch’s Bacon Jam ‘frosting’), Solomon Gundy with pumpernickel, and caviar from New Brunswick’s Acadian Sturgeon Caviar Inc. with chive and maple blinis. Sober Island Oysters were also there in person with their signature ice oyster bar, with owners Trevor and Michelle shucking 250 oysters hand harvested for this event! The beverage menu featured beautiful wines from Grand Pré Wines and Benjamin Bridge, along with two festival inspired cocktails featuring Canadian Club Whiskey. These cocktails were prepared by Priestley, who was tending bar with esteemed Beam Suntory Whiskey Ambassador & Devour! mixologist, Matt Jones.
“This event was only made possible through generous support from our local partners,” says Rinaldo, managing director of Devour! “All products, people’s time, venues, appearances and so forth were completely donated. We were in the centre of the film world to profile our event and showcase Nova Scotia with no additional government support. This level of dedication exemplifies the creative and culinary communities we are so lucky to have here in Nova Scotia.”
Devour! Los Angeles was acknowledged by attendees as the place to be in Los Angles on April 2, with a full room of guests who are now hoping to attend the November Festival in Wolfville. High profile guests in attendance included: Jon Cassar (director, producer of 24 and La Femme Nikita), Jonathan Dana (founder of IMDB and Withoutabox), Bart Rosenblatt (director, producer of Inversion, Stolen and You Kill Me), Amy Green (producer of America’s Most Wanted), Dave Erickson (producer of the miniseries Marco Polo and Fear The Walking Dead), Sheri Elwood (Devour! board member, creator Call Me Fitz) Laura Regan (actress in Minority Report and Mad Men), Tonya Lee Williams (actress, The Young and the Restless), Caroline Artiss (YouTube cooking sensation with over 34,000 followers), Steve Shor (senior programmer for the Sonoma Film Fest and Newport Beach Film Fest), Steven Chagollan (Variety Magazine) and Dave’s Travel Corner (blogger with over 200,000 followers – who also happened to be live tweeting from the event).
Halifax’s own Egg Studios produced a four minute promotional piece that was debuted at the Hollywood hills event.
ABOUT DEVOUR! THE FOOD FILM FEST
Devour! The Food Film Fest is an international festival celebrating cinema, food and wine culture. The five-day festival takes place in the culinary epicentre of Nova Scotia – the town of Wolfville, Kings County. The festival is an experiential celebration of food on film, the culture of food and the dramatic impact it has on our day-to-day lives. The mission: to educate and entertain through the lens of food on film. The fifth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest is slated for November 4-8, 2015. www.devourfest.com
ABOUT THE LOCATION
Only one hour from Halifax, the Town of Wolfville and Kings County provide the perfect setting for Devour! amid the beauty of the Annapolis Valley and the mighty Bay of Fundy. The heartland of Nova Scotia’s burgeoning wine industry and the centre of culinary and agricultural innovation, Wolfville is also home to Acadia University, one of Canada’s most renowned academic institutions, and a partner of Devour! The Food Film Fest.
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Media Contact:
Kate Elliot
kate@devourfest.com
(902) 440-7844
