Wolfville N.S. (November 8, 2015) – Filmmakers from Canada, the US, Ireland, Spain and Denmark were the winners of five coveted Golden Tine Awards as part of fifth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest. Cheese, Ain’t No Fish, Cheese (Cáis), Happy 140 and Good Things Await were selected from over 75 contenders from around the globe – each featured throughout the five-day festival in Wolfville. The winners were announced this afternoon at the Golden Tine Awards Brunch held at Wolfville Farmers’ Market.
“This year we had a remarkably robust program with films from around the world,” says Michael Howell, executive director of Devour! “We are thrilled to continuously attract such a high calibre of films in this niche market. Each of the award winners should be very proud of their achievements.”
Hannah Cheesman received the Golden Tine Award in the Best Short Drama category for their short film, Cheese, which explores a woman’s love for cheese; Best Short Animation went to Mike Cash and Tom Gasek’s Ain’t No Fish, a short stop motion animated film with an environmental message about projecting our oceans; Best Short Documentary went to Tanya Doyle’s Cheese (Cáis), which outlines cheese production in Ireland; Happy 140, directed by Gracia Querejeta, won Best Feature Drama for the story of a woman’s 40th birthday and her revelation that she has won a 140 million euro jackpot; and Phie Ambo’s Good Things Await won Best Feature Documentary for the compelling story of Niels and Rita Stockholm who have been biodynamic farmers in Demark for over 30 years. Honourable mentions include Nathan Sage’s Pasta Fatta e Mano (Best Short Documentary) and Willemiek Kluijfhout’s Sergio Herman: Fucking Perfect (Best Feature Documentary).
An esteemed panel of judges led by Steve Shor from the Sonoma International Film Festival made the decisions as to which film would take home the Golden Tine Award in each category. A seasoned film producer, product consultant and film festival programmer, Steve has over 30 years of experience in the industry, making him the perfect person to lead an award selection jury.
“I like the variety of foodie movies that are here – from food safety, to an awareness of food education, to feature films that are kind of rare to find,” says Shor. “Devour! has the whole gamut. A lot of other places don’t have that.”
Canadian culinary maven, Anita Stewart, Founder and President of Food Day Canada, and Grant Keir, an internationally-renowned film and television producer, were also judges on the panel.
“Having a jury on the ground at our event has added a level of prestige to the festival,” says Lia Rinaldo, managing director of Devour! “Each of the three jury members brings something new and exciting to the table. It was a thrill to have them here and to watch their process.”
New to the festival awards this year was the announcement of the Nourish Nova Scotia Youth Food & Film Challenge. Earlier this year, Devour! and Nourish Nova Scotia teamed up to invite children and youth of all ages to make a short film about some serious food issues. Presented by Margo Riebe-Butt of Nourish NS, presented Rose Schoonhoven with the $500.00 prize for her film, The Leftovers. This will be used to support a healthy eating initiative in her school/community.
Awards Brunch attendees experienced an incredible finish to the 2015 festival that included mouth-watering dishes by Chef Tom Fleming of Dallas’ Crossroads Diner and Chef Dennis Johnston of Halifax’s former hotspot Fid Resto, along with brunch cocktails served up by Devour! mixologists Jeffrey Van Horne and Matt Jones.
The sixth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest will be held from November 2-6, 2016. For more information, visit devourfest.com.
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 sixth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest is slated for November 2-6, 2016.
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.
-30-
Media Contact:
Robyn McIsaac
robyn@devourfest.com
(902) 440-1551
