Wolfville, N.S. (April 7, 2016) – The busy spring season continues for the duo behind Devour! The Food Film Fest. Coming off the success of their well-received pop-up event, A Taste of Devour! in Berlin, Michael Howell and Lia Rinaldo took their show on the road for the second time in 2016 – this time to sunny Los Angeles.
“We are thrilled to be in the world’s largest film-based city to promote Devour!,” says Rinaldo, Devour! managing director. “Each year the number of experiential travellers attending our festival continues to grow. We hope that events such as this can generate significant interest and growth within this target market.”
Last night, Howell and Rinaldo teamed up with Food Network personality, Devour! alumnus and returning host for 2016 Bob Blumer at his Hollywood Hills home for the second year in a row to present Devour! Los Angeles. Providing industry guests with an imaginative culinary exploration of Canada’s Secret Foodie Destination, Devour! culinary coordinator Jason Lynch (Le Caveau) prepared dished using a bountiful selection of Nova Scotia seafood generously sponsored by Sober Island Oysters, Acadian Sturgeon Caviar Inc., Comeau Sea Foods, Scotian Gold and Acadian Seaplants Ltd. Some of the delicious dishes included:
- Fresh Sober Island Oysters with Tidal Bay and Scotian Gold apple mignonette
- Fresh Sober Island Oysters with Nova Scotia maple and chilli hot sauce
- Acadian Sturgeon Caviar with crème fraiche, egg and shallot on buckwheat blini
- Willy Krauch smoked salmon roulade with caper glaze
- Willy Krauch smoked mackerel rillettes on rye bread with walnut pesto, Nova Scotia lobster and cucumber crostini
- Hana Tsunomata Seaweed and scallop crudo with sesame and miso vinaigrette
- Apple Brown Betty with scalded cream
The beverage menu featured award-winning wines from Benjamin Bridge and Domaine de Grand Pré, along with festival-inspired Beam Suntory cocktails, Haskap Smash and Dark-treuse, prepared by Devour! mixologist Jeffrey Van Horne.
Joined by Devour! board members Jason Priestley, Sheri Elwood and Charles Bishop, overlooking the famed Hollywood Hills sign, Devour! Los Angeles was a must-see event. This was confirmed by a full room of guests who are now hoping to attend the sixth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest in November. High profile guests in attendance included: (John Henion, producer of Chef’s Table), Laura Regan (actress in Minority Report and Mad Men), Kelly Perine (actor in The Drew Carey Show), Steve Shor (senior programmer for the Sonoma International Film Fest), Helen Dutoit (director for the Palm Springs International Film Fest), Steve Chagollan (senior features editor at Variety Magazine), Eddie Zamora (The Yum Yum Foodie), Dave Erickson (producer of the miniseries Marco Polo and Fear The Walking Dead), Rachel Merrill (international tour director of Classic Journeys), Sherry Yard (chef and owner of Helm’s Bakery) and Larry Greenberg (senior vice president of Entertainment One).
Prior to Devour! Los Angeles event, Howell and Rinaldo travelled to one of the world’s preeminent wine valleys in Sonoma, California where Howell was invited to be a member of the jury at the Sonoma International Film Festival from March 30 to April 3.
A number of films from the fifth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest were screened as part of Sonoma’s 2016 program. Festival organizers believe this is a true testament to Devour! becoming a place of discovery.
“The importance of continuing a relationship with Hollywood is not lost to us” says Howell, Devour! executive director. “Not only maintaining a presence but encouraging active investment in and visitation to Nova Scotia is of paramount importance to Devour!”
Save the date for these upcoming opportunities to experience A Taste of Devour!:
- April 25, 2016 – Devour! at Terroir Symposium, Toronto, O.N.
- May 6-8, 2016 – Devour! Okanagan – Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos, B.C.
- May 13-15, 2016 – Devour! Fox Harb’r – Fox Harb’r Golf Resort & Spa, Wallace, N.S.
Stay tuned for information on even more upcoming events as they are confirmed. Each event is in preparation for the sixth edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest, taking place 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.
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Media Contact:
Robyn McIsaac
robyn@devourfest.com
(902) 440-1551
