The upcoming first Chicago Food Film Festival has all the ingredients to become a staple of the city that loves to eat and watch films ? paired for the first time together in a weekend event.
Concentrated TV partners Mark Cwiakala and Jon Singer, and director George Motz are staging the food-film collaboration Sept. 24-25 at the MCA Warehouse ? another first for a screening venue ? in the Fulton Market district.
The CFFF features a screening of 10 food-related films food over the two evenings in a banquet room-like setting; then guests are served some of the food they’ve just seen in the films, from standard faves, e.g. juicy hamburgers, to offbeat fair foods, e.g. deep fried cheese curds.
Motz, a friend of Cwiakala and Singer, decided to bring the foodie/film fest “as next perfect step for the festival, which made sense since Chicago has become such an internationally-known, highly-rated dining city,” Cwiakala says.
Filmmaker Motz, auteur of “Hamburger America” film and book, created the NYC Food Festival with Harry Hawk, a notable New York chef. NYCFFF was held in June for the fourth year and founders estimates it has served 20,000 guests.
Starting last March, the hosts began looking for viable outdoor venues, such as the one offered by Kendall College, the culinary institute in River North. But when the MCA Warehouse suddenly became available, it was deemed the ideal location.
“The Warehouse’s first floor has a capacity of 500 guests. We will have eight-foot tables for banquet seating, while the films will be projected on the walls,” Cwiakala says.
Caterers will prepare the tasting foods for both days.
