Chicago Food Film Festival Fills Eyes, Ears, AND Mouth

By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 24, 2010 8:30PM

If you like the idea of "dinner and a movie" but wish those two events could be simultaneous rather than sequential, we've already got one weekend next month planned for you. On September 24 and 25, the inaugural Chicago Food Film Festival opens its doors to the hungry and the entertainment-starved alike.

Following on the success of the film and book Hamburger America, George Motz got together with Chef Harry Hawk to put together a film festival based on a simple, delicious plan: show films about food, and then serve that food to the crowds. After four years as a NYC phenomenon, Motz and company decided to organize a similar event in Chicago.

The first of the festival's two nights begins with Eat Your Fill, about one man's attempts to eat every item at the Wisconsin State Fair that is either fried or on a stick, followed by "fried cheese curds, corn dogs, and other deep-fried goodies. Four other short films round out the two hours of scheduling, and other culinary hilights include Fanny Bay oysters and exotic sodas.

We'd bet the hot ticket will be the second night, Saturday September 25, billed as "The Chicago Burger 'N Beer Experience," curated by Chef Michael Kornick and DMK Burger Bar, along with local, independent beers. On the screen will be The Best of Hamburger America, CUD and Beer Wars.

The nascent program doesn't match the level of ambition of the local culinary scene (or even the ambition of local video about the culinary scene), but as the organizers have already billed this as an annual event, we'd expect it to put on some heft in years to come.

All events will be at the MCA Warehouse (1747 West Hubbard). Tickets start at $25 per night and are available now at chicagofoodfilmfestival.com.

Image from the NYC Food Film Festival's flickr stream