Food-focused films and documentaries have been taking over the screens (both in theaters and on Netflix) for years now and it looks like the Philippines is catching up to the growing trend.
Championing local food and cinema, CineKabalen Film Festival 2019 is bringing food front and center with its newly launched Culinary Cinema Section. Aiming to preserve and promote the food culture of the Philippines, CineKabalen is an annual Pampanga-based film festival that celebrates the region’s language and culture in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts—although the Culinary Cinema Section will be open to filmmakers from all regions covering all types of Filipino cuisine and traditions.
Just in time for Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino (Filipino Food Month) in April, filmmakers have until Mar. 31, 2019 to submit their entries. All films should not exceed 15 minutes and can be in English or any Philippine dialect, among other requirements.
Inspired by the Berlin International Film Festival’s Culinary Cinema in which the audience was treated to both the film and the cuisine the film was featuring, CineKabalen Film Festival director Carlo Enciso Catu says, “The culinary cinema section is an initiative to inspire that we have our own regional stories pertaining to food and CineKabalen will host that special section.”
Winning films will be screened at the Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino Festival in April and CineKabalen Film Festival in December.