NEW YORK, NY — Only a city as food-obsessed as New York could spawn the NYC Food Film Festival (www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com). Produced in association with the James Beard Foundation and benefiting the Food Bank For New York City, the 2010 NYC Food Film Festival runs from Wednesday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 27th. Summer 2010 marks the fourth year of this exciting week of events in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens where food and film enthusiasts are invited to taste what they see on the screen. Yes, the NYC Food Film Festival serves the food that is seen in the films. Some of the events feature free food films and free film foods. What more could you ask for?

Many of the Festival events will take place outdoors, including a new take on the beloved American tradition…the drive-in movie. On Saturday, June 26, from Noon to 10pm, the NYC Food Film Festival presents The World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie, where the food trucks drive in and the crowd arrives on foot. A caravan of the region’s best food trucks will assemble in Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge, offering authentic artisan fare from Waffles and Ice Cream to Pupusas and Cheeseburgers. Attendees can sample from this vast array of treats, and watch food films that celebrate the food truck tradition. FREE tickets to The World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie will be available on the Festival website starting Friday, April 17th, at noon on a first come, first served basis.

In 2009, acclaimed director Ron Mann called the festival “his absolute favorite” after his film, Know Your Mushrooms, was screened and followed by a 10-course mushroom-inspired tasting menu from Next Iron Chef star Brad Farmerie of Public and Double Crown. Other past events have included a screening of Whole Hog by Joe York, during which over 1000 people feasted on whole hog barbeque courtesy of R.U.B. BBQ NYC. Following a screening of the food film classic Big Night, the audience enjoyed a re-creation of the famous Timpano featured in the film. Free food and film, what’s not to love!

The NYC Food Film Festival sprang from the fevered imagination of Festival Director George Motz, the documentary filmmaker behind the award-winning Hamburger America film and book, along with co-creator and Festival Executive Chef Harry Hawk, formerly of Schnack and Water Taxi Beach. Through documentaries, features and short films, the Festival showcases the best, and the most memorable, of the world’s favorite foods. Along with a heaping helping of mouth-watering films, Motz, Hawk and company, will serve up the food that guests are watching on the screen for a multi-sensory, full-bodied experience.

Festival Director George Motz said, “There’s something about watching a food film that makes you want to eat the food in the film. At the NYC Food Film Festival, while you are watching a film about oysters, you’ll be eating oysters.”

“As a Chef, I’m really excited about our Official Film Selections and all the styles of food we will be presenting. Our jury selects our films and then my team has fun figuring out what dishes to highlight,” said Festival Executive Chef Harry Hawk.

Each year, the James Beard Foundation hosts a Festival Preview, called “Beard on Film”, that offers members and the public a tiny taste of the food and film to be featured during Festival week. This year, Beard on Film, presented by Jarlsberg, will take place at the James Beard House on the evening of June 3rd. Additionally, the James Beard Foundation and Jarlsberg will host a press preview lunch that same day. Accredited members of the press should contact the Festival’s press office to request an invitation.

Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation, said, “The Festival has had a starring role in our roster of exciting food-related programs at the historic James Beard House and has played a key role in furthering our foray into new media.”

For the 2nd year in a row, the NYC Food Film Festival is proud to announce its partnership with the Food Bank For New York City, which will receive top tier integration throughout the Festival to remind guests that every New Yorker deserves to be fed. Additionally, a portion of Festival proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank to assist in its important work. When ordering tickets to Festival events, guests will have the option to support the cause and make an additional donation to the Food Bank.

NYC FOOD FILM FESTIVAL JUDGES
The NYC Food Film Festival is a competitive film festival that presents awards in six categories: Best Feature, Best Short, Best Super-Short, Best Film Made In New York, Food Filmmaker of the Year and the Audience Choice Award. The Official Selections of the 2010 NYC Food Film Festival will be reviewed by a judging panel comprised of members of New York City’s food and film communities. The 2010 judges are Brad Farmerie, the executive chef of PUBLIC, The Monday Room, Double Crown and Madame Geneva, Cat Greenleaf, WNBC Feature Reporter for Today in New York and host of Talk Stoop, Laurence Kretchmer, co-owner and managing partner of Bobby Flay’ss Bold Food, Pat La Frieda, President of Pat La Frieda Wholesale Meat Purveyors, Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of The New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting and Mark Pastore, Chief Operating Officer of Pat La Frieda Wholesale Meat Purveyors.

Fee-Free Ticketing will be provided by TicketBiscuit.

Stay tuned for the full Festival Schedule and Festival Menu to be released in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE NYC FOOD FILM FESTIVAL
Produced in association with the James Beard Foundation and benefiting the Food Bank for New York City, the NYC Food Film Festival has grown from an intimate food-nerd date-night destination to one of New York City’s most beloved festivals, and the largest of its kind in the world. Over 10,000 are expected to attend this summer in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. In September 2010, the Festival will expand into the Chicago market, another town with a fetish for food and film.