Chicago Film Festival Celebrates Taste of Cinema

In Chicago, we love our film and our food. Naturally, we felt that our 51st Festival should reflect these two loves in our film lineup. We are happy to present our Taste of Cinema program, where we invite audiences to pair food & film.

Breakfast at Ina’s celebrates a beloved Chicago eatery and a woman who achieved her dream against the odds. With Breakfast at Ina’s, Chef Isaac Weliver of Local Root (601 N McClurg) will re-create Ina’s iconic menu with a new twist;  Sun, Oct 18 3:30pm.

In The Birth of Sake, a small group of passionate laborers channel time and the elements at a 144-year- old family-owned brewery in northern Japan. With The Birth of Sake, audience members are invited to an exclusive sake tasting with Japanese tapas at Murasaki Sake Lounge (211 E. Ontario St); Mon, Oct 19 5:45pm.

Over dinner, friends trade wild stories about relationships, including a woman who falls in love with an amnesiac and an unforgettably sexy trip to Paris. Filmed locally, with improvisational dialogue and a cast plucked from the city’s improv scene, Open Tables is a smorgasbord of fun. For Open Tables, step inside the film for appetizers at cocktails at one of Chicago’s foodie hot spots featured in the film, Trenchermen (2039 W North Ave). Tues, Oct 20 6:15pm.

An in-depth look at what it takes to create and manage one of the world’s greatest eateries, For Grace also tells the complex story of a man constantly pushing forward in a quest to overcome his traumatic past and create his own future.

Red bean paste is the filling in this poignant tale of life, compassion, and sweet endings. An uninspired red bean pancake chef is re-energized when a plucky septuagenarian’s irresistible homemade recipe makes his snacks a local hit. Both characters use their creations, photographed in mouth-watering close-up, to rebuild from traumatic pasts. Sweet Bean is the latest from poetic Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling the Festival Hotline Mon-Fri 6:00pm CST at 312-332-FILM (3456) or by visiting our Box Office 7 days a week from 12:00pm-8:00pm at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St, Chicago). Tickets are also available online at ChicagoFilmFestival.com/tickets. Each pairing is $50 and includes film ticket.

[add_eventon_list event_type=”302″ fixed_month=”10″ fixed_year=”2015″ event_count=’5′ show_limit=’yes’]