A Film, Food, Wine, and Fundraising Event Celebrating the Best of Culinary Cinema: “The Taste of Things,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” and “Tampopo”
Film Screenings Curated by Dave Karger (Turner Classic Movies) and
Food and Wine Tributes Curated by the CIA with All Proceeds Going to the CIA Scholarship Fund and
Cinema Napa Valley
Napa Valley, CA (March 5, 2024) – The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) and The Culinary Institute of America(CIA) proudly announce a special film, food and wine fund-raising showcase called “Salute to Culinary Cinema!” The four-film line-up and culinary extravaganza, curated by Turner Classic Movies’ host Dave Karger, includes “The Taste of Things,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” and “Tampopo.” The event will take place at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia (The CIA at Copia, 500 1st Street, Napa, CA) on April 5 – 7, 2024. Tickets go on sale today.
Each film screening will be followed by a series of multi-course Culinary Tributes by the CIA to celebrate the food and wine culture evoked in each film. Special guest chefs will also take part in the tribute, including Maître Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France) Roland Passot and Joel Guillon, chef/partner of the restaurant Press (Napa), Phil Tessier, CIA chef Annie Hongkham, and CIA chefs & students. Additional special guest chefs to be announced.
The event will also include a special book-signing and presentation with Dave Karger highlighting his new book “50 Oscar Nights.” The presentation will feature exclusive behind the scenes stories of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss Hollywood’s biggest night. The event is on April 6 and is free with book purchase.
“We’re excited to announce that NVFF will be building on its partnership with the CIA at Copia to create an unforgettable weekend showcasing some very entertaining food-focused films and highlighting the talented students, alumni and chefs that have honed their craft at the CIA. We sincerely hope that our friends from the Napa and Bay Area communities will join us in an event that also supports the fundraising efforts of our respective organizations,” said Cinema Napa Valley (CNV) chair Rick Garber.
“We look forward to creating a truly unique and fun experience for all. Food and film are both ubiquitous in our daily lives and celebrating them together to support the CIA & the Napa Valley Film Festival is an amazing opportunity. We hope this will be the beginning of a year-long series of events,” said Thomas Bensel, managing director for the CIA’s California campuses.
The event will also include a special book-signing and presentation with Dave Karger highlighting his book “50 Oscar Nights.” The presentation will feature exclusive behind the scenes stories of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss Hollywood’s biggest night. The event is on April 6 and is free with book purchase.
“The only thing I love as much as watching a terrific movie is enjoying a wonderful meal. I’ve loved being at the Napa Valley Film Festival in the past and I’m so looking forward to sharing these films with my fellow cinema-loving foodies,” said curator and event host Dave Karger.
“Salute to Culinary Cinema!” Screening and Culinary Tribute Line-up:
Friday, April 5
5:00 p.m. “The Taste of Things” (2023). Directed and written by Trần Anh Hùng (Festival de Cannes “Best Director”)
- Synopsis: Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her. Starring Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel
- Trailer: Here
Culinary “The Taste of Things” Tribute with Maître Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France) Roland Passot and Joel Guillon
- Sumptuous French cuisine multi-course dinner with wine inspired by the film.
- Price for Screening and Dinner: $195
Saturday, April 6
11:00 a.m. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” (2009). Directed and written by Chris Lord and Phil Miller
- Synopsis: When hard times hit Swallow Falls, its townspeople can only afford to eat sardines. Flint Lockwood, a failed inventor, thinks he has the answer to the town’s crisis. He builds a machine that converts water into food and becomes a local hero when tasty treats fall from the sky like rain. But when the machine spins out of control and threatens to bury the whole world under giant mounds of food, Flint finds he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
- Trailer: Here
Culinary “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” Tribute Lunch with CIA chefs and students
- Hamburgers! Hot Dogs! Ice Cream! Pizza! Donuts! And of course, Meatballs! All served from the heavens above.
- Price for Screening and lunch: $30 for children under 16, $60 for adults.
3:00 p.m. Book Signing and Presentation: “50 Oscar Nights” with Dave Karger
- Turner Classic Movies’ host and entertainment media journalist Dave Karger presents highlights from his new book “50 Oscar Nights,” an exclusive look behind the scenes of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss their Oscar wins and tell never-before-told tales of Hollywood’s biggest night.
- Presentation and signing free with purchase of book from CIA Gift Store: $30
5:00 p.m. “The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014). Directed by Lasse Hallström.
- Synopsis: Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is an extraordinarily talented and largely self-taught culinary novice. When he and his family are displaced from their native India and settle in a quaint French village, they decide to open an Indian eatery. However, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the proprietress of an acclaimed restaurant just 100 feet away, strongly objects. War erupts between the two establishments, until Mallory recognizes Kadam’s impressive epicurean gifts and takes him under her wing.
- Trailer: Here
Culinary “The Hundred-Foot Journey” Tribute Dinner with chef/partner of Press, Phil Tessier
- Bringing in a team of revered CIA graduate chefs, this multi-course dining experience marries the protagonist Chef’s French Haute Cuisine in the film with the rustic Indian Cuisine that was his inspiration.
- Price for Screening and Dinner: $195
Sunday, April 7
11:00 a.m. “Tampopo,” (1985). Directed and written by Juzo Itami
- Synopsis: Juzo Itami’s rapturous “ramen western” returns to U.S. screens for the first time in decades, in a new 4K restoration. The tale of an enigmatic band of ramen ronin who guide the widow of a noodle shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, Tampopo serves up a savory broth of culinary adventure seasoned with offbeat comedy sketches and the erotic exploits of a gastronome gangster. Sweet, sexy, surreal, and mouthwatering, Tampopo remains one of the most delectable examples of food on film.
- Trailer: Here
Culinary “Tampopo” Tribute Brunch with CIA Chef Annie Hongkham
- A Japanese “Ramen Palooza” experience featuring Ramen and Izakaya stations throughout to follow.
- Price for Screening and Lunch: $125
Tickets and passes for the “Salute to Culinary Cinema!” go on sale today. Prices are:
- General admission to screenings: $25
- Individual Screening and Culinary Tributes priced above.
All Access Pass to four films, culinary experiences, and book signing/presentation
- Special “Early Bird” price of $500 until March 15.
- Special $550 price until March 30.
- $605 starting April 1.
Ticketing information: www.