Now in its 6th year, the Flatirons Food Film Festival returns in 2018, bringing a variety of films, top industry speakers, and of course, food. From Thursday 10/11 to Sunday 10/14, foodies will flock to Boulder to view 7 distinct films that examine our relationship with what we eat. In between will be tastings, tours, and discussions to suit every palate.
Here are some of the highlights of the festival:
Downtown Boulder Bites and Brews Tour
When: Thursday, 10/11 from 5:30-7pm
Where: Breweries in Downtown Boulder
This beer-tasting tour will take you to three local breweries — The Post, West Flanders Brewing Company, and Squared Pizza + Beer — for select pairing of beers and small plates. Hosted by Megan Bucholz, the founder of Local Table Tours, this is a great kick-off to the weekend. The tour will end at the Boulder Public Library for the screening of the first film of the festival.
When: Thursday, 10/11 at 7:30pm
Where: Boulder Public Library
“Brewmaster” from Douglas Tirola is an adventurous look at the craft beer scene. Featuring the parallel stories of a big-city lawyer turned aspiring brewery founder and an upstart beer enthusiast studying to become a Master Cicerone (the equivalent of a sommelier), the film examines what it takes to become a leader in this burgeoning movement. Speakers will include two national beer experts — Charlie Papazian and Ray Daniels — alongside the head brewer of Denver’s Lady Justice Brewing — Betsy Lay. Colorado craft beer journalist, Jonathan Shikes will moderate the panel.
When: Saturday, 10/13 from 6-10pm
Where: Boulder Public Library
In homage to perhaps the greatest culinary personality ever, the festival will honor Anthony Bourdain with a three-part event.
From 6-7pm, a street food reception will celebrate the late luminary’s love for street food, as frequently seen on his television shows.
From 7-9pm, a screening of Babette’s Feast — the 1987 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film — will showcase one of Bourdain’s favorite food films.
And from 9-10pm, the event will cap off with an interview and Q&A with Laurie Woolever — the writer who worked with Bourdain in writing the upcoming authorized biography — and Todd Liebler — Bourdain’s close friend and long-time cinematographer on No Reservations and Parts Unknown.
Don’t miss this one.
When: Sunday, 10/14 at 3:30pm
Where: Muenzinger Auditorium
“Eating Animals” is a powerful look at the state of factory farming in our country. It highlights the history of food production, uncovering how we got to the dim reality of an exploitative, inhumane industry. The film follows small-scale farmers doing everything they can to reintroduce the sustainable methods of farming from the past, and engaging communities to understand why this is so vital to our future.
Closing Night Celebration – Cake Tasting and The Cakemaker Screening
When: Sunday, 10/14 at 6:30pm
Where: Nomad Co-Housing Community Room and The Nomad Playhouse
To close out the festival, Lucky’s Bakehouse and Ramon Jose Culinary Creations will be providing cake, alongside sparkling wine, and a variety of other snacks. This will whet the appetite for the final film of the festival — The Cakemaker. The fictional film follows a young German baker who, after the death of the Israeli man he had an affair with, travels to Jerusalem to try and understand his late lover’s life. He begins working in the newly-opened café of the man’s bereaved wife, developing a complicated friendship with her in the process.
For this one weekend in mid-October, the greater culinary world will come to Boulder to share the beauty of food mixed with art. With films on craft beer, cake, factory farming and even more not listed here, the 2018 Flatirons Food Film Festival offers a slice of foodie cinema for everyone.