Food on Film – Stories to Feed a New World

The festival aims to present a carefully curated selection of films and short films where food is the common thread. From documentaries addressing environmental challenges linked to the food industry to gripping narratives centered around local and sustainable cuisine, Hungry Minds Film Festival provides a diverse and engaging insight into the relationship between food and sustainability.

Each selected film will have a direct or indirect link to the culinary world, providing audiences with a cinematic experience that stimulates the mind and satisfies the palate. Viewers will be immersed in stories exploring how food can drive change, sparking reflections on environmental awareness and active participation in creating a more sustainable future.

Food on Film section

In the framework of the Food on Film section of the Hungry Minds Festival there will be also some exclusive moments as:

• 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Playtest of the role-playing game designed by Slow Food for the Food on Film – Stories to Feed a New World project. – Open only to UNISG students
• 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m . Screenings of the finalist short films and documentaries of the Hungry Minds Film Festival (in the Aula Magna of the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo)
• 17.00 – 18.00 Screening of the documentary “Women of Land” from the Food on Film – Stories to Feed a New World catalog.
• 18.00 – 19.30 Launch and presentation of the Food on Film – Stories to Feed a New World project and debate dedicated to the importance of food education in schools. An aperitif will be provided at the end of the debate.
• 9:00 p.m. – 11:45 p.m. Juror speeches, awards ceremony for the winning films and screening of the film “The old oak” by Ken Loach

Debate on nutrition education in schools

The discussion will focus on the importance of food education in schools and the Food on Film project, which aims to stimulate the interest of the public, particularly young people, through a highly stimulating film education format focused on the still much neglected close relationship of the impact of food on pressing environmental and climate issues.

Two main focuses of the discussion will be: the integration of nutrition education into the school curriculum and the Food on Film project’s innovative approaches and strategies to equip students with the skills needed to understand, but also communicate, the environmental challenges of the future. This approach not only aims to provide theoretical knowledge, but also aims to encourage students’ ability to become active agents of change, using the power of film art to raise awareness and mobilize communities on crucial issues related to food and the environment.

The meeting dedicated to the importance of food education in schools, including through cinema with speakers:

• Carlo Petrini (Founder of Slow Food),
• Enzo Ghigo (President of the Cinema Museum),
• Lia Furxhi (Cinemambiente festival Director),
• Barbara Nappini (President SF Italy),
• Eleonora Lano (Director SF International Education Office),
• Mauro Gola – CRC Foundation President
• with moderator Rinaldo Rava (Vice President of the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo.

The three Hungry Minds Film Festival jurors Daniele Luchetti, Carla Signoris and Roy Menarini are also scheduled to speak.

Food on Film - Stories to Feed a New World

The “Food on Film” project is a direct response to the increasingly pressing global need to address the climate crisis through the lens of culture: it stems from the conviction that culture, especially in the form of cinema, has the power to dialogue with one of the most crucial challenges of our time: environmental sustainability. The urgency of addressing the climate emergency is directly addressed by “Food on Film” through the recognition of cinema as a powerful educational tool.

With a special focus on young people, the project aims to provide them with an innovative film experience and encourage the use of cinema as a tool for individual expression. It also aims to innovate and disseminate a new model of green film experience, integrating digital elements and live performances to engage a wide range of audiences and expand the replication potential of the project. The University of Pollenzo, with its Hungry Minds Film Festival and its 20th Anniversary celebrations, is therefore the ideal context for the international launch of this ambitious project.