Food Film Menu 2020: Best Food Film showcasing Food-related Visitor Experiences announced

Food Film Menu 2020: Best Food Film showcasing Food-related Visitor Experiences announced

The short film A Taste of Sant Joan from Menorca, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2022, has been announced as winner of the Food-related Visitor Experiences or Food Gifts from the Regions of Gastronomy category of the Food Film Menu 2020, organised by IGCAT.

Showcasing one of the strongest traditions in Menorca, the film presents the internationally known festivity of Sant Joan (Saint John) and the peculiar gastronomy related to it, that every year draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the island. Dishes that combine the heritage of local culinary traditions with the French and English influences that persist in Menorca.

A Taste of Sant Joan was selected by an international jury of IGCAT experts as the best short film to showcase a Food-related Visitor Experience or Food Gift from the Regions of Gastronomy, since it forcefully presented a quality and surprising visitor experience related to regional gastronomy as a powerful way of keeping the region’s identity alive and making it interesting for responsible tourists.

“This short film captures the spirit of this extraordinary Menorcan event and its historic links to gastronomy, and the role of food in the overall experience, combined with traditional recipes shared by the chefs and cooks involved” affirmed jury member Robert Palmer.

“This film powerfully showed how to connect gastronomy, culture, history and tourism” stated jury member Marina Simião.

The international jury included IGCAT experts: Alessio Cavicchi (Italy), Professor at the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism at University of Macerata; Mai Damgaard Rasmussen (Denmark), Director of the FoodFilmFestival of Aarhus; Daniela Jelincic (Croatia), Senior Reasearch Advisor at the Institute for Development and International Relations of Zagreb; Dorian Lungu (Romania), trainer in in management of intercultural learning; Robert Palmer (Scotland), independent consultant  and former Director of Culture, Cultural and Natural Heritage at the Council of Europe; Marina Simião (Brazil), Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais; and Lidia Varbanova (Bulgaria), Senior consultant, lecturer and researcher in arts, culture and the creative industries.

In the next days, the winners of the 7 categories of the Food Film Menu 2020 will be officially announced. A public’s vote will be open on Facebook (4-7 September) to select the Overall Winner of the Food Film Menu 2020, that will be announced in Kuopio (Finland) on 11 September 2020, during their opening ceremony as European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2020-2021.

The Food Film Menu aims to collect short films about awarded and candidate Regions of Gastronomy that help raise awareness about the importance of food and cultural diversity for community well-being and a more sustainable future.

About the Region of Gastronomy     

Candidate and awarded Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to raise awareness about the importance of their cultural and food uniqueness; stimulate creativity and gastronomic innovation; educate for better nutrition; improve sustainable tourism standards; highlight distinctive food cultures; and strengthen community well-being.

About IGCAT

IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance to safeguard and promote distinct food, culture, arts and sustainable tourism assets. This is essential to balance against globalised food trends that are impacting on our planet, health and local economies.

IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.

IGCAT provides the Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World Regions of Gastronomy Platform. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the Young Chef Award, the Local Food Gift Challenge, the Top Visitor Experience and the Food Film Menu.

4 September 2020