by Quincy Scott (’24) | October 11, 2021

As this year’s FoodxFilm festival wraps up, there are so many important lessons everyone can take away. The FoodxFilm festival was brought into global light by the United Nations and is now one of the leading organizations that spreads awareness about food insecurities and problems throughout the world. 

While the festival itself is only three days long and held in New York City, FoodxFilm’s mission is to spread awareness of issues such as food sustainability throughout the entire year. On their official website, FoodxFilm says that they “aim to address the future of food both in terms of scarcity and abundance with an eye toward building sustainability, fairness, and systems transformation. Food is the great messenger, an ancient identifier, an ever-arching bridge from the past to the future. We cross these bridges with film—the most powerful storytelling tool of our time.” For example, one theme of this year’s festival involved using creativity to repair damaged parts of our world. As such, FoodxFilm acknowledges our past in order to design our future. On their website, they have additionally posted various resources to teach more about their mission. Viewers can also participate in certain parts of what was offered during the festival from their own homes. Along with the films featured this year, FoodxFilm also has snippets from partners of the festival, all great resources when it comes to learning about food problems happening around the globe. 

Additionally, the festival does a great job of teaching viewers about what food means to certain communities and how food is deeply ingrained in culture and history. When foods that have been culturally important to areas or communities begin to become scarce, it is vital that festivals such as FoodxFilm showcase such dishes in their subject matter. 

All in all, the FoodxFilm festival is a stellar way to learn all about food and issues surrounding the dishes we enjoy via the modern and technologically advanced medium of film. Although the festival may be over for this year, its films will still be available online to anyone who wants to watch. For all of us, this is certainly a great way to learn more about what we are eating and be mindful of the rich origins and histories behind food we hold close to our hearts (and stomachs).