Devour! Turns 15: How a Small-Town Festival Became The World’s Largest Celebration Of Food On Film

What do Michelin-starred chefs, Oscar-winning filmmakers, and a quaint town in Nova Scotia have in common? Devour! The Food Film Fest—now celebrating its 15th anniversary this October 20–26 in Wolfville—is where it all comes together.

Founded and led by Executive Director Michael Howell and Managing Director Lia Rinaldo, Devour! has grown from a local curiosity into the world’s largest food film festival, drawing tens of thousands of foodies, cinephiles, and culture seekers to the Annapolis Valley each year. From hosting legends like Anthony Bourdain to fueling nearly $2 million in economic activity in a single season, the festival is as much about community impact as it is about world-class cuisine and storytelling.

We sat down with Michael and Lia to find out how Devour! became a global phenomenon—and why its 15th anniversary might just be its biggest (and tastiest) celebration yet. —Noa Nichol

Michael Howell, Executive Director

Fifteen years in, what’s been the biggest evolution in how Devour! connects food and film? 

Devour! Connects food and film in two ways. One is our signature Chefs and Shorts dinner, 5 chefs bring 5 short films to life on the plate in a 5 course dinner with wine pairings. This ability to literally bring the screen to the table or ‘taste the screen’ is truly magical. We have taken this Devour! signature event around the world. Secondly, our Big Picture Program where youth come to see a film about agriculture or food production or health, etc., and then have a curriculum based meaningful discussion, followed by a cooking class where again the sense of bringing the screen to life through food is exemplified when children actually cook food that they’ve just seen in a film. 

Devour! has hosted some culinary legends—what does it mean to bring Michelin-starred chefs and rising talent together in a small town like Wolfville?

This ability of ours to bring the world to NS is deeply impactful. Both for our guests of the festival and  for the many young cooks from Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and other culinary schools that are mentored each year. I harken back to when Anthony Bourdain came to the festival in 2014 and how magical it was for the NSCC students to actually meet a culinary legend. Or Jacques Pepin several years ago to be truly inspired in our own backyard without having to leave for other climes or cities reflects on the regional relevance of Devour.

How do you go about curating this year’s lineup of chefs, filmmakers, and experiences to reflect the festival’s legacy and future?

We both curate through our theme each year and look outside at what is current and meaningful. For example, this year’s Montreal theme gives us a lens through which to look at films, bring in chefs, and think about the food that we will serve. But also, we have chefs and films from around the world that we know and can trust to execute events successfully. Our curation process is very complex and takes time. We both want to reflect the theme and also reflect the mission of our festival, which is to get people to think differently about food.  We also curate both chefs and films with an eye to discovering the next up-and-coming chef or filmmaker. So we are thought of as this place of discovery.

Food is such a powerful storytelling tool. What kinds of narratives do you find resonate most with Devour!’s audiences today?

We screen both documentaries and narratives at Devour. In fact, some of the documentaries are more powerful simply because they’re reflecting truth or the nature of the human animal. For example, several years ago, we showed an amazing movie called Batata about the Lebanese conflict through the eyes of Syrian immigrant workers and food production in the Middle East. This was a deeply moving film. Another powerful film several years ago called Maxima was about an indigenous Peruvian potato farmer who takes on corporate greed when nearby lands are appropriate for gold mining and her seemingly Sysiphian battle to keep her land. These are the most resonant kinds of films, those that illustrate tenacity in the face of adversity.

Looking ahead, how do you envision Devour! continuing to impact the food and film industries in Canada and globally?

With the creation of Devour Studios, a permanent home for Devour and other cultural organizations, we now have the opportunity to grow our programming to become a year-round event space where creativity can thrive. This allows us to reach out to other audiences and other times of the year that may be limited from coming to NS in October. It also allows us to act as a film production hub for the future or a centre that brings more relevance to the Annapolis Valley of NS as a base for cultural production. We’d love to see more movies and television shows being shot in Nova Scotia. Our facility will make this possible. 

What’s been your favourite bit or bite of food, in real life or on film, of all time?

One of my favourite movies is Big Night with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub. They play two brothers who run a small authentic restaurant in the face of a wildly popular yet lesser restaurant just down the street. The scene where they make a classic dish called Timpano, pull it out of the oven, and listen to it as they tap it to determine if it’s ready or not has such a deliciously heavy sense of anticipation. Every time I see this, it makes my mouth water, and I want to actually go and make Timpano. 

Lia Rinaldo, Managing Director

Devour! has grown into the largest food film festival in the world—what’s your secret to keeping the heart and intimacy of the event alive?

The key is surrounding yourself with like-minded, hardworking, and passionate people. Our returning team of staff and volunteers share the same values, and it’s this shared commitment that fuels our excitement to host people in Nova Scotia. You won’t find a more dedicated group of people, all eager to help you fall in love with the place we call home. 

What have been some of the most unexpected challenges—and joys—of growing a world-class festival in Wolfville, Nova Scotia?

Despite decades of experience in festival and event management, there’s always a moment or situation we encounter each season that we’ve never faced before. When it arrives, I think to myself, “There it is.” It can be either joyful or terrifying. Let me share a happy one: many years ago, we featured a film called The Path of Stone Soup, which documented a traditional Mexican soup made with freshly caught fish cooked on hot stones riverside. The director and the film’s subjects came to Devour! from Oaxaca through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and it was such an uplifting story. They arrived with suitcases full of rocks, planning to host a soup pop-up after the screening—how authentic is that? Unfortunately, the local health inspector intervened and wouldn’t allow them to use their rocks. In the end, we found a workaround, and the audience loved the film and were moved to tears by their soup. But, as I said… there is a new problem to solve every time. 

This year’s festival will blend Montréal legends, emerging talent, and Oscar-winning filmmakers. What does that kind of mix bring to the Devour! experience?

Each year, with every new theme, we strive to feature a mix of recognizable names and undiscovered gems. Our goal has always been to create a space for discovery, where festival attendees are inspired to follow their noses to a workshop or film and feel compelled to take an action of some kind. Whether that means advocating for a cause, trying out a new recipe, or planning a visit to a chef’s restaurant, we want to spark that excitement.

You’ve hosted culinary and cinematic icons like Bourdain, Lidia Bastianich, and Jason Priestley—any standout moments that still give you goosebumps?

We have been blessed with many moments and many fine guests over the years–standouts include cooking late night omelettes with Sam Kass, the former Chef to the Obamas, Bob Blumer, and a hungry group of staff who hadn’t eaten in the kitchen of a local inn, witnessing legendary chef Jacques Pépin and Canadian actor Gorden Pinsent sketching each other over dinner, sharing nachos tucked in a back corner of a local pub with actor Bill Pullman, watching Bourdain chat over donairs with local chefs in a tool shed, picnicking with chef Dominique Crenn at Grand Pré national park, sabering a bottle of Benjamin Bridge at a party leaving a memorable mark on the cheek of Chicago chef Paul Virant…. and so many more. 

For someone attending Devour! for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the week-long celebration?

For someone attending Devour! for the first time, I hope they leave with a sense of joy and inspiration. I want them to embrace the diversity of the program without feeling overwhelmed–there truly is something for everyone. Whether you’re passionate about films, eager to dive into just culinary events, or looking to enjoy celebrity chef dinners, you can find a track that will resonate with you. We also offer plenty of options that are low-cost or even free, ensuring that everyone can have their own unique experience. 

What’s been your favourite bit or bite of food, in real life or on film, of all time?

Now, that’s a great question! I wish I could narrow it down to just one dish or one film, but let me share a memorable moment from a film here… I absolutely love the opening sequence of Saturday Night Fever, where John Travolta struts down the streets of Brooklyn and effortlessly grabs two slices of New York-style pizza without missing a beat. This style of pizza holds a special place in my heart, as my family has celebrated it throughout our restaurant history in Halifax—from my father’s Salvatore’s New York Pizza to my brothers’ Rinaldo’s Italian American Specialties.