EatDrinkFilms

Overview

EatDrinkFilms is a food and film publication and event platform founded by Gary Meyer in San Francisco in 2014. The site operates as a free weekly online magazine covering food, drink, and cinema, and co-presents food-themed films at festivals and events throughout the year. The platform was conceived as a precursor to a full-scale food film festival, with a preview event (Food Day/Film Day) held on October 24, 2015 at the Roxie Theatre and the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Gary Meyer co-founded Landmark Theatres in 1975, the first national arthouse chain in the US focused on creative marketing for non-Hollywood fare. He joined the Telluride Film Festival in 1998 and served as Festival Co-Director from 2007 to 2014. He launched EatDrinkFilms.com in April 2014 and began planning the EatDrinkFilms FEASTival, a Bay Area-wide food film festival planned for August 2016 with a national tour to follow. The site continues to publish weekly editorial content covering food films, festival selections, recipes, and culinary culture.

The Food Day/Film Day event on October 24, 2015 provided a model for the festival concept. The event screened four feature films at the Roxie Theatre (Babette's Feast, In Defense of Food, El Somni, and The Ways of Wine), each preceded by tastings from local food and beverage producers. A free program of food-themed short films screened at the Exploratorium, including Susan Rockefeller's Food for Thought, Food for Life. Single admission was $14 including tastings, with an all-day pass at $40 for four films.

Key Sections

• Online Magazine - weekly editorial content covering food films, festival selections, recipes, culinary culture, and film reviews, with contributions from established and new writers in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally
• Festival Co-Presentations - food and beverage related films co-presented at various festivals and events throughout the year, including the Sonoma International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Frameline
• Food Day/Film Day - the inaugural standalone event (October 24, 2015) that served as a preview for the planned FEASTival
• EatDrinkFilms FEASTival - the planned Bay Area-wide food film festival, announced for August 2016 with a national tour to follow

What Filmmakers Should Know

Platform status: EatDrinkFilms currently operates as an online magazine and co-presentation platform rather than as a standalone festival with open submissions. Filmmakers should not submit films directly to EatDrinkFilms expecting a competitive festival selection process. Instead, the platform co-presents food-themed films that are already screening at partner festivals. If your food film is selected for a Bay Area festival, EatDrinkFilms may co-present it, which adds editorial coverage and audience outreach.

Editorial coverage: The site publishes reviews and features about food films screening at major festivals. Coverage includes the Sonoma International Film Festival (which programs 17 or more food-related films alongside culinary events), the Seattle International Film Festival, Frameline, and other Bay Area festival selections. Filmmakers with food-themed films screening at these festivals may receive editorial coverage on EatDrinkFilms, which extends audience reach beyond the festival itself.

Gary Meyer's industry network: Meyer's background as co-founder of Landmark Theatres and former Telluride Co-Director gives EatDrinkFilms access to a deep network of filmmakers, distributors, and festival programmers. The platform's co-presentations leverage these relationships to place food films in front of engaged Bay Area audiences. Filmmakers connected to Meyer's network may find opportunities for co-presentation and editorial coverage.

Food film as a growing niche: Food documentaries have become one of the most commercially viable documentary subgenres. Films about industrial agriculture, food justice, culinary tradition, and the global food system regularly secure theatrical distribution and streaming deals. EatDrinkFilms occupies a specific niche at the intersection of food culture and cinema, targeting audiences who are passionate about both. The Bay Area's culinary reputation and active film culture make San Francisco a natural hub for this content.

Sonoma International Film Festival partnership: EatDrinkFilms has a notable partnership with the Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in March in Sonoma, California. SIFF programs over 90 films across five days and includes 17 or more food-related films, culinary events, and masterclasses. The 2025 edition featured a Marcella Hazan tribute dinner and a masterclass by Michelin Chef Yoshinori Ishii. EatDrinkFilms provides editorial coverage of SIFF's food film programming, making it a key venue for food filmmakers seeking exposure.

No current submission portal: There is no FilmFreeway page or open submission portal for EatDrinkFilms as a standalone festival. The planned FEASTival for August 2016 does not appear to have materialized as a recurring standalone event. Filmmakers should monitor the EatDrinkFilms website for any future festival announcements or co-presentation opportunities.

Major Awards

EatDrinkFilms does not currently operate a competitive awards program. The platform's value to filmmakers is editorial coverage and co-presentation at partner festivals, not competitive recognition.

Festival History

EatDrinkFilms was founded in April 2014 by Gary Meyer as a free weekly online magazine celebrating food, drink, and cinema. Meyer's career in film exhibition spans decades: he started his first theater in his family barn at age twelve, co-founded Landmark Theatres in 1975 (the first national arthouse chain in the US), directed the Dockers Classically Independent Film Festival and Tube Film Festival for the X Games, resurrected the 1926 Balboa Theatre in San Francisco, and joined the Telluride Film Festival in 1998, serving as Co-Director from 2007 to 2014.

The first EatDrinkFilms event was Food Day/Film Day on October 24, 2015, presented in partnership with FoodDay.org. The event screened four feature films at the Roxie Theatre in San Francisco, each preceded by food and beverage tastings from local producers. A free program of food-themed short films screened at the Exploratorium, including Susan Rockefeller's Food for Thought, Food for Life. The event was positioned as a preview of the larger EatDrinkFilms FEASTival planned for August 2016.

The FEASTival was announced as a Bay Area-wide festival with a national tour to follow. The event was designed to combine film screenings with food and beverage tastings, chef demonstrations, and culinary events. The platform continues to operate as an online magazine and co-presentation partner, covering food films at major festivals and publishing recipes, reviews, and culinary commentary alongside its film coverage.

See Also

For documentary filmmaking strategies, read Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival circuit planning and co-presentation strategies, read Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival ROI Calculator to model the cost of submitting food-themed films to partner festivals like the Sonoma International Film Festival, where EatDrinkFilms provides editorial coverage.