By Geneva Anderson
(March 16, 2024)
Haley Bennett rises to become the Grand Dame of Champagne in Thomas Napper’s “Widow Clicquot”
The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF27) is just around the corner, March 20-24. Set in the heart of the wine country, with a program that emphasizes film, food, wine, parties, and community engagement, SIFF has twice been voted one of the 25 coolest festivals in the world by MovieMaker magazine. SIFF27 showcases 43 narrative and 16 documentary features plus 48 shorts from over 25 countries.
Beau Bridges makes eggplant, avocado, cashews, garlic, onion, squash & cucumber, wrapped in nori.
Star power is lean but mean. Beloved film veteran, Beau Bridges will be in town Friday, March 22 to receive the SIFF Lifetime Achievement Award and to participate in an on-stage conversation following a 35th anniversary screening of “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” with a hopping tribute party to follow.
SIFF is also hosting the world premiere of “Extremely Unique Dynamic,” its Gay-La Spotlight Film, on Thursday, March 21, directed by Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung, and Katherine Dudas followed by a disco themed tribute party and hosted by actor, director, musician John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”). As an added bonus, nature’s own red carpet awaits: SIFF always falls at the start of the area’s glorious wildflower bloom making the drive to friendly Sonoma a multisensory experience.
There is something to enjoy for everyone. Here, we focus on the festival’s culinary offerings which include a special dinner and tribute to Chef Susan Feniger, three dramas, four documentaries, seven shorts and a new food insecurity awareness initiative. SIFF is pass-oriented but individual tickets (with lowest entry priority) are available too.
It all kicks off on Wednesday evening, March 20, at the historic Sebastiani Theater with a champagne toast: the U.S. premiere of “Widow Clicquot” (UK, 89 min, 2023) with producer Christina Weiss Lure and the book’s author, Tulare J. Mazzeo, in attendance. Haley Bennett stars as Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” also known as “Veuve Clicquot.” Widowed at age 27, Madame Clicquot unexpectedly asserts control of the business, refines her husband’s techniques and creates the recipe for modern-day champagne, leading the Clicquot brand to global dominance. Set circa-1800, and shot in vineyards in Chablis and Reims, this story of female persistence, mingled with romance, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival.
After an on-stage Q&A with Napper, acquaint yourself with what first put this festival on the map: its fabulous boozy parties. SIFF’s infamous tent has seen its heyday and this year all parties will be held at local venues. Sebastiani Winery, just off the town square, hosts the Opening Night Party with guest DJ John Cameron Mitchell, ‘Taste of Sonoma’ small bites, and libations.
Susan Feniger. Forked Screening & Tribute Dinner | SIFF Culinary Special Event: Thursday, March 21, 5-8pm, Hanna Boys Center
Filmmaker Liz Lachman and Chef Susan Feniger
SIFF’s Culinary Tribute Dinner is always its most buzzed about evening. As the wine flows, patrons, food lovers, and festival luminaries bond over a fabulous meal and film. This year, SIFF will honor James Beard Award-wining chef, restaurateur, media personality and author, Susan Feniger with its Culinary Excellence Award on Thursday, March 21. The evening kicks off with Gloria Ferrer bubbles at a 5 p.m. reception followed by the Bay Area Premiere of filmmaker Liz Lachman’s documentary, “Susan Feniger. FORKED.” Lachman and Feniger, who are also life partners, will participate in a post-screening Q&A moderated by Chef Joanne Weir. Feniger will then be presented with the award, a Dale Chihuly sculpture created especially for the festival. Past recipients include Jacques Pépin and Martin Yan. The highlight will be a multi-course meal curated by Feniger, inspired by her global travels. Each course will be paired with exquisite Sonoma Valley wines. This event has sold out: SIFF advises those interested to contact the box office to join the waiting list.
Here is what will be served.
Click on the menu to enlarge.
Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken
Even before there was a “food scene,” since the early 1980’s, Chef Susan Feniger has been an innovator and teacher, introducing global cuisine, scintillating flavors and new ways of cooking to American audiences. Her career has been intertwined with long-time friend, collaborator and business-partner chef Mary Sue Milliken. Well known for their 400 episode run on The Food Network’s series “Too Hot Tamales” and “Tamales World Tour;” the charismatic and business-savvy duo are co-chef/owners of the expanding Border Grill empire of restaurants, trucks, catering and have continually broken barriers as female restaurateurs in a male-dominated industry. They own: Socalo (Santa Monica); Border Grill, BBQ Mexicana and Pacha Mamas (Las Vegas); Alice B. (Palm Springs) and this year will add a drive-through BBQ Mexicana in Las Vegas. In 2018, Feniger and Milliken received the Julia Child Award, making them the first women to achieve this distinction.
Feniger is “excited” to be honored by SIFF and to share the limelight with her longtime partner, filmmaker Liz Lachman in her first full-length film and first documentary. “At first, I couldn’t imagine how I could possibly make an interesting topic for a film,” said Feniger, who did not see the film until it was done. “I am impressed…it covers a complicated experience and made me see even more clearly what a great storyteller Liz is.”
Liz Lachman is a lauded director and screenwriter, an Emmy award-winning musician and recipient of the Golden Reel and BMI TV Music awards. Her past films include the shorts “Pin-up,” a psychological thriller and the gay romantic comedy, “Getting to Know You,” starring Dana Delaney (“China Beach”).
“Susan Feniger, FORKED” follows Feniger on the long journey to realizing an ambitious original concept for L.A.’s dining scene by opening “Street,” her first solo restaurant, (apart from her long-term business partner Mary Sue Milliken) that will bring a range of global street foods together under one roof. Hunting down delectable street food for the menu takes Susan on journeys to Vietnam and Shanghai and then back to L.A. where, for weeks, she replicates new flavor profiles and tests recipes in her home kitchen. The drawn-out construction and permitting of the restaurant provides endless headaches and expenses. Liz Lachman masterfully blends historical clips with footage she shot in 2009-10 and 2021-22 to capture the heart of this remarkably creative process, which may or not pan out as a viable business but reveals just how resilient Susan Feniger truly is. The film includes cameos with Bobby Flay, Mary Sue Milliken, and Wolfgang Puck. (US, 2023, 92 min)
EatDrinkFilms will have an in-depth interview with Feniger and Lachman plus a special recipe chosen from Feniger’s favorites—Coming Soon.
The Culinary Movies Line-up:
Delicious Short Films: six short films, (72 min program), Thursday, March 21,12:30 p.m., The Woman’s Club and Sunday, March 24, 6:30 p.m., The Woman’s Club)
“Lunchbox” Taiwanese American director Anne Hu’s drama of loss and healing is inspired by the lovingly prepared box lunches her immigrant mother made for her school lunch as she was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. Years later, she struggles to forgive herself for pushing her mother away. (US, 2022, 15:30). Anne Hue in attendance.
“Camille” Denise Roldán Alcalá’s animated short focuses on the emotions of a shy little girl longing to be accepted at school. She bakes a mountain of cupcakes to make friends, but things don’t turn out as expected. (Mexico, 2023, 12:18 min) Denise Roldán Alcalá in attendance.
“Order for Pickup” In Jackie! Zhou’s drama, burnt-out Kelsey is trapped in a cycle of work and isolation until an irregular order for pickup disrupts everything. (US, 2023, 13 min)
“Ekbeh” Writer/director Mariah Eli Hernandez-Fitch learns to make gumbo and shares personal stories about her grandparents experiences in Louisiana as a way to honor and preserve their indigenous history and culture. (In English, Louisiana French, and ‘Uma languages, US, 2023, 9 min) Mariah Eli Hernandez-Fitch in attendance
“Tomato Kitchen” In Junyi Xiao’s animated short, an accident interrupts Lee’s dinner with his colleagues and the dark truth of the Tomato Kitchen along with Lee’s hidden past are revealed. (China, 2023, 9 min)
“Death & Ramen” In writer/director Tiger Ji’s dark comedy, after attempting suicide by swallowing a lot of Ambien, ramen chef Timmy goes on a unintended late night journey with the Grim Reaper. They share a bowl of ramen and discover what it means to be human. (US, 2023, 14 min) Tiger Ji in attendance.
“The Most Remote Restaurant in the World” –Thursday, March 21, 2:30 p.m. @ Veterans Hall #1 and Sun, Mar 24th, 11:00 a.m. @ Veterans Hall #1
Danish director Ole Juncker’s documentary captures the elite world of food tourism, profiling Poul Andrias Ziska, executive chef of the 2 Michelin Star restaurant Koks, in the Faroe Islands as he relocates his team to a remote town in Greenland inhabited by 53 people. In Faroese, “koks” means “someone who fusses over something in pursuit of perfection” and twenty-something Ziska fits the bill. His team of 21 essentially double the population and set up at the Ilimanaq Lodge, where they proceed to prepare multicourse Michelin quality dining experiences based on indigenous ingredients and sustainability that challenge even the most adventurous palate—“arctic tartlet of seal blood and seaweed.” Visionary or insanity? Ziska’s problems range from sourcing ingredients to staffing his high-end restaurant. The visuals are stunning, (2023, 86 min, Denmark)
“Waiting for Dali” – Thursday, March 21, 5 p.m., Veteran’s Hall #1 and Sunday, March 24th, 1:30 PM, Veterans Hall #1
Set in the 1970’s in the waning days of the Franco regime, David Pujol’s dramedy tells the story of Fernando (Iván Massagué), an accomplished chef who flees authorities in Barcelona to the idyllic coastal village of Cadaqués, where Salvador Dalí lives with his wife, Gala. He finds work in a seaside restaurant and discovers Mediterranean cuisine in its purest form. The story revolves around dogged attempts to lure Dalí into the restaurant, which happens to be named El Surreal. Praised for its food shots, many of the film’s dishes were inspired by actual El Bulli creations. In Spanish Catalan and French with English subtitles. (Spain, 2023, 114 min)
“Sugar and Stars” – Friday, March 22, 6:30 PM, Veterans Hall #1 and Sat, March 23rd, 10:30 AM, Veterans Hall #1)
Based on a true story, Sébastien Tulard’s comedy follows French chef Yazid Ichemrahem (Riadh Belaiche) from his rough beginnings to working for the world’s top chefs in Paris and Monaco. Yazid was just two when his father walked away from his family and he was placed in a foster home. Fortunately, the family was loving and nurtured his love of fine sweets. When they relinquished him at age 9, he began ping-ponging from home to home, never finding an enduring connection. With incredible determination, Yazid pursued cooking and, at age 22, became a renowned pâtissier. Beautifully shot, the film addresses Yazid’s struggles with abandonment and identity while showcasing his talent and rise to become founder of Ycone Paris. (France, 2023, 110 min) In French with English subtitles. Post-screening Q&A’s with Director Sébastien Tulard and Executive Producer Christine Lascary.
“Farming While Black” – Saturday, March 23, 3:00 PM, SVHS Little Theatre
In 1910, Black farmers owned 14 percent of all U.S. farmland. Now, the number is a paltry two percent due to racism, discrimination, and dispossession. Bay Area documentary filmmaker Mark Decena (“Dopamine”) tells the personal stories of Black farmers striving to reverse that trend through regenerative farming set in the larger framework of activism and social justice. He interviews Black Kreyol farmer and food sovereignty activist Leah Penniman, founder of NY’s Soul Fire Farm, and two other Black farmer-activists who are fighting to reclaim their agricultural heritage through growing food, building community and advocacy. Collectively, their work has a major impact. (2023, 75 min) Director Mark Decena, Producuer Liz Decena, cast member Blain Snipstal in attendance
“Food, Inc. 2” and short film “From Kitchen to Community”- Sunday, March 24, 1:30 PM, Andrews Hall
In Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo’s sequel to 2008’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Food, Inc.,” the filmmakers reunite with investigative authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser to take a fresh look at our broken food system and what can fix it, focusing on new products, innovative farmers, and food producers working toward a healthier future. (US, 2023, 94 min) plus “From Kitchen to Community”
Directors Brady Anderson and James Green chronicle the indomitable spirit of California’s restaurant owners and their vital role in our communities and the heavy strain of Covid-19 placed on their already precarious margins. (2023, 15 min)
Food Insecurity Awareness Community Event – Sunday, March 24, 3:30-5 PM, Sonoma Community Center, Rm 110 (Presented in partnership with PG&E and the KHR McNeely Family Fund)
Local restaurants will provide small bites and beverages at this free event. Festival attendees are encouraged to make cash donations throughout the festival to SIFF’s Food Insecurity Awareness Initiative. Both SIFF and PG&E will match a portion of funds raised and donate this to the Redwood Empire Food Bank and California Restaurant Foundation-Restaurants Care. Donations of non-perishable food items for F.I.S.H. (Friends In Sonoma Helping) can be dropped off at the festival box office, 539 1st Street West, throughout the festival. Cash donations can be made online at https://2024siff.eventive.org/donate. 
SIFF’s five-day festival is curated by Artistic Director Carl Spence, senior programmers Amanda Salazar, and Ken Jacobson, and shorts programmer Oscar Arce Naranjo.
For complete program info and to buy passes and tickets: https://sonomafilmfest.org/festival/.
Trailer and Poster Gallery for the Sonoma International Film Festival 27 Culinary films. Click on titles for more information on each film and filmmakers.
Read an interview with filmmaker Hernandez-Fitch.
Read an interview with director Junyi Xiao
Ward Bond interviews director Tiger Ji
Kimchi Ramen
Interview with Leah Penniman, Black Kreyol educator, farmer/peyizan, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY.
Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Marion Nestle (Food Politics), and filmmakers Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo sit down for a special conversation with Danielle Nierenberg (Food Tank) following a screening.
Debra Eckerling interviews Chef Susan Feniger and director Liz Lachman
THE MOST REMOTE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD
The Insane Dinner at The World’s Most Remote Restaurant
Read about 10 Extremely Remote Restaurants in Food & Wine
Salvador Dali’s Surrealist Cookbook, Les Diners de Gala .
Art Cooking: Salvador Dali tries one of the book’s recipes, “Bush of Crayfish in Viking Herbs.”
Mike Wallace interviews Salvador Dalí, the surrealist painter, about genius, the subconscious, weakness, old age and luxury, death, religion, and dreams.
Funny interview with Salvador Dali about his moustache, painting a portrait of Sir Laurence Oliver in 15 minutes, and more.
Conversation with actress Haley Bennett and Director Thomas Napper
Geneva Anderson is a free-lance writer based in rural Penngrove, CA who writes on art, film, food, identity, and cultural heritage. She is the editor of ARThound, an online arts publication. She grew up on a small farm in Petaluma, CA, with animals and gardens. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Princeton, and Columbia School of Journalism, she covered the transition of Eastern Europe from state socialism and reported for seven years from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. She has also worked on assignment in Asia, Cuba, Mexico, South America.
She has written or done photography for Art, Arte, ARTnews, The Art Newspaper, Balkan, Balkan News, Budapest Sun, EatDrinkFilms, Flash Art, Neue Bildende Kunst, Sculpture, EIU, Euromoney, The International Economy, The Press Democrat, The Argus Courier,Vanity Fair, Global Finance, and others. She is passionate about Rhodesian Ridgebacks and currently has two, Frieda and Ruby Rose.
eatdrinkfilms.com 