On Thursday night June 23, 2016, members of The Galician Cinema and Food Festival (GC & FF) and their guests celebrated with a closing night party at Instituto Cervantes in New York City. Sponsored by the United States Tourism Office of Spain in the United States @SpainInUSA, the Galician Cinema & Food Festival is touted as the top Galician Cinema & Food event of the year! Striving to bring the best of Galician film and food to the US, the GC & FF annually showcasestop talent from Galicia during a week long celebration of Northwestern Spanish culture. This year’s closing night feature film was “EL DESCONOCIDO (Retribution)” winner of Best Picture Mestre Mateo Awards 2016. The Film section of the event was sponsored by AGADIC and the Galician Film Academy; the event’s Gastronomy showcase was sponsored by several companies and brands, including the Tourism Office from Galicia, Galicia Calidade, Open Galicia, as well as The Cervantes Institute of NYC plus many food & wine company sponsors. Festival attendees had a rare opportunity to sample & immerse themselves in Galician culture, film and food as well as partake in an authentic Queimada ceremony (please see below). This year, closing night coincidentally fell on St. John’s Night (June 23rd) or ‘witches night’ & by tradition is the night Queimada is usually celebrated.
Highlights from the Galician Cinema & Food Festival 2016 Closing Night:
About the Galician Cinema & Food Festival, from their website –
“The GC&FF is the greatest promotional event of Galicia this year in the United States. The best films, gastronomy and Galician destinations all together for the first time in NYC”
More information about The Galician Cinema & Food Festival (as well as prior GC& FF events) may be found online at their website and at Eventful.com. The GC & FF is a unique gastronomic & film event. Of note, several of the products showcased at the event are unavailable for purchase in the United States as of this time. The Galician Cinema & Food Festival provides the only chance (or at least the first opportunity) to experience these products in the United States! Products specific & unique to Galicia (a region located to the North and West in the Iberian Peninsula) were provided at the event, including a region-specific wine tasting, olive oils and more! Abril brand olive oils, including a light organic version, were provided as part of an olive oil tasting. One guest commented that the Abril organic extra virgin olive oil was so light it reminded her of butter. For those who are interested, Best Olive Oils Marketplace now provides a curated list of the world’s best olive oils. The Lua Jazz Galician Sparkling Treixadura Brut and Viña Costeira white wine paired well with the seafood fare provided by Alcala Restaurant. The wine tasting also included Pazo herbal liqueur and Pazo coffee liqueur as well as Queimada (Galician witches brew). The Queimada was dramatically presented during a live demonstration (available at our You-Tube channel) as the concoction was mixed in a traditional clay pot over a blazing fire pit. Photos of some of the products showcased at the Galician Cinema & Food Festival 2016 are provided in our photo gallery above. Please visit the GC & FF official website for additional details, contact information & to participate or attend future events.
