CayFilm will be screening Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés’ documentary Undiscovered Haiti, which gives viewers an unprecedented glimpse into the dynamic culture, people and stunning landscape of Haiti.  This is just one of the 200 films that will be a part of the 2017 Festival’s celebration of all things Film, Food and Fashion.  Tickets are now on sale for CayFilm which takes place over the long weekend in July:

CayFilm Celebrates Film, Food and Fashion with screening of “Undiscovered Haiti with José Andrés”

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – The CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival will launch its celebration of Film, Food and Fashion on June 30, 2017. As part of the four-day celebration, the festival will screen Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés’ documentary Undiscovered Haiti, which gives viewers an unprecedented glimpse into the dynamic culture, people and stunning landscape of Haiti.

As a chef and humanitarian, Andrés is convinced we can change the world through the power of food, and understand a culture by exploring what, when and how its people eat. Undiscovered Haiti is an opportunity to explore one of the region’s most beautiful islands through the eyes of Andrés as the cameras follow him into the heart of this mysterious island. Through its unique cuisine viewers will discover the history and culture – and see into the future – of a proud and rarely understood people.

“Chef José Andrés has visited the Cayman Islands several times for the Cayman Cookout and is very supportive of our islands’ culinary and film community,” said Festival Director, Tony Mark. “We spoke at length about his documentary during this year’s Cookout so when we announced this year’s film festival’s focus on food, I reached out as I knew that we should include this film in our celebration.”

In the documentary, Andrés experiences the authentic traditions and rituals of Haiti, from making cassava bread to midnight gatherings with voodoo priests. He dives deep into Haiti’s natural beauty, taking viewers to ancient waterfalls and untouched coastlines, hunts for land crabs and mythical mushrooms in its lush forests and tastes local specialties on the bustling streets of Port-Au-Prince. Viewers learn the history behind some of Haiti’s incredible historic sites such as the Citadel, and tour a 150-year old rum factory.

Friends such as former President Bill Clinton and Chef Mario Batali also join Chef Andrés along the way.

In addition to Undiscovered Haiti, CayFilm will feature three of the American Master Series documentaries, and welcome celebrated chef, television host, and multi-award winning Chef Eric Ripert to the festival for a Q&A and a Chef’s Dinner at Blue by Eric Ripert.

“We are very excited to be showcasing the Cayman Islands at their best and welcoming world-class and award winning producers of the culinary world to this year’s festival,” said Tony. “The Cayman Islands is a unique location for celebrating food; our residents and guests are very discerning in their tastes, and we think the Festival can offer them a very unique experience by celebrating the Cayman Islands as the Culinary Capital and Destination of the Caribbean while showcasing some of the best chefs in the world. We are very excited about this new addition to CayFilm, and we hope that it will attract a new audience.”

CayFilm 2017 takes place from June 30 to July 3, 2017 and welcomes an elite roster of film producers, directors, actors, experts and influencers each year. The exclusive, interactive weekend also features demonstrations, panel discussions, special events, and unique networking opportunities.

Both VIP and General Admission tickets are on sale. Special travel discounts are available through www.cayfilm.com

Filmmakers can learn more about the submission process by visiting www.cayfilm.com. This year’s festival will feature over 200 films from more than 50 countries.

About CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival

CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival is an annual multi-day spectacular event designed to create new interest and excitement about the Cayman Islands as a world-class filming destination. Included in the festival will be daily film screenings, question and answer sessions with filmmakers, panel discussions, workshops, exclusive premiere screenings, and two celebrity gala events. It is our vision to open up the Cayman Islands to the film industry around the world whilst opening up the world to Cayman’s young and aspiring filmmakers.

The Festival team are also working to develop the Cayman Media Academy (CMA) under the CayFilm umbrella to educate Cayman’s youth by offering classes and qualifications relating to different career fields within the industry. This will be run throughout the year with the eventual goal of having a full-time degree programme available at our own purpose built facility. Young children will have their own specially designed programmes to inspire and give confidence about their own unique abilities as filmmakers.

About José Andrés

Named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. His avant-garde minibar by José Andrés earned two Michelin stars in 2016 and with that, José is the only chef globally that has both a two-star Michelin restaurant and four Bib Gourmands. Andrés’ work has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. ThinkFoodGroup is the innovative company behind Andrés’ 27 restaurants in cities including Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, Mexico City and more, as well as foo

About What Took You So Long

What Took You So Long? Inc is a documentary film production company specializing in environmental, cultural and social justice issues. Since 2009, What Took You So Long? has worked in more than 100 countries, focusing on the efforts of change-makers and institutions. What Took You So Long? believes that positive and beautiful stories are part of creating a fairer world. What Took You So Long? Productions range from short web videos to full length documentaries, and include clients as varied as UN agencies and small betel nut businesses in Papua New Guinea, to global coffee companies and TED.com.