Tasty Starters
Festival goers enjoyed a variety of appetizers including shrimp and grits and Carolina Arancini (fried breaded rice balls). And for the pork lovers out there, two big appetizer hits were the palate-pleasing pulled pork croquettes made with South Carolina barbeque sauce topped with blue cheese slaw, and
seasoned pulled pork topped with golden fried onion and a zesty radish slaw.
Oysters and People and Porn, Oh My!
Saturday night's Great Chicago Shuck 'N Suck + Food Porn Party featured heart-stopping food porn films that dazzled the audience. One of the main draws of the Chicago Food Film Festival is the "taste what you see" film screening. Not only do you get to watch films about food, but the audience is able to sample the food while viewing the films. The combination of sight, touch, sound and taste guarantees a multi-sensory food experience like no other. Here's a look at this year's too hot to handle food porn films:
XXX
Dir. Joe Pacheo and Stavros Stavropoulos, 1 min.
XXX is sex-crazed "canimation" set to Klezmer music. Although it's only one minute long, this stop-action film will make your temperature rise as you witness two individual cans of tuna get it on (so to speak) in a bedroom, exhausting every imaginable position. And right when you think they've had enough, a third can joins in the fun.
Amor Pulpo
Dir. John Craig Ross – Prod. Laurie Pila Horowitz, 4:49 mins.
Far out at sea, an octopus caught a boat and came to the city where he met the woman who dreamed him to be. This romantic description summarizes how an octopus and a beautiful woman meet for a romantic encounter at a dinner table. The fire-grilled octopus served during the film transported the audience to the fancy restaurant where the woman enjoyed her succulent meal.
Dinner for Two: An Edible Valentine in Three Acts
Dir. John Craig Ross – Prod. Sarah Breckenridge, 6:36 min
Romance, suspense, and murder each play a role in this short film which documents the making of a three-course meal for two lovers. As the drama unfolds, the audience also learns how to prepare the sumptuous meal which includes lobster, salad, and chocolate pudding. The chocolate pudding served during this film had a rich homemade flavor and texture.
What’s Virgin Mean?
Dir. Michael Davies, 2 mins
What is a mother to do when her young child put her on the spot by asking the meaning of the word “virgin?” Stay calm! Try to answer as best you can while being accurate and honest, yet discrete. The mother in this film tries not to overreact, but digs herself into hole.
Pastry Paris
Dir. Joel Herm – Prod. Susan Hochbaum, 3 min
This film showcases visually interesting Parisian pastries photographed with their sculptural Parisian counterparts. From arches to domes to geometric wedges, it’s amazing how architectural shapes are reflected in such sweet delicatessens. A lightly sweetened French pastry was served during this film.
The Mud and the Blood
Dir. George Motz – 12 mins
Collecting and roasting oysters is a specialty of the South and one of the best 
places to enjoy this Southern treat is Lowcountry of South Carolina.
Post Porn [Oyster] Smoking
A person can only take so much food porn before they are ready to jump out of their seats, make a beeline to the oyster roast, and tear open oyster shells with great passion! After viewing the final film, The Mud and the Blood, it was only appropriate to satisfy the hot and bothered taste buds with an authentic recreation of South Carolina’s Lowcountry outdoor oyster roast - fire pit, shovels and all. Fresh oysters were transported from South Carolina to Chicago specifically for this event. Crowds gathered around the “shucking and sucking” tables as the oyster roast masters replenished the steaming oyster pile with their large shovels full of oysters hot off the grill.
For more information about the Food Film Festival, visit online at thefoodfilmfestival.com. 
