Lebanese Canadian film director, Yasmin Fedda, who recently won the prestigious Black Pearl Award in Abu Dhabi (£46,000) with her film “Breadmakers – will be showing her film at the second Kingussie Food on Film Festival, February 6th-7th 2009.This eleven minute documentary is about Edinburgh’s Garvald Bakery, which is staffed by people with Down’s Syndrome and autism. Festival organisers have invited some of the staff to attend the festival as well and to have a bread stall in The Food Hall at Kingussie High School – where all events will take place - before attending the screening in the evening. BBC’s Craig Anderson will host Saturday’s Film Night and interview all the short film directors. Also involved in the Film Night will be helpers with learning disabilities from Kingussie’s Caberfeidh, who will be giving out free chocolate to eat with the screening of the main feature film, “Chocolat”.

Craig said “I so enjoyed taking part in last year’s inaugural festival that I immediately agreed to come along and be involved again. This year I will also be part of an X Factor style panel of film industry judges for the Highland Youth Award for Short Food Films which will open the festival on the Friday evening.”

This award was launched in September with a highly successful filmmaking workshop in Kingussie attended by six schools from across the Highlands and run by Triple Echo Productions – currently broadcasting “The Adventure Show” on BBC 2. Schools from as far away as Farr, Wick, Ullapool and Culloden, as well as nearer to home in Grantown and Kingussie - are currently making short films for the competition, which will open the festival with what is billed to be a glamorous event. “Oscar Night”– complete with red carpet, chocolate fountain and evening dress, as well as live music from local youth bands, should prove a big draw for young people across the area. The £300 prize money will be presented to the winners by the judges – Craig Anderson, Meg Else, Triple Echo Productions , Lindy Cameron, Move On Up, and Justin Molotnikov, Synchronicity Films.

Not only will there be films about food at this unique festival, there will also be a lot of wonderful food to enjoy, both during screenings and at The Food Hall. Local food producers from across the Highlands will be converging on Kingussie to tempt customers with their tasty produce, from smoked meats and fish, to onions and garlic, mushrooms and cheeses, honey, a whole host of baking, and much more. Award winning Kingussie butcher George Gow will be selling his black puddings for which he was awarded North of Scotland Champion 2008, as well as his famously gorgeous meat pies.

Internationally renowned cook, writer and presenter Lady Claire MacDonald will be demonstrating her cooking for the second year at The Food Hall on the Saturday afternoon, accompanied by her head chef Marcello Tulley. There will also be some cooking competitions for children and a Blind Tasting Competition organised by French chef Lydie Bocquillon for those who dare! One of the festival’s main organisers, Lydie said “ We are all really excited to see the way this festival is taking off. I am confident it will grow and develop year on year and become a major event in the Highland calendar. The unique combination of food and films is irresistible, especially in the winter – we’re just hoping we don’t get another freak snow storm like we had last year!”

With sponsorship already in place from the Cairngorms National Park in its capacity as Lead Partner for the Cairngorms Local Action Group, the Kingussie Food on Film Festival is gearing up for an exciting weekend. Organised by the Auld Alliance Gourmet Academy, in partnership with Kingussie High School, the festival has also received support and funding from other local groups such the Kingussie Business Forum, the Strathspey and Badenoch Youth Forum, and even the Kingussie Mum’s and Toddlers group. Organisers are delighted to see the local community becoming more involved this year, and hope to draw a strong local audience, as well building on last year’s encouraging number of visitors from across Scotland and beyond.

The Kingussie Food on Film Festival is run by directors of The Auld Alliance Gourmet Academy, Lydie Bocquillon Helen Graham, and Paulene Warnock - in partnership with Kingussie High School and other local community groups. Its aim is to provide a unique experience for all ages that combines food and films about food in enjoyable and innovative ways. The first festival of its kind in Scotland, it combines feature films, short films and documentaries and a filmmaking competition with delicious locally produced food, celebrity cookery demonstrations, cooking competitions and a local food market.

Participants at the inaugural festival in 2008 included BBC’s Craig Anderson, Scottish Food writer Lady Claire MacDonald, TV presenter Nell Nelson, film directors Don Coutts, Katrina McPherson and Richard Else.