Devour! The Food Film Fest and the Nourish Youth Food and Film Challenge
Explore food through the powerful mediums of film and storytelling – and submit your own short film for a chance to win!
Nourish Youth Food and Film Challenge
The Nourish Youth Food and Film Challenge invites young filmmakers in Nova Scotia to creatively explore and share their unique stories about food. This year, we’re Celebrating Local, and we encourage participants to showcase local food, farms, traditions, or community. Whether it’s a short documentary film or something totally unique – if it’s about food and celebrates local, it belongs in the spotlight. We’re excited to see what “local” tastes like through your lens!
The winning filmmaker will receive a film package prize and have their work screened at the opening night of the Devour! The Food Film Fest in October 2025.
Are you a teacher looking for fun and educational class activities related to food? This would be a great project for individual or group work, and creates a hands-on learning opportunity across grades and subjects. By participating, students can learn about filmmaking, technology & software, culture, community building, nutrition, health and more.
Challenge Details
Films must be:
- 1-3 minutes in length
- On theme “Celebrating Local”
- Made by children and youth
- Filmed horizontally
View Film Challenge Resources below for inspiration and support!
Deadline for Entry Submissions: October 7th, 2025
We can’t wait to watch your film!
In 2025, we proudly celebrate the 15th anniversary of Devour! The Food Film Fest—the world’s largest culinary film festival—taking place from October 20–26 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
For 15 years, Nourish Nova Scotia has proudly partnered with Devour! as the lead for youth programming, including two signature initiatives: the Big Picture Program and the Nourish Food and Film Challenge. Through these experiences, we create meaningful opportunities for youth to explore food through the powerful mediums of film and storytelling.
The Big Picture Program
Devour! The Food Film Fest has presented The Big Picture Program for over a decade, held annually during Devour! The Food Film Fest each October. This initiative invites youth from across Nova Scotia to participate in a specially curated film screening, followed by post-screening discussions and hands-on cooking classes.
The Big Picture Program is facilitated by teams from Devour! and Nourish Nova Scotia, alongside chefs and culinary students from the Nova Scotia Community College’s culinary program. This program offers a valuable opportunity to engage students in experiential learning about food—promoting the importance of sourcing local ingredients to support the regional economy, and ultimately influencing how youth perceive food through the lens of storytelling and film.
Film Challenge Resources
How to Make a Short Film
Use this resource to help plan, film, and edit your short film.
Past Winning Films
Check out previous winning films to get inspired such as last year’s winner The Karma Closet by Audrey Taylor.
Poster & Challenge Details
Download and share this poster (with challenge details) with youth or youth educators!
