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Event to Benefit FilmEducates Program

Aspen, CO (January 27, 2021): Aspen Film is building on the success of the first Dinner & a Movie event that was held in December, by partnering with Mawa McQueen of Mawa’s Kitchen, and Woody Creek Distillers to present a special Virtual Dinner & a Movie February Fundraiser on Monday, February 15 at 6 PM. Proceeds will benefit the organization’s FilmEducates program. FilmEducates inspires young people throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond to engage with the film medium as a means of personal expression and connection.

This month’s fun, family-friendly Dinner & a Movie pairing will be Greek Moussaka & MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. Aspen Film is thrilled to be featuring the talents and passion of an incredible local chef, as well as highlighting spirits distilled right here in the Roaring Fork Valley.

“Our goal with this series, in addition to raising funds to support our youth programming, is to give our community an opportunity to connect through a shared food and film experience,” commented Aspen Film Executive + Artistic Director Susan Wrubel. “By pairing classic and joyous food-themed movies, with dishes not frequently served in our mountain communities, we are hoping to bring some needed levity and an infusion of flavor into these challenging winter months.”

Ticketholders will join a 90-minute fun, interactive cooking class via Zoom with Chef Mawa designed to engage chefs of all abilities. Chef Mawa will lead the preparation and cooking of a Greek Moussaka dish, prepared with either Beef or Vegan “meat.” Roaring Fork Valley locals can purchase a Premium Package that contains all the meal ingredients to prepare two generous servings of food, pre-measured, chopped, and ready to go. Also included in the package is a Woody Creek Distillers cocktail kit & recipe for two, along with a Social Studies “After Hours” candle. The price for the Premium Package for two is $200 for Aspen Film members and $250 for non-members.

Purchasers of the Premium RF Valley Local Package will need to pick-up the bag of prepped ingredients between 2:30-4:30 PM on Monday, February 15 at either The Red Brick Center for the Arts in Aspen or Blue Lake, midvalley. A link will be emailed to select a time and location after purchasing. Guests MUST pick up the ingredient bag as delivery is not available.

There is also a VIP Cooking Experience ticket available for $100 for Aspen Film members and $125 for non-members. Purchasing a VIP Cooking Experience ticket will gain you access to the 90-minute Zoom cooking demo with Chef Mawa, as well as a full ingredient list and recipe. The shopping list will be sent to you as a PDF, as well a link, so you can add items to your shopping cart online if you prefer to shop that way. In addition, purchasers will receive the recipe for the WCD cocktail.

Following the cooking demonstration, attendees will download or stream the film MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING via the platform of their choosing (Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube, Google Play or Vudu). The film will not be shown on the Aspen Film Eventive platform.

 

ABOUT THE CHEF:
Aspen Colorado’s dynamic and beloved Chef Mawa is a successful restaurateur and entrepreneur who is unapologetic about her African, French and American roots. Mawa’s passion is creating dishes that are balanced, healthy, locally sourced, organic food your body craves.

Her flagship restaurant, Mawa’s Kitchen, in Aspen, is a favorite spot for both locals and seasonal visitors. The Crepe Shack, an instant hit for Mawa, opened in December 2018 in the new Snowmass Base Village Ski Resort. In 2019, food photographer, Alan “Battman” Batt, honored Mawa by selecting her to be featured in his newest cookbook Toques in Black: A Celebration of Black Chef’s that highlights 101 of the most talented chefs in America. In January 2021, Mawa launched her snack brand, GrainFreeNola, to keep her restaurant open and her staff employed due to COVID-19. She has been working on this ultra-healthy Paleo, Keto, Gluten-Free and Vegan granola since 2016.

 

ABOUT MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING:
In MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Nia Vardalos plays Toula, the shy, plain daughter of a loving but overpowering Greek family. Everyone in the Portokalos family believes that Greek girls are meant to marry Greek boys, have Greek babies, and cook a lot of Greek food. In the unlikely event that they don’t get married, they’re expected to work in the family business — in this case, a Greek restaurant called Dancing Zorba’s, which is owned by Toula’s parents, Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan). But Toula dreams of more.

After taking a job at her aunt’s travel agency, she falls in love with Ian Miller (John Corbett), a teacher who is tall, handsome and definitely not Greek. Toula isn’t sure which will be more upsetting to her father, that Ian is a foreigner or that he’s a vegetarian.