Van Toffler’s Gunpowder & Sky has taken the worldwide distribution rights to Alexandra Cuerdo’s documentary “Ulam: Main Dish.”
The festival player, a celebration and account of the Filipino food movement rising on the U.S. culinary scene, will begin a limited theatrical release on Dec. 1 before hitting numerous streaming video platforms.
The film was chosen by late culinary titan Jonathan Gold as a special screening for the inaugural Los Angeles Times Food Bowl in 2017. Gold called the film a “love letter to Filipino cooking in America.”
Subjects include celebrity chef Alvin Cailan, creator of L.A. favorite Eggslut and the Usual; Food and Wine’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year winner Chad and Chase Valencia and their shop Lasa; Nicole Ponseca and chef Miguel Trinidad, creators of New York City’s Maharlika and Jeepney; and Angeleno Andre Guerrero of The Oinkster, Maximiliano and The Little Bear.
“A rising tide lifts all boats. I hope ULAM inspires people to be proud of their immigrant heritage, to trust that there is an audience for diverse stories and to push for representation on all fronts — in our kitchens, in our theaters and in our own lives,” Cuerdo said in a statement.
“Main Dish” was produced by Kidlat Entertainment, Cuerdo, John Floresca and Rey Cuerdo.