Back row: Amy O'Callaghan, Steven Knight, Melissa Brannan, Colby Doler.

Front Row: Chris Lyon, Gregory Kallenberg, Katy Larsen

www.prizefest.com

“HELL, NO!"

That was Gregory Kallenberg’s short, yet powerful answer when asked if there was a time during the pandemic when he thought Prize Fest 2020 would be canceled.

“We don’t curl up in a ball and cry about the situation,” said the executive director of Prize Foundation, which oversees Prize Fest. “We make lemons into lemonade. We immediately started to do that. There was never a consideration – ever – that we would be skipping a year. We just had to figure out how to make it an opportunity, which this organization has done from Day One.”

The annual celebration of Film, Food, Fashion and Music will be unlike any other in the event’s nine-year history. Instead of using Texas Street and venues throughout downtown Shreveport, Prize Fest will be using bandwidth. All of this year’s events will be online only.

“At the beginning, it was a massive undertaking, because it was a tectonic shift from who we are and what we’re about,” Kallenberg explained. “Our business is getting people into the middle of Texas Street and getting thousands of people to raise a tequila glass together. We had to kind of look at what we have and who we are, and then we had to quickly adopt technologies. We had to quickly license technologies. We had to quickly set ourselves up as a studio. There are things we can do, but we had not done them before.”

 

 

In a nutshell, Prize Fest’s four pillars will each feature events which you can pay to enjoy from the comfort of your couch.

“We’re going to be using our computers for a long time – at least for the next three to six months,” Kallenberg said. “So the idea with Prize Fest in mind is how to make it in a way that we can connect with that person who is at home. They’re not able to hang out at their big parties or have a tequila toast in the middle of the street.”

A significant benefit of Prize Fest being online only is that the Internet knows no boundaries. Prize Fest will reach audiences across borders and around the world.

“This year, Prize Fest has become an international event – an international competition of films made in Shreveport and Louisiana,” Kallenberg said. “We are really, really proud, and we take the responsibility really, really seriously that we’re going online, and we’re going to speak with a very loud voice, and we’re going to be very proud of who we are and what we’re about.” FILM Notice Kallenberg referred to films made “in Shreveport and Louisiana.” That’s a change – a change caused by the pandemic. Previously, films had to be made in Shreveport.

“To give back to those independent filmmakers, especially our indie film brothers and sisters down in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette, we gave them the ability to make the films where they were. During a quarantine, what are you going to do? There was the challenge of getting here and doing their thing.”

Twenty filmmakers – the finalists – will compete for a $25,000 cash prize (reduced from the usual $50,000 prize). Your decisions will be 50% of the vote, with the conclusions of a panel of celebrity judges making up the other half.

“There’s a delightful variety,” Kallenberg said of this year’s finalists. “I will tell you that you will see the pandemic in there, and you will see rollicking comedy in there, and you will see romantic films in there, and you will see films that are certainly embracing the moment we are having in society. Any issue you can throw out there, they tackle them all.”

POWER TO THE PEOPLE DISHES

ANTHONY FELAN

Fat Calf Brasserie

Cast iron-seared Cypress Creek Farms wagyu, pommes fondant, oyster mushrooms, asparagus & peas, bordelaise and herb hollandaise. ($32)

ELEAZAR MONDRAGON

Ki Mexico

Two piri-piri chicken tacos, topped with a cured jalapeño and cucumber salad and fresh cilantro. Served with spiced potatoes. ($15.50)

JESSICA TYLER COMEGYS

Glow Alchemy Kitchen

Chicken bao buns and Thai salad with carrot ginger glow dressing ($13); Cocktail pairing: Fig leaf Thai-tea-ni ($8)

JON ORTIZ

The Noble Savage

Rabbit Cacciatore. Sousvide rabbit leg and bucatini, smoked sausage, marinara, and pickled vegetables.

Finished with roasted rainbow carrots. ($26)

SEAN SULLIVAN

Frank’s Louisiana Kitchen

Braised pork belly with Great Raft Brewing Reasonably Corruptponzu glaze , collard puree, mirliton slaw ($16)

TOOTIE MORRISON

Abby Singer’s Bistro

Prize Bowl: Pineapple bowl with pan seared salmon and shrimp over jasmine rice; ginger and sweet chili sauce; pineapple salsa ($20)

You have two opportunities to satisfy your taste buds – one in person and one virtually.

The Food Prize Power to the People competition will do just that – give you, the people, the power. You will pick up a free Golden Fork Passport at any of the six participating restaurants. You must then visit at least three of those restaurants and enjoy a meal prepared by one of the six chefs. Then, you will be eligible to vote online for your favorite chef. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize.

“Our job is to do what the Golden Fork does naturally every year – put more butts in seats, where people are ordering in these restaurants, hopefully returning to these restaurants, and they’re helping bolster a restaurant community and a chef community that is otherwise struggling.”

If you prefer to do the cooking, the Food Prize Virtual Cook-Alongs may be for you.

Limited to 30 people, you will be able not only to watch a cooking show featuring three celebrity chefs, but you can cook the same meal as the chefs. To record the show earlier this year, Prize Fest flew into Shreveport Josh Harmon (Eater Dallas’ 2017 Chef of the Year), Josh Bonee (well-known in Dallas), and Tristen Epps (won an episode of “Chopped” on the Food Network).

“You get a Food Prize basket that is curated by these chefs,” Kallenberg said. “It has utensils in it, it has special spice blends done by these chefs, and it has the recipe and access to the recipe. We also had them curate wines. There’s a bottle of wine in Josh Harmon and Josh Bonee’s basket, and there are two bottles of wine in Tristen Epps' basket because he couldn’t choose one.”

Food Prize Virtual Cookalongs

Josh Bonee

Cook Seared Red Snapper with Dashi and Charred Greens with Chef Josh Bonee

A Nashville native, Chef Josh Bonee got his chops working under the James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock at Husk Nashville and picked up a passion for butchery, charcuterie, fermentation and live fire ember cooking. After some time in California at the now-shuttered Martini House in Napa and Matteis Tavern in Los Olivos, Bonee headed to Dallas to work at Stephan Pyles’ acclaimed Flora Street Café before taking the helm as the executive chef of Fine China in the Statler Hotel. His soon-to-open Lucky’s Hot Chicken has Dallas already buzzing with excitement.

Josh Harmon

Cook Handmade Gnocchi and Gulf Shrimp with Chef Josh Harmon

Chef Joshua Harmon is an Eater Chef of the Year and taste maker rising star and one of Zagat’s 17 chefs to look out for in the U.S. He trained in some of New York’s top restaurants including David Burkes’ Townhouse,  Buddhakan in the Chelsea Market, and Le Cirque, and then moved to Dallas to work with Stephan Pyles before opening several spaces of his own. These days, Harmon has been travelling the country, consulting on projects from new restaurant concepts to food halls. As much mad scientist as chef, from foraging to fermenting … who knows what this young gun will do next!

Tristen Epps

Cook Roasted Pork Chops with Egyptian Dukkah with Chef Tristen Epps

Chef Tristen Epps combines his classic training and international travels to cultivate a unique and nuanced globally-influenced palate and has cooked alongside chefs such as Richard Rosendale, Thomas Keller and Marcus Samuelsson. His skills have been widely recognized by his peers, including his reign as "Chopped" champion on Food Network and one of his signature dishes being featured on Cooking Channel’s "Best Thing I Ever Ate." He is currently set to open and run Samuelsson’s highly anticipated Red Rooster Overtown in Miami, Fla.

For more information visit www.prizefest.com/food

FASHION

Designers and Models: Jessica Hall (modeled by Erin Risenger), Emily Zering (modeled by Danni Bradford), Hephzibah Thomas (modeled by Jade Kerouac), Wanda Sandifer (modeled by Allison Reed)

Gone is the traditional runway show. Instead, you will be able to watch a fully produced fashion show. Seven local and regional designers will showcase their styles, using Shreveport’s landscape and landmarks as backdrops.

“Fashion Prize has been unshackled from a runway show in the middle of Prize Fest, which is always a blast," Kalleberg said. “But what it enables us to do is vary our backgrounds to make the fashion designers a lot more contextual to place.”

The winning designer will walk away with a $2,000 cash prize.

“We get to bring in judges from all over the country,” Kallenberg said. “Noted fashion judges who can sit at home in their yoga pants, and they’re going to be livejudging a show in Shreveport, La.”

There will also be a prize for the winner of the audience’s vote.

Crystal Green (modeled by Hillary Frazier)

Emily Zering (modeled by Danni Bradford)

For tickets and information visit: www.prizefest.com/fashion

PLAY FOR MUSIC PRIZE GLORY

Register Your Act

“This gives me the chills a little bit,” Kallenberg said, “because it is awesome.” What makes it so “awesome” for Kallenberg is that this year’s competition is so inclusive. “Basically, all (bands) have to do is pay 50 bucks.”

For their money, bands will get to perform for a $1,000 cash prize. But that’s not all. They will get a multi-camera recording of their set. In addition, Music Fest will post each band’s URL, so you can watch their performance on your schedule, and leave a tip if you wish.

“I can’t think, and believe me, I’ve sat in my tequila cave for many hours over many years, trying to figure out how I can get all these bands that say they want to play, in front of an audience. Well, this pandemic—for better or worse—has allowed us the opportunity to welcome any band that walks in the door (bands must register online), wants to get on stage and play. And we’re going to film them, we’re going to promote them, and we’re going to create the biggest and best Music Prize ever.”

By the time Prize Fest 2020 is over, Kallenberg hopes he is saying “Hell, yes!” To learn more about Prize Fest 2020, you may visit www.prizefest.com.

Lumpy Grits

www.prizefest.com/music

PRIZE FEST 2020
Friday, October 2 - Tuesday, October 13

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
• 12 a.m. - On Demand Films Become Available
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live with Film Prize Toast, Speed Dating w/ Filmmakers and Judges

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
• 10 a.m. - Food Prize Do-Ahead Brunch w/ Melissa Brannan (free)
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 2 p.m. - Film Prize Judges Panels: Session 1
• 6 p.m. - Food Prize Celebrity Chef Demo w/ Josh Harmon (ticketed)
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 9 p.m. - Film Prize Cult Classic Movie Screening (noncompetition)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 2 p.m. - Film Prize Judges Panels: Session 2
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
• 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.- Startup Prize Come and Re-Build It
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m.- Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Food Prize Celebrity Chef Demo w/ Josh Bonee (ticketed)
• 7 p.m. - Live Screening & Filmmakers Interviews [Orange Slate, Part 1]
• 8:30 p.m. - Live Screening & Filmmakers Interviews [Orange Slate, Part 2]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 7 p.m. - Live Screening & Filmmakers Interviews [Teal Slate, Part 1]
• 8:30 p.m. - Live Screening & Filmmakers Interviews [Teal Slate, Part 2]
• 8 p.m. - Fashion Prize (ticketed)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 2 p.m. - Film Prize Best Actress Interviews
• 4 p.m. - Film Prize Best Actor Interviews
• TBD - Music Prize (ticketed)
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Food Prize Celebrity Chef Demo w/ Tristen Epps (ticketed)
• 10 p.m. - Tequila Toast - Big Exhale/ Dance Party

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 11:59 p.m. - Close of Voting Announcement
• 12 a.m. - Voting Closes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12
• 12 p.m. - Prize Fest Live
• 6 p.m. - Prize Fest Live

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
• 12 p.m. - Awards Ceremony - Film, Fashion, Music & Food

For passes and ticket information, visit: www.prizefest.com/tickets