London –FremantleMedia International (FMI) has completed a global distribution deal (excluding the US) with Zero Point Zero for the compelling, powerful and iconic documentary, Wasted! The Story of Food Waste. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Nari Kye and Anna Chai and presented by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Anthony Bourdain, the 1 x 2 hr Rockefeller Foundation supported film exposes the immense magnitude of the food waste crisis and those working tirelessly to combat it.
Every year, one-third of the food grown for human consumption ends up in the garbage, at a cost of $218 billion – or 1.3 billion tons each year. In America, families throw away about 25% of the food and beverages they buy. Yet at the same time, 800 million people around the globe are starving. It’s a problem – but one with no shortage of solutions.
Wasted! The Story of Food Waste sheds light on this eye-opening issue in a bid to change the way people buy, cook and eat food forever. Through the eyes of culinary stars, Anthony Bourdain, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences see how we can make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps and rejects into delicious dishes. Offering mouth-watering solutions to this huge global problem, these chef heroes demonstrate how any action — no matter how small — can lead to new ways of using more food, feeding more people, curbing environmental damage and ultimately improving the health and well-being of all citizens worldwide. Wasted! The Story of Food Waste showcases forward-thinking leaders who show how each of us can make small changes, to solve one of the greatest problems of the 21st Century.
Sam Harowitz, Vice President, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, North America FremantleMedia International said: “ZPZ films have created an incredibly powerful and compelling documentary which is the perfect addition to FremantleMedia International’s range of high-end factual programming. Tackling one of the biggest global issues of our time, the show has huge international resonance and will be an impactful and interesting addition to any TV schedule.”
Anthony Bourdain, Author, Chef and Executive Producer said: “I’m not an activist but the intent of this film aligns with something that’s very much personal. I came up in kitchen regimes where you live by an absolute rule of using everything and wasting nothing, and of course, as a traveler, I see again and again how circumstances force people to cook incredibly well with the often very little food available to them. One film isn’t going to cure all of society’s ills but if a few people start thinking about what they’re eating for dinner in a different way or think twice about throwing out what is often the best stuff, it’s a good day.”
Joe Caterini, Executive Producer; Zero Point Zero Managing Director & Partner said: “With access to some of the world’s most high-profile and successful chefs, and the expertise of The Rockefeller Foundation in food waste, ZPZ intends to produce a film that will fundamentally shift the way people think about food waste. We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with a storied institution like The Rockefeller Foundation, which through initiatives over the last century has changed the way we live. It’s our hope that with the support they are providing for this film, we will further cement that legacy.”
Wasted! The Story of Food Waste is a Rockefeller Foundation supported Zero Point Zero Films production and will make its theatrical debut in the US on 13th October. Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Nari Kye and Anna Chai serve as directors with Joe Caterini and Lydia Tengalia serving as producers. The executive producers include Anthony Bourdain, Joe Caterini, Christopher Collins, Nari Kye and Lydia Tenaglia.
