Over the weekend, big names in entertainment swarmed Park City, Utah, for Sundance 2018. There were many invite-only fêtes, but one event taking place at the Memorial Building attracted all the A-listers: ChefDance. Founded by LA couple Mimi Kim and Kenny Griswold, this distinguished dinner series brought masterful chefs and stars together for an unforgettable culinary experience. This year, ChefDance collaborated with Kona Beer, Diet Coke, SYSCO, One Hope Wine, Lamborghini, and The Art of Elysium as the official charity.
Returning for its 15th year, ChefDance was without a doubt the most acclaimed culinary event of the entire film festival. On the first night, stars like DJ Paul Oakenfold enjoyed a delectable four-course meal by Michelin Starred Chef Luigi Fineo. Featuring tantalizing dishes like truffle risotto and crab, langoustine, potato, and dill soup, the spectacular dinner was the perfect space for Sundance movers and shakers to network and discuss future film projects to collaborate on.
The second evening of ChefDance was extra special, as it hosted the inaugural “49 Remarkable Women + 1 Really Cool Dude” celebration of female empowerment. This event honored 49 trailblazing women changing the face of business, social justice, art, and more. Entertainment mogul Scooter Braun was the “1 Really Cool Dude” and the leading ladies included Weight Watchers CEO Mindy Grossman, Drybar founder Ali Webb, women’s rights activist Gloria Allred, and Tarana Burke, founder of the “Me Too” movement.
ChefDance CEO Mimi Kim was also one of the honored ladies, as she is continuously breaking through the glass ceiling for female business leaders. With a resume featuring impressive positions at companies like Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, she created ChefDance when she attended Sundance years go and saw that culinary options were limited for the world-class attendees. ChefDance is now the premiere dinner experience that all big name stars want to attend.
The second night also featured surprise performances by Interscope artist “Cloves” and Grammy award-winning singer Siedah Garrett. After the dinner by James Beard Chef Shawn McClain (which featured tasty dishes like Grilled Arctic Char), the A-listers caught performance by the Black Eyed Peas, Common, and more at a private Hip Hop Jam session at ChefDance. The third and fourth nights featured masterful meals by Chef Beau MacMillan of Iron Chef America and Top Chef’s Chef Brian Malarkey.
ChefDance was a remarkable experience that provided endless opportunities for the film industry’s top influencers and stars to mingle while enjoying an incredible meal. All of the guests left happy, inspired, and ready to take on projects with all the new connections they made at their table. For all those attending Sundance 2019, definitely try to get a coveted ticket to ChefDance–it will be one of your favorite destinations of the film festival.
Contact: shannahch@gmail.com
