On Food And Film is the brainchild of Tom Provost, a filmmaker/graduate professor/cook/eater/film nerd living in Los Angeles, CA.
Tom’s first memory as a child is sitting in a movie theatre. He knew immediately he wanted to work in the movies and often dreamed of being on the big screen. When it came time for college, however, studying acting seemed pretty risky, so he did the responsible thing and majored in English Literature and Film Production/Criticism. Upon graduation, the lure of acting was too strong, however. Eschewing the numerous high paying jobs offers his majors afforded, Tom moved to LA where he worked as a waiter for ten years, supplemented by the occasional acting gig (lots of theatre, some commercials, a few TV roles.)
At age 30, having reached the pinnacle of his waiting tables career, Tom moved behind the camera, where he has since worked as an award-winning editor, screenwriter and director. His latest project, The Presence, was released by Lionsgate in Fall 2011 after winning a few Best Picture and Best Director awards on the festival circuit. The Presence is currently one of the more divisive movies available, with reviews from critics and audiences ranging from “A stunning film… riveting” (The Examiner) and “The most innovative ghost story I’ve ever seen” (Horrornews.net) to “I’d rather slam my hand in a car door five times than watch this movie again” and “I really hated this movie. I watched it twice just to make sure.“
“I guess passionate responses are better than indifference,” Provost dryly remarks.
He is currently at work on his second feature, Mr Clark, a dark twist on It’s A Wonderful Life. Tom is a graduate screenwriting professor at Pepperdine University. You can check out other writings and insights at http://www.cinemalanguage.org
He cooks and eats every single day. A lot.