DC’s annual multicultural culinary showdown is officially online—but this time the chefs are challenging you to deepen your understanding of foreign cultures. In this beautifully-shot series, produced by EMMY and GRAMMY nominated Miguel “M.i.G.” Martinez and directed by EMMY nominated Jamie Sisley, we are given an intimate look inside the rarely glimpsed world of embassy chefs and culinary diplomacy. Each episode will take you inside the embassy grounds to witness culture afresh, through the eyes of a culinary master.
Founded by Miguel “M.i.G.” Martinez and Jamie Sisley, Aster Creative Co. focuses on discovering the most authentic, thoughtful, and visually arresting way to tell stories. MiG and Jamie cultivated this approach when they first collaborated on the feature documentary, Farewell Ferris Wheel. The film received an Emmy nomination for best documentary, an Imagen award nomination for positive portrayal of Latinos in entertainment and was broadcast nationally on PBS and Netflix. In addition to his work at Aster, Jamie wrote and directed Stay Awake, a narrative short film that premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and received the National Board of Review Film Prize. He is set to direct a narrative feature film version of Stay Awake in 2021. Jamie earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting and Directing from Columbia University. Originally from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, MiG has been around the Washington D.C. art scene for over a decade. Prior to D.C., he spent eleven years hosting/creating the first bilingual radio show in Central Virginia. His music video, film, and photography work with clients such as Ozomatli and Orishas landed him a Grammy nomination.
This series is inspired by the annual celebration of culinary diplomacy, Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge. With more embassies than almost any city in the world, this event provides a uniquely DC opportunity to celebrate culture through authentic food and drinks from embassy chefs representing all regions of the world.