Mammoth Film Festival

Dive!
(Jeremy Seifert, U S A, 45min)

Grocery stores around the country are filling their dumpsters with food. Not rotten, spoiled food, but billions of pounds of good, edible food.

Why? Because the expiration date is nearing? Because it costs less to toss it rather than donate it?

Whatever the answer, the contradiction is profound: good food is being thrown away and people are going hungry.

Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they “dumpster dive” in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.’s supermarkets. In the process they uncover thousands of dollars of food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it.

In the meantime, Seifert and friends no longer spend money on groceries. With nothing more than a big appetite and a strong stomach, they “dive” for Pacific Salmon, New Zealand Lamb Chops, Free-Range Chicken, Pork Loins, and loads of fruit, vegetables, and bread. Totally edible, totally free, and totally illegal.

Why aren’t grocery stores giving the food to people who need it? Seifert takes this question to corporate front offices in an attempt to find out. The result is equal parts entertainment and call to action.

The power of the film lies in its ability to motivate: it will move you to question the manager at your supermarket; it will move you to learn about food waste and its role in your community. In the end, you might even find yourself in a dumpster.