Pressure Cooker

About the Film

Three seniors at Philadelphia's Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in the kitchen of Wilma Stephenson. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson's hilariously blunt boot-camp method of teaching Culinary Arts is validated by years of scholarship success. Against the backdrop of the row homes of working-class Philadelphia, she has helped countless students reach the top culinary schools in the country. And under her fierce direction, the usual distractions of high school are swept aside as Erica, Dudley and Fatoumata prepare to achieve beyond what anyone else expects from them.

Screenings

Date: Nov. 21 & 22
Venue: Starz Denver Film Festival
Tickets: www.DenverFilm.org

Date: Nov. 23, 25, 27 & 30
Venue: IDFA Film Festival (Amsterdam)
Tickets: www.idfa.nl

Date: December 10, 8pm
Venue: Stranger Than Fiction Documentary Film Series (New York)
Tickets: www.STFDocs.com

Date: December 10, 8pm
Venue: IFC Center (New York)
Tickets: www.ifccenter.com

Gallery

About C-CAP

The film Pressure Cooker was inspired by the extraordinary work of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), founded in 1990 by Richard Grausman.

C-CAP works with public schools across the country to prepare underserved high school students for college and career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industry. A national nonprofit, C-CAP manages the largest independent high school culinary scholarship program in the United States. Since 1990, C-CAP has awarded students $25 million in scholarships and donated $2.2 million worth of supplies and equipment to classrooms.

C-CAP provides training and curriculum enrichment programs including: teacher training, cooking competitions and scholarships, job shadows, job training, internships, career advising, college advising and College 101, and product donations.

In the 2006-07 academic year, C-CAP served 266 high school teachers in 204 public schools. 12,050 students benefited from enhanced education and employment opportunities. C-CAP donated $278,960 worth of supplies and equipment to the participating schools, offered college and career advising to 1,450 students, and awarded a record-breaking $3.65 million in scholarships.

C-CAP operates in seven locations: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Philadelphia; Hampton Roads, VA; Washington, D.C.; and statewide in Arizona.