The Quiet IngredientInquiries
Cinematic montage of Chef Ava, cooking in the kitchen, and a moment of reflection around the table.

An award-winning short documentary

The Quiet
Ingredient

A film by Michel Pascal

Some things nourish more than the body.

Chef Ava Malazian and Michel Pascal prepare a special dinner for an extraordinary guest.

Discover the filmExplore the awards

An invitation to slow down, be more present, and find connection in sharing a meal.

Audience AwardBest Short DocumentaryIndiewood Film Festival · 2026 Best Short DocumentaryNew York Movie AwardsAugust 2026 Silver AwardShort DocumentaryHollywood Gold Awards · August 2026

THE QUIET INGREDIENT

Trailer & poster.

Ava Malazian seasoning a pan at the stove in a frame from The Quiet Ingredient
TRAILER

Coming soon.

A glimpse into the kitchen, the conversation, and the care that brings a meal to life.

For broadcasters, distributors & partners

Industry & Partnerships
THE FILM POSTER

THE FILM

What we bring
to the table.

A chef. A meditation teacher.
A meal with meaning.

Chef Ava Malazian and wellness expert Michel Pascal come together to prepare a special dinner for an extraordinary guest.

At its heart is an invitation to slow down. To bring care to the act of cooking, attention to the person across the table, and a little more presence to the everyday.

Meet Ava & Michel
FORMAT
Short documentary
RUNNING TIME
31 minutes, 49 seconds
DIRECTOR
Michel Pascal

THE SPIRIT OF THE FILM

Nourishment begins
with presence.

There is a kind of generosity that cannot be measured.
The care in our hands. The attention we give.
The simple act of making something for someone else.

FOOD. STILLNESS. CONNECTION.
Ava Malazian in a blue top, smiling in the kitchen
Ava Malazian
Michel Pascal in a pale linen shirt with his hands pressed together
Michel Pascal

Ava Malazian

Chef

Ava Malazian is a private and retreat chef. She cooks for people in their own homes and on retreats, and she talks about food the way she cooks it, as something you do for someone else. In the film she is the one at the stove.

Listen to Ava on Just 15 Minutes

Michel Pascal

Director

Michel Pascal directed the film and sits at the table in it. He is a filmmaker, meditation teacher and author whose work moves between film, meditation and music.

His earlier feature, We Are Never Alone, was recognized at the New York Movie Awards and the Milan Gold Awards.

michelpascal.tv

“The trick is to go slow within the rush.”

Ava Malazian, on Just 15 Minutes, June 2026

Festival recognition

Screenings

September 12, 2026
TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, Hollywood, California
Indiewood Film Festival
Festival program

INDUSTRY & PARTNERSHIPS

Bring the film
to new audiences.

For networks, distributors, investors, and partners interested in bringing The Quiet Ingredient to a wider audience.

A short documentary about food, presence, and human connection, directed by Michel Pascal.

Broadcast & distribution

Interested in considering the film for your network or platform? Get in touch to request a private screener and discuss availability.

Request a private screener

Investment & partnerships

Start a conversation about investment, collaboration, or bringing the film to your audience.

Discuss a partnership

Inquiries coordinated by Lucrascale.
louie@lucrascale.com

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

There’s a place
at the table.

For press, screening, and distribution inquiries about The Quiet Ingredient.

Get in touch Inquiries coordinated by Lucrascale

The Quiet Ingredient · Film poster

Download poster

The Quiet Ingredient · Ava & Michel

Ava Malazian and Michel Pascal seated at the table in a photograph supplied by Michel Pascal
Download photograph

Sources & credits

The film’s running time, director, and featured participants are listed in the 2026 Indiewood Film Festival program. Award details link to the organizers’ published results.

The photograph of Ava and Michel at the table was supplied by Michel Pascal and cropped to frame the two of them. Their faces and likenesses in that original photograph have not been altered. The festival poster is AI-assisted artwork based on this supplied photograph. The trailer placeholder uses another frame from the film; the trailer is not yet available on this page. The hero is an AI-assisted montage based on supplied photographs, rather than a single production still.

The portraits of Ava and Michel are frames from the film supplied by Michel Pascal, cropped only. Ava’s quote is from her June 2026 appearance on Just 15 Minutes.

The laurel graphics are drawn for this page and are not the festivals’ official laurels.