The Next Food Network Star

Cinematic Debut! (12x1)

Air date: May 22, 2016

The finalists shoot 30-second screen tests to explain what they are all about, which are then screened at a VIP event in Los Angeles in front of a Hollywood crowd. Mentors Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay surprise the finalists when an eliminated contestant from a previous season also joins the competition, then Valerie Bertinelli and Tyler Florence help decide who will be the first to be sent home.