Writer/director H. Scott Hughes based his screenplay (co-written by Phillip Matte) on a short story by his mother, sci-fi/mystery author Patricia C. Hughes, best known for her "Granny Grace" series published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in the late 90's. The short story's title was also "Food for the Gods." Mrs. Hughes personally approved her son's choice of Chinese-Canadian actress Yvette Lu to portray the protagonist she created.
Original short story author Patricia C. Hughes first conceived "Food for the Gods," based on a rather obscure little factoid: that the liver of the polar bear is toxic.
Lead actress Yvette Lu and director H. Scott Hughes (both classically trained musicians) pulled double-duty as the film's two co-composers. In addition to scoring, Lu is the lead vocalist on the soundtrack, with harmony provided by her co-star, actress/singer Beverly Wu (Princess Xionko). They are accompanied by erhu master Xu Qian of the University of British Columbia's Asian music studies department. The ancient two-stringed erhu is often referred to as the "Chinese violin."
"Food for the Gods" features a majority Asian cast from more than four countries, including Canada, Japan, China, and The Phillipines. The film's producer, director of photography, makeup designer/artist, and soundtrack erhu player, are all four from mainland China. Film composer and on-screen star Dr. Yvette Lu is Chinese-Candian, as is Beverly Wu who sings with Lu on the soundtrack as co-stars in the film. Additionally, associate producer Nik Green is one-quarter Asian from his grandfather who is from Burma (now Myanmar). Actor Shaker Paleja is Indo-Canadian.
During production, "Food for the Gods" star and composer Dr. Yvette Lu, a medical doctor turned actress, trained two fellow actors, Danny Dorosh and Tara Pratt, on how to conduct a realistic CPR scene. She also treated an actual on-set injury when actress Beverly Wu was severely stung in the forehead in the forests of British Columbia.