AbelCine camera sales and training center at Cinespace is hosting its first Fall Tech Expo Saturday, Oct. 8, bringing together new cameras and lenses that were introduced earlier this year at NAB, Cinegear and IBC.

More than 400 film professionals have RSVP’d their attendance at the free Expo, being held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at AbelCine’s Chicago Learning Point on the fourth floor at 2602 W. 16th St.

The DPs on “Empire” and “Chicago PD” will be among the top production, equipment and tech professionals who will help celebrate the grand opening of AbelCine’s Chicago Learning Point, at an Open House, Saturday, Nov. 7.

Chicago’s infrastructure got another big boost with the official opening Monday of AbelCine’s new Learning Point at Cinespace — this region’s first-of-a-kind combo interactive showroom, classroom and community space.

New York-headquartered camera sales and service provider giant AbelCine will settle in at Cinespace in mid-summer, offering a unique Learning Point for on-going educational workshops and seminars, an interactive sales showroom space for hands-on equipment evaluation, and a welcoming center for community activities.

Only the fireworks will be missing from a big July celebration Tuesday when 2112,  the creative industries incubator part of Dan Mahoney and Kent Neilsen’s vast Fort Knox Studios, called “the largest music ecosystem on earth,” reveals a new production studio and other additions.

In an effort to expand and unify Chicago’s growing independent film community, the Chicago Film Office has launched the Independent Film Initiative (IFI) for local filmmakers “to give them assistance and resources that will encourage them to fulfill their media and entertainment careers in Chicago,” says Chicago Film Office director Rich Moskal.

This is it!

By the time Sun-Times had headlined Gov. Bruce Rauner’s demand that Cinespace return a $10 million state grant, studio president Alex Pissios had already sent the uncashed check, plus interest, to the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Daufenbach Camera is continuing its efforts to build up Midwest work with a $500,000 investment in expanded space and inventory.  “We want to let Hollywood producers know we’ve got all the gear here so there is no need for them to fly equipment in,” says owner/cameraman Lawrence Daufenbach.