Search Results for: Chicago Filmmakers

Move over New York and Los Angeles!  For years, Chicago was either not ranked in any MovieMaker magazine’s many annual “Best” lists, or barely hanging onto the bottom rung of listings ladder.

This year, however — yes, dreams do come true — MovieMaker ranked Chicago as The #1 Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2014. 

Judges and audiences of the 12th Chicago 48 Hour Film Project have weighed in with their decisions on the 21 films that will receive “Best of Chicago” awards at the Music Box screening Thursday, Sept. 15.

The Audience Award film is among them – “and it will be announced at the screening,” says Jerry Vasilatos, the 48 Hour city producer of the event for the second consecutive year.

Media Process Group’s feature doc, “Maya Angelou: And still I Rise,” the first documentary on the late author, poet and Civil Rights activist, will have a two-week US theatrical premiere, Sept. 16-20 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

“After showing the film in festivals around the world,” including Sundance,” said MPG’s Bob Hercules, “we’re thrilled to finally have a chance to show it in our hometown of Chicago.”

Filmmaker / editor Gail Gilbert’s short film, thriller “Democracy in the Driver’s Seat,” will be one of 14 women-made shorts showcasing at the Midwest Independent Film Festival’s annual Female Filmmakers Night, Tuesday, Aug. 2.

The distinguished filmmakers have been at their craft for many years, are producing an impressive body of work and possess a large collection of prestigious international awards.

The entries are:

The 48 Hour Film Project is back in Chicago for the 12th year of weekend filmmaking and director / editor Jerry Vasilatos of Nitestar Productions is helming it for the second year.

The winning short will compete for special prizes with 48HFP films from 130 cities around the world where more than 60,000 people will participate in the filmmaking weekend.

A meet-and-greet on Sunday, July 31 will launch Chicago’s 48HFP at the Music Box Lounge, which adjoins the Music Box Theatre, where all completed local films will be showcased.

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.

Chicago Filmmakers is gearing up for its first crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 to obtain a matching grant that will go towards renovating its recently purchased historic Edgewater firehouse that will become a center for diversity and literacy in media arts.

Videos are in the process of being edited for the upcoming Indiegogo campaign, says Brenda Webb, Chicago Filmmakers’ executive director. The crowdfunding campaign’s goal is to raise $50,000 to obtain a challenge grant that will match all individual contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.

“If you build it they will come” is the plan for the recently opened Champaign County Film Office the only other official state film office outside of Chicago.

The Film Office, in the person of Terri Reifsteck, is part of the Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau, of which Reifsteck is marketing and business development director.

Shelley LaMantia, Professional Arts Dean at State Street-based business-oriented Robert Morris University, was very pleased at the turnout Thursday night’s 4th annual Chicago Shorts Film Festival.

The festival not only attracted about 100 entries, but the screening and awards ceremony played to an SRO audience of largely college students from the Loop and beyond, at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

The wide experience general manager Manuela Hung has garnered throughout her 23 years at Filmworkers Club will serve her well as she steps up to the leadership of one of Chicago’s biggest post / finishing companies.

Calling all independent filmmakers!  Starting today, Nov. 10, you may apply online for shared work space in upcoming Stage 18 Chicago, the area’s first media and entertainment incubator at Cinespace Studios.

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, photographers Kurt Gerber and his son, Nick Gerber, will preview a feature doc they made traveling on motorcycles through the cities and towns of Historic Route 66 to welcome home veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

Three Chicago-made features – a narrative and two documentaries – won top prizes in the 51st Chicago International Film Festival and two of the winners will screen among the fest’s 10 top films, Wednesday Oct. 28 at the AMC River East 21 theatres.

The London-based 2015 Documentary Summit returns to Chicago for the first time since 2013 this weekend, Oct.

Elizabeth Collins, Odd Machine’s LA-based executive producer, has a short film screening in the 33rd Reeling: LGBTQ+ International Film Festival opening Thursday night, Sept. 17 through Sept. 24.

While the number of women directors of major studio films has dropped to all-time low of 4.6% in 2014, it’s encouraging that various studies show that larger numbers of female directors of indie cinema are holding their own.

SEVERAL CHICAGO FILMMAKERS are heading to the May 13-24 Cannes Film Festival to personally further their films’ fortunes.

Six Chicago documentarians have been selected out of more than 100 international submissions for a place in the next round of Good Pitch Chicago, on May 5, 2015.

NEWLY INVIGORATED IFP/CHICAGO has announced its ever-popular and helpful two-day Filmmakers Conference, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11, offering screenings, panels, case studies, notable panels and guest speakers, at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema.

Chicago native Shira Piven, now of LA, is one of four prominent leaders in film and advertising who will be honored at Women in Film Chicago’s annual Focus Awards at a luncheon Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. 

The three outstanding local leaders receiving the honor are Susan Credle, Leo Burnett’s chief creative officer; Erin Sarofsky, film company owner and creative director, and Cristina Varotsis, feature producer and unit production manager on features and TV shows. 

Three Chicago area film schools were duly cited in the Hollywood Reporter’s 4th annual widest-ever roundup of the best film schools Author DanielPosted on July 31, 2014August 1, 2014Categories Uncategorized

Registration is now open for the 12th annual 48 Hour Film Project Chicago,  Aug 22-24, that challenges filmmaking teams of all skill levels  to make a short film over a scant 48 hour weekend.  

Four Chicago filmmakers will have visible places at the Cannes Film Festival, May 14-25 as speakers and to premiere their films in front of an international audience gathering for screenings, workshops, conferences and, but of course, networking in the South of France.

THE FORMER ADDY AWARDS, recently rebranded as the more businesslike Chicago American Advertising Awards, take place Thursday, March 13 at a reception honoring the best of Chicago advertising, plus the Agency of the Year and the Client of the Year, at the Museum of Broadcast Advertising.

Filmmakers seeking screening venues might visit the classic Patio Theatre in the Northwest Side that has been meticulously restored to its lavish, gilded movie Golden Age splendor after having been shuttered for a decade.

Three famous Chicago native filmmakers, who established their reputations during the shocking turbulence surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, are returning this week as a team to document the many political, economic and environmental protests of the NATO Summit. 

Two-time Oscar winner cinematographer Haskell Wexler, director Andrew Davis and writer/director Mike Gray, with local activist/filmmaker producer Suree Towfighnia and a contingent of 15 to 20 filmmakers, will capture stories about the people in the various movements.

In the spirit of “make no little plans,” a trio of filmmakers aim to be the catalyst to position Chicago as a 3D production hub, now that faster, more efficient 3D production technology offers more opportunities.

Philip O’Neil of Eyeromp Films and producer/directors Vincent V. Shade and Andrew Eick of VASE Productions have formed a joint venture to create original entertainment and reimagined 3D shows.