In the film biz, dreams often do come true. When writer-director Hugh Schulze and producer Stacey Evenson first began working on Shulze’s short film in 2007, their avowed goal was to see the film at the Cannes film festival one day.

That day arrive at this year’s Cannes festival in which their “Arc of a Bird” was screened in the Short Film Corner.

Shulze and Evenson spent last week at the festival. “It was thrilling and overwhelming, so much to see and do, network, and still stay on schedule,” Evenson said upon her return after a week in France Tuesday.

Hardy souls braved freezing temperatures to attend a series of IFP/Midwest-sponsored screenings at Columbia College that presented films in 15 candidates vying for this year’s Independent Spirit Awards.

Awards will be made in three categories: Best Documentary, Best First Feature, and Best Film made for under $500,000. IFP members have until Feb. 17 to mail their ballots.

L.A. actors Elizabeth Moss and Sam Riley conducted a Q&A session after the Feb.

If you’re not a member of IFP/Midwest and you’re an indie film fanatic ? here’s your chance to join the organization and enjoy all the benefits of membership ? plus cast your vote for the best of 16 indie films competing for the IFP/ Independent Spirit Awards.

Starting Jan. 22, entries will be held nightly through Saturday, Feb. 7.

Todd Haynes’ fractured Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There,” now in theatres, leads the nominees for the Independent Spirit Awards. Haynes talked with the audience after a preview screening at AMC River East, moderated by New City’s Ray Price.

Haynes casts six actors portraying different elements of Dylan’s persona, each shot in a distinct cinematic style inspired by the era.

“CONVENTIOEERS” ACTORS Trevor Murphy and Alek Freidman conduct a workshop Feb. 15 before the film plays in the IFP/Chicago Meet the Filmmakers Series.

Mora Stephens directed from a script she wrote with producer/editor Joel Viertel, about a delegate and a protester who rekindle a failed romance from their school days at Dartmouth.

Shot against the backdrop of the 2004 RNC, “Conventioneers” premiered at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival and is nominated for a John Cassavetes Award from the Independent Spirit Awards.

“PRIVATE PRACTICE” STAR Kate Walsh will be honored with the Joyce Piven Artistic Excellence Award Oct. 17 at the Piven Theatre Workshop’s 2010 Awards Brunch.

Walsh, a Piven Workshop alum, is being honored for her continued support of the Workshop and her outstanding contributions to the theatre world.

ABEL CINE TECH opened a Midwest sales office and small showroom in Oakbrook Terrace, headed by Kari Hess, and joined by production salesman Gregger Jones, from Abel’s New York headquarters and office administrator Colleen Nutter.

This is Abel’s first official office since it purchased the camera and accessories sales division of Fletcher Chicago in March, 2008, and hired Hess, who’d been with Fletcher for 13 years.

For the past 18 months, Hess had been working out of her home.

PEOPLE WERE STANDING IN LINE in Stamford, Connecticut this week waiting to be admitted to the first live taping of “The Jerry Springer Show,” a fixture in Chicago-originated television for 17 years at the NBC Tower.

Springer’s new home is the Rich Forum, a former theater that syndicator NBC Universal converted into a multi-set production studio for “Springer” and two other daytime TV programs, “The Steve Wilkos Show” and “Maury,” with Maury Povich.

DRAFTFCB ADDED TWO TOP CREATIVES, industry veterans Doug Behm and Jon Flannery as SVP/CDs to work on the agency’s KFC account.

Since 2001, Behm was SVP/group creative director at Element79, on brands including Gatorade, Propel and Tropicana. Earlier he was a CD at FCB on Coors Light, Kraft BBQ sauce and Handi-Snacks, among others.

Flannery was most recently SVP/group CD at Leo Burnett and held the same position earlier at Element79, working on Gatorade, Propel Fitness Water, Quaker and others.

STARTING FEB. 13 with State Street Productions’ “Humboldt Park,” principal photography will start in quick order on six studio and independent features.

Next up Feb.

MEGAN VIDAS JOINS THE IFO in charge of the TV commercials sector in mid-November. Vidas, wife of uber-rep Rich Newman, is a former producer of political videos and commercials, who once was with political consultant David Axelrod and has a background in public affairs. Vidas completes the IFO roster of eight employees.

THE BANKRUPCTY AUCTION Tuesday of Superior Street’s assets yielded $125,000 to pay creditors instead of the hoped-for $750,000.

Three Michigan-shot features premiere this week at Sundance: “Another Happy Day,” a drama starring Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore and Kate Bosworth; the comedies “Cedar Rapids,” starring Sigourney Weaver, Ed Helms and John C. Reilly and “Salvation Boulevard,” with stars Jennifer Connelly, Pierce Brosnan and Ed Harris.

These films generated some $16.8 million and created about 480 Michigan jobs, says MFO director Carrier Jones.

IN THE MIDDLE EAST for three weeks is documentarian Malachi Leopold of Left Brain/Right Brain Productions. He is visiting Israel, the West Bank and Gaza as part of a delegation hosted by Interfaith Peace Builders and meeting with young Palestinians and Israelis under the age of 25 who are working together to achieve peace.

Leopold has worked for more than a year on developing a project connected to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

A short film examining the issues of free speech while chronicling a veteran’s protest to a flag hung upside down, won the grand prize in the 2010 Illinois Humanities Council’s second annual “Looking for Democracy” contest.

Theophilus Jamal an actor, filmmaker and master’s candidate at DePaul’s Digital Cinema program, creatively answered the contest’s question: “Where do you see democracy in your life?”

Jamal’s top prize entry, “American Flag,” and the two other winners will screen at a May 3 awards presentation and panel discussion at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema.

JOYCE KILBURG, the Illinois Film Office’s diversity officer, was seriously injured Wednesday night when the taxi she was riding crashed into a tree. She was heading home after attending the Vince Vaughan premiere. Call the IFO, 312/814-3600 for updates.

DIRECTORS AND STARS will add more glitz and glamour to the 45th Chicago International Film Festival opening tonight through Oct. 22. Tonight, Uma Thurman (“Motherhood”) leads the parade down the red carpet.

Others expected are director John Woo scheduled for Oct.

CHICAGO FILMMAKERS’ Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival June 16-18 opens with a program featuring a who’s who of avant-garde heavyweights:

Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Michelangelo Eye to Eye,” Michael Snow’s “Sshtoorrty,” Jonas Mekas’ “Williamsburg, Brooklyn,” Kenneth Anger’s “Mouse Heaven,” Ernie Gehr’s “Precarious Garden,” Peter Kubelka’s “Poerty and Truth,” and Ken Jacobs’ “Mountaineer Spinning.”

At 8 p.m. June 16 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State.

HURT McDERMOTT’S 2004 Slamdance best screenplay winner, “Nightingale in a Music Box,” has its New York premiere Tuesday, June 7 at 8 p.m. at the Brooklyn International Film Festival.

Kelly Hazen, Catherine O’Connor and Andrzej Krukowski star in the dystopian thriller about a woman on the run for a crime she can’t remember.

“Nightingale” also played the Athens and Mill Valley film festivals. Todd Slotten and Leigh Jones produced. Music by Robert Fripp of King Crimson and Brian Eno of Roxy Music. Sales agent is Seth Kittay of All Channel Films in Los Angeles.

A FIRST FILM by screenwriter/journalist Ytasha Womack, the feature-length “Love Shorts” screens Feb. 15 in the Patchwerx Film & Video Series. Womack co-produced with Jumaane N’Namdi, owner of G.R. N’Namdi Gallery. Jonothon Woods, CEO of A’se Creative Group production company, directed. The monthly series is held at the HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo, 7 p.m., $2 suggested donation. See www.hothouse.net.

AN ENVIABLE PROJECT. A post job for Leo Burnett and client Philips Sonicare dental hygiene that Machete editors started in May and kept growing and growing finally ended two weeks ago.

“Philips is an international player,” notes Machete partner Luis Landgraf, “and the number of spots kept growing and they were sent back and forth to Germany, Holland and Japan.” Everybody edited, he says, meaning: Marty Bernstein, Scott Cohen, new addition Kenan Legg and Mary Roland.

“Homesick Blues” filmmakers Ed M. Koziarski and Junko Kajino

The teeming maze of the Tokyo subway has begun to feel more and more like home lately.