2nd annual “Chicago Shorts Night” & other news

Elevated Films’ 2nd Annual Chicago Shorts Night will light up the Chop Shop in Wicker Park on Wednesday, January 15th at 6 p.m.

The special screening features ten Chicago-connected short films in a 100-year-old former auto body shop that is now the Windy City’s only sustainable butcher + deli + restaurant + bar.

Be a part of choosing the ‘audience choice’ award, and stay for the post-program discussions with the filmmakers.
6:00PM – Doors | 7:30PM – Program begins | 9:00PM – Post Q/A
For tickets and info, click on this.

 
Chicagoans at NYC Winter Film Fest
Three Chicago-connected filmmakers will screen work at this year’s Winter Film Awards International Film Festival (WFA-IFF), a New York City competitive fest with a special emphasis on women and under-represented filmmakers:

“The Chain is “a dance concept video with inspirations from Dogville and Wes Anderson” directed by Loves Park, IL, filmmaker Lonnie Lynn Iske.

“Dickie & Bea is the story of “an over-educated and under-employed youngish married couple doing their best to survive in New York.” The 10-minute short was co-created by Second City Chicago alumnus Ped Naseri (who also produces, with Samantha Eggers) and American Repertory Theater at Harvard graduate Lauren Lorentz (who also directs).

“The Dam” is the story of a dam worker “surrounded by mysterious disappearances of locals and brutal deaths of his co-workers deep down in the reservoir” directed by University of Chicago graduate Matilda Szydagis and Ric Sechrest.

 
The films are among 79 selections chosen from more than 650 submissions and 27 countries and will be screened in February 20-29. For more information, click on this.

 
Daily Planet moves into new space
Emmy Award-winning, Chicago-based production and post house Daily Planet has relocated to the fourth floor of 343 West Erie. According to Daily Planet President Scott Marvel, the company was ready for an upgrade.

“The change of location, at first, doesn’t seem that big: loft-space, River North,” he explains. “But this 5,000 sq. ft. space was built out for us and it feels right. It feels like us. We’re excited to bring the same fun and passion to new projects – now in a new space!”

Marvel also hinted that a housewarming party may be in the works.

Daily Planet now operates in three locations: Chicago, LA, and Washington DC, with Chicago serving as the hub. The company services a diverse array of clients including City Pop Cola, Give-a-Shi*t, Lo·Rez Brewery, Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Streetwise. To learn more about the company, click on this.

 
Jackola becomes “world’s guinea pig”
On January 1, Hunting God filmmaker Justin ‘Count’ Jackola started a yearlong stretch as “the world’s guinea pig” in a video project titled, Finding Us.

Described as a “journey to find the meaning of life via an interactive Facebook documentary,” Jackola invites viewers to “tell him how to think, what is true, and ultimately how to live,” according to a press release. The on-camera project will involve “traveling to the most meaningful places on the planet, speaking to the brightest minds, and studying the most precious texts in order to find life’s meaning, and all at the mercy of the worlds online community.”

To get in on the action, click here.

 
OTV partners with Seed&Spack
Open TV has partnered with Seed&Spark to offer filmmakers an opportunity to receive 1:1 mentoring from crowdfunding specialists. The deal unites two of the modern mediascape’s most successful and forward-thinking entities.

OTV is a non-profit platform for intersectional television that has scored millions of views and released hundreds of shows including HBO’s Brown Girls and the Streamy Award-winner “the T” since launching in 2015. Seed&Spark is “reimagining the creative economy for the age of action” as the crowdfunding platform with the lowest fees and the highest campaign success rate in the world (80%) boasting exclusive titles like “Off Kilter” and “Everything is Fine”.

For more information, click on this.

 
Send your news to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.