Eighty minutes worth of short films, from comedy to dreamy gritty docs produced by creatives at ad agencies and post/production houses, will be showcased Oct. 6, thanks the first-time link-up between AICP Midwest and the Midwest Independent Film Festival.
The first annual Advertising Community Shorts Night takes place Oct. 6 at the Landmark Century theatre.
Nine of the dozen shorts of varying lengths were home grown; other submissions came from Indianapolis, Southfield, Mich. and Minneapolis.
The Chicago selections:
“CRY BABY” was directed by award-winning filmmaker and spot director Scott Smith, and produced by John Fromstein and Fulton Market Films.
“SUGAR,” is about a waiter’s imagination running wild when a beautiful patron asks him for sugar in her coffee. It’s a collaboration among director Alex Beh, featuring the production talents of DDB, Protokulture, Optimus, Hootennany, Dot and Cross and Essence Films.
“AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER” is a comedy of errors that ensues when a couple debates about attending a film festival, by K.C. and Kipp Norman of Elephant Filmworks.
“WORST DATE EVER,” also from Optimus, is a comedic short directed by Optimus’ Michael Chaves and produced by One at Optimus, its production division.
“FILMS FROM TIM BIEBER” is a pair of docs by spot director Tim Bieber of Mr. Big Film.
“A NEPHILIM GRIEVES,” by Foundation Content’s director Anna Patel and executive producer Samantha Hart, explores the storytelling mediums of poetry, art and film.
“MUSTACHE RIDE” is a music video created to promote the international charity Men of Movember, created by Arc Worldwide creative directors Michael Starcevich and Tony Rogers.
“ODD SHOE,” directed by Paul Cotter, formerly of Z Group Films, is about a young boy with battered old trainers, who discovers life has new meaning when he chances on a brand new pair of leather shoes.
“A LIFETIME UNDERGROUND,” a doc directed by Joel Anderson of Optimus, is about musician William Elliott Whitmore, who discusses the influence of his Iowa corn crib cabin on his music.
From Midwest filmmakers: “SEE NO EVIL” is a dramatic thriller from producer Joel Umbaugh of full-service Road Pictures, Indianapolis.
“THE CHICKEN,” an animated short is by filmmakers Glenn Parsons and Greg Meloche of Kinetic Post, Southfield, Mich.
“JUICED AND JAZZED” is set in prohibition era 1920s, hot jazz music overcomes a young woman after she stumbles upon a flask. Director was Justin Weber of Minneapolis motion graphics studio Make.
Landmark Century theatre is at 2828 N. Broadway. Tickets are $10-$15 and may be purchased at
