Barbara Roche, Author at Reel Chicago News

Bridges Media starts new digital video content firm

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 28, 2012

The Cavalry is ready to charge into action as Bridges Media’s entry into interactive video for the web, live events at venues incorporating multiscreen displays, touch screen ...

Windy City West party guest list filling up fast

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 27, 2012

THE GUEST LIST for the 25th Windy West Party in L.A., bringing together Chicagoans in the Hollywood industry and Chicagoans flying in for the occasion, is growing longer as we s...

Indie Focus

Digital media grants available to indie producers

By Mike Morgan Feb 27, 2012

Content aimed at advancing social change has a good chance of winning a Chicago Digital Media Production Fund that’s open to indie video and filmmakers in the Chicago area.&nb...

‘The Interrupters’ wins Best Doc at Spirit Awards

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 26, 2012

The elation producers Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz felt when their Kartemquin Films’ “The Interrupters” won the Spirit Awards Saturday for Best Documentary was surely mi...

Curtain Calls

All the world’s a stage – with Chicago connections

By Kerry Reid Feb 24, 2012

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE, but Chicago’s global theater connections continue to grow. March 27 marks the 50th celebration of World Theatre Day, and John Malkovich (an early St...

TeamWorks’ Globetrotter doc bows on ESPN 2/26

By Ed M. Koziarski Feb 24, 2012

Harlem Globetrotters owner Mannie Jackson is on a mission: to raise the historic profile of Reece “Goose” Tatum, a star for the team in the 40s and 50s and a trailblazing sp...

Lewis Lazare

NBC’s “Smash” ratings decline in Chicago. Again.

By Lewis Lazare Feb 24, 2012

We said we’d keep you updated on the ratings story for the heavily-hyped NBC prime time series “Smash.” And we are. “Smash” is the show — executive produc...

Lewis Lazare

New Upshot Post Cereal spot sure to brighten the day

By Lewis Lazare Feb 23, 2012

Upshot/Chicago has joined the ranks of agencies making television commercials to sell cereal. In late 2011, Post Cereals brought on board Upshot as agency of record for two...

Indie Focus

Party launches Evanston’s Talking Pictures Fest

By Ed M. Koziarski Feb 23, 2012

A PRE-FEST PARTY Feb. 23 launches Percolator Films’ 4th annual Talking Pictures Festival from 7-10 p.m. at the Hilton Orrington Hotel’s Indigo Lounge, 1710 Orrington Avenue ...

No other way to say it: Leo Burnett stole the Addys

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 23, 2012

Leo Burnett’s Addy Award wins were outright embarrassing in the number of Best, Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes the agency collected in the recent Chicago Addys competition –...

Energy BBDO adds top European SVP/creative directors

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 22, 2012

AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR is spicing up our ad scene with Energy BBDO’s addition of SVP/creative directors Giovanni Settesoldi and Luissandro Del Gobbo, art director and copywri...

‘A holiday movie gays can call their own’ films in May

By Ed M. Koziarski Feb 21, 2012

There was something Windy City Times’ film critic Richard Knight, Jr. had never seen before in Thomas Bezucha’s 2005 holiday comedy The Family Stone. “This was the f...

Lewis Lazare

New CD Javier Osorio puts Tris3ct on growth trajectory

By Lewis Lazare Feb 21, 2012

Tris3ct/Chicago is moving to establish a strong focus on the Hispanic market, even as it strengthens its creative bench. The shop has begun to do that with the hiring of Javier ...

Johnson marks Optimus director debut with Ford spots

By Mike Morgan Feb 21, 2012

For a package of three spots shot in Austin, Texas to celebrate Ford Truck Month in February, the production team at One at Optimus tapped its newest director, a world class DP ...

Seminar on feature films at Cinespace Feb. 25-26

By Ruth L Ratny Feb 19, 2012

Regina Taylor, the acclaimed actress/director/writer of films and stage, will be part of the Feature Film Seminar extravaganza that veteran filmmaker Nate Grant of Lake Shore Fi...

Lewis Lazare

Chicago’s NBC ‘Smash’ ratings okay but not great

By Lewis Lazare Feb 17, 2012

Is “Smash” a smash hit? We know you’ve been wondering about that in the wake of the show’s debut and all the attendant hype. Executive produced by movie legend Ste...

Curtain Calls

Steppenwolf buys building next door for $6.4 million

By Kerry Reid Feb 17, 2012

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE is physically expanding with the acquisition of the Ethan Allen furniture store next door to their current building on Halsted St. for $6.4 million, as repor...

Prestin, Menet’s John Wayne Gacy doc based on new book

By Ed M. Koziarski Feb 17, 2012

Marc Menet’s father was friends with Gregory Godzik at Taft High School in Norwood Park before Godzik disappeared in 1976. Godzik’s body was found two years later amon...

Lewis Lazare

DP/C bows out of Walgreens review; bigger shop sought

By Lewis Lazare Feb 16, 2012

Downtown Partners/Chicago is out. Sources report the powers-that-be at Downtown Partners/Chicago have changed course and decided not to participate in the agency review d...

June Finfer directs doc about Cook County hospital

By Ed M. Koziarski Feb 16, 2012

Award-winning playwright and filmmaker June Finfer, acclaimed for her documentaries on Chicago subjects, is writing and will direct a feature length documentary about Cook Count...