, Author at Reel Chicago News

Bollywood super star to film here for three months

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 30, 2012

There’s a lot of ballyhoo in India-based Bollywood over the news that movie and TV superstar Aamir Khan, the George Clooney of Bollywood, so to speak, is starring as the bad g...

Fletcher Detroit’s new address is Michigan Studios

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 30, 2012

Fletcher Camera & Lenses’ new Michigan address will be the Michigan Studios (formerly known as Raleigh Studios) in Pontiac. The official move-in date is Aug. 1, foll...

Indie Focus

Actor walks 200 miles to get into apocalyptic role

By Ed M. Koziarski Jul 30, 2012

GEARING UP FOR HIS LEAD role in Stephen Folker’s apocalyptic thriller To Survive, LA-based star Burt Culver is walking 200 miles from his character’s hometown Gary, Indiana ...

Catfish’s Boyle marks 20 years in commercial music

By Ed M. Koziarski Jul 30, 2012

Jeff Boyle of Catfish Music in River North remembers Chicago’s thriving commercial scoring business when he started out 20 years ago as a composer and how he has been part of ...

After 36 years, Weinberg’s Miñoso doc ready to air

by Ed M. Koziarski Jul 27, 2012

Tom Weinberg says he’s “fast and furiously” completing Baseball Has Been Very, Very Good to Me, his documentary about Minnie Miñoso in hopes for a broadcast on Nov. 29.&n...

Curtain Calls

NYC theatres welcome 3 Chicago-originated shows

By Kerry Reid Jul 27, 2012

NEW YORK’S 59E59 THEATERS continue to provide welcoming off-Broadway accommodations for shows that originated in Chicago. Bruce Graham’s The Outgoing Tide, which had its wor...

Facets, CFW’s African America film fest, Aug. 1, 4

By Mike Morgan Jul 27, 2012

The Community Film Workshop partnered with Facets Multi-Media to present ReelFilms@Harris Park – a first-time film festival of independent films highlighting Chicago's African...

Gov. Quinn’s L.A. visit a ‘we’ll see’ situation

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 26, 2012

GOVERNOR’S L.A. UPDATE. Gov. Pat Quinn’s appointment schedule for next week has not been completely finalized, says a spokesperson for the governor, which kinda suggests tha...

Lewis Lazare

DDB/McDonald’s spot in Olympics opening ceremonies

By Lewis Lazare Jul 26, 2012

Let the Games begin. Starting tomorrow, most of the world’s sports enthusiasts (as well as many who have no particular interest in athletics) will turn their attention to Lond...

Columbia College one of THR’s 25 top film schools

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 26, 2012

The Hollywood Reporter redeemed itself this year, after last year’s painful sin of omission, by naming Columbia College one of its top 25 film schools in the world in its July...

“Boss” premiere party Aug. 17 open to everybody

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 26, 2012

After the “Boss” wrap party a few weeks back, actor Doug James realized how much he wanted the show to succeed, to endure through many seasons and also to let people know ho...

Indie Focus

After 4 years, feature doc ‘Skate or Die’ in post

By Ed M. Koziarski Jul 25, 2012

AFTER FOUR YEARS IN PRODUCTION and 100 hours of footage, director Ryan Ferguson and producer Azam Ahmed are in post-production on the feature documentary Skate or Die. Th...

Go to Team two-man video crew opens 8th branch here

By Mike Morgan Jul 24, 2012

Go to Team, a provider of high-end video crews and equipment video crews and equipment headquartered in Charleston, S.C., opens its first northern city branch in Chicago with th...

New POV video sunglasses now at Midwest Digital

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 24, 2012

If James Bond were saving the world in this digital age, he would be the first in his line of work to embrace the newest technology by a company called Pivothead. Plus the fact ...

Lewis Lazare

Good grades to McGuinness for positive DDB changes

By Lewis Lazare Jul 24, 2012

So how’s he doing? As Peter McGuinness rapidly approaches his first year anniversary on the job as CEO and president of DDB/Chicago, he at least has managed to now to br...

Urgent business keeps Quinn from L.A. visit

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 23, 2012

GOV. PAT QUINN had to bow out of heading the Chicago contingent at the important TV Production Executives Dinner in L.A. on Aug. 1 due to pressing government business in Springf...

SAG-AFTRA postpones early commercial contract talks

By Mike Morgan Jul 23, 2012

SAG-AFTRA and the advertising industry agreed to postpone their previously-scheduled early negotiations of the union’s commercials contract, the union board announced Saturday...

Curtain Calls

Diane Lane stars in Goodman’s fall season opener

By Kerry Reid Jul 20, 2012

THE GOODMAN THEATRE continues its mini-streak of turning to high-profile actors with the surname “Lane.” After Nathan Lane’s turn in Robert Falls’ monumental production ...

Chicago needs to creatively rethink its film future

By Tom Lewis Jul 19, 2012

Like the recently revealed Chicago Cultural Plan for expanding the arts, here is a film professional’s vision of how to move Chicago into the top tier of entertainment product...

Lewis Lazare

Ch. 7’s ‘WCL’ ratings not far behind Oprah’s numbers

By Lewis Lazare Jul 19, 2012

A little more than a year after its launch, WLS-Channel 7’s “Windy City Live” is hitting its stride. There was plenty to be skeptical about when former Channel 7 general m...