Cataldo’s “Wednesday’s Child” wins Shortcuts contest

WINNER OF THE IFO’S 2012 Illinois Shortcuts competition is the dark comedy “Wednesday’s Child, from director Rocco Cataldo and cinematographer Mike Kwielford of Potenza Productions, a corporate, spot and music video company, producer Mary Kay Cook and screenplay by Seattle-based writer Rebecca Bridge.

The nine-minute story is about a young girl’s plans to teach her parents a lesson that goes horribly awry.  It stars Meredith Droeger, Kara Zeidker, Kirk Anderson and David Kovac. 

It screened at the Chicago International City and State Shorts Program at CIFF Tuesday night, and will repeat Oct. 19 and Oct. 21 at the AMC  River East theatres.

The short will screen at the upcoming Austin Film Festival and previously won two top awards at the Elgin Short Film Festival and screened at the D.C. Shorts Film Festival.

This is the Illinois Film Office’s fifth year of the Shortcuts competition and entries from throughout the state numbered 36, up 46% over 2011’s 25 entries.

Instead of the $161 million in revenues from film projects that the IFO reported for 2011, a recent DCEO press release lowered that income to $154 million. 

This year so far, revenue from four TV series hit $92 million, which was the primary source of income from Hollywood entertainment projects. With an estimated $50 million in spot production, the year’s total could dip to $142 million.

To shore up business that has been eluding the state, industry leaders plan a December trip to L.A. to meet with studios and TV show producers in the hope of landing some of  next season’s pilots.  In 2012, some 86 pilots were greenlit of which six shot in Chicago.  Three turned into series: “Boss,” which doesn’t look like there’s a third season ahead (we hope we’re wrong). 

Hopefully NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and MTV’s “Underemployed” will survive their dismal reviews and air for a long time.