THE CHICAGO DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL returns in its biennial incarnation with more than 100 docs screening between March 30 and April 8 at eight venues throughout the city.
One of the highlights is an appearance by former Chicagoan Mike Gray and the showing of his “The Murder of Fred Hampton,” exposing the Black Panther leader’s assassination for Chicago police.
The Best of Chicago sidebar feature four world premieres: Christopher Booker’s “The C Number,” following 71-year-old convicted felon Theodore Bacino’s 25th annual parole application;
Phil Ranstrom’s “Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street,” about the open market and birthplace of electric blues;
Gary Marks’ “Dream Havana,” about two Cuban writers, one of whom escaped to the U.S. in 1994 and one of whom remained; and Suree Towfighnia’s ” Tampico,” about the one-woman-band subway performer.
Other highlights include “A Lion in the House,” Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar’s Sundance-featured film about families of children living with cancer; Bob Hercules’ work in progress “Senator Obama Goes to Africa,” the closing night film; a Frederick Wiseman retrospective, sidebars on China and children.
Opening night film is Josh de Putter and Masha Novikova’s “Alexander Litvinenko In Memoriam,” about the former Russian spy and Vladimir Putin critic who was poisoned in London last year.
