Chicago’s thriving film community is gearing up for the much-anticipated premiere of Wizdom, a sci-fi thriller set in a neon-lit, dystopian future. After three years of production, the film will make its debut at CineCity Studios on Friday, September 20, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The public is invited to celebrate this significant milestone alongside many Chicago locals who contributed to its creation.
Wizdom, written by Chicago filmmakers Ashton Swinford and Zack Sievers and directed by Layne Marie Williams, takes place in a colony where sunlight is scarce and humans depend on bionic implants. The colony, controlled by the biotech corporation Wizdom, enforces the use of mandatory pharmaceutical “W strips” to prevent the rejection of these implants.
The film follows Eos (Ashton Swinford), a professional thief, and her sibling Vayle, who are introduced to a mysterious drug that grants visions of the future and heightened extrasensory abilities. Faced with the choice of using their powers to dismantle the oppressive system or continue living on the fringes, the siblings must grapple with destiny, choice, and survival. Watch the trailer below:
“Bringing Wizdom to life has truly been a labor of love for us all. We are so grateful for the Chicago indie film community who really came together to maximize what budget we had using pure creativity, to create something unique and incredibly special to us all.
We filmed this project 3 years ago with an incredible cast and crew, and it took us another 3 years before that to shop the concept and raise the funding to film it. It truly feels like our baby, and we can’t wait to share it with the Chicago creative community who helped create it on Friday,” Ashton Swinford shared with Reel Chicago.
The film explores compelling themes like the destruction of the planet’s ozone, classism driven by technology, and the essence of humanity in a world dominated by machines and bionics. Fans of dystopian sci-fi and cyberpunk aesthetics will find much to appreciate in Wizdom‘s futuristic narrative, rich with mind-bending concepts like time travel and extrasensory powers.
Chicago’s connection to the project runs deep. Former Cinespace President Alex Pissios, a significant supporter of local film productions, serves as one of the executive producers. Under Pissios’ leadership, Cinespace helped generate thousands of jobs through major productions like Chicago Fire and Empire, making his involvement in Wizdom a promising boost for the film’s success.
For those interested in attending, Wizdom’s premiere promises an exciting celebration of both the film’s release and the talents within the Chicago production community. To purchase tickets, click here.
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