Ever After, a feature documentary seven years in the making, takes audiences beyond the kitchen to explore the extraordinary personal journey of acclaimed Chicago chef Curtis Duffy. The film will make its world premiere Monday, October 19, at the Music Box Theatre as a Special Presentation of the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival.
Directed by Frankie Nasso and written and produced by Jeremy Wagner, the film follows Duffy through professional triumphs, personal tragedy and the demanding pursuit of perfection that has defined his career.
For Chicago audiences familiar with Duffy’s celebrated restaurants, including the three-Michelin-starred Grace and his current two-Michelin-starred Ever, the documentary promises a revealing look at the man behind the remarkable culinary achievements.
From Grace to Ever
Filmed between 2019 and 2026, Ever After chronicles Duffy’s efforts to rebuild his career following the 2017 closure of Grace, the acclaimed Chicago restaurant he co-founded.
After leaving Grace, Duffy set out to create another fine dining destination. Construction began on Ever in 2019, but just as the restaurant was nearing completion, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the hospitality industry.
With significant financial commitments and a staff depending on him, Duffy pressed forward, opening Ever in 2020 while also launching a casual takeout burger operation to help sustain the business.
Ever went on to earn two Michelin stars, establishing itself among Chicago’s most recognized fine dining restaurants.
But the documentary explores something far more personal than Michelin ratings, when Duffy returns to his hometown in Ohio with his wife, Jennifer, confronting painful childhood memories and the family tragedy that shaped his life. The film examines how those experiences influenced his relentless drive to succeed and his evolving understanding of happiness.
“What began as a film about rebuilding a restaurant ultimately became something much more universal,” said director Frankie Nasso. “It’s a story about perfection, reinvention, healing, and discovering that happiness doesn’t always look the way we imagined it would.”
Curtis Duffy’s connection to The Bear
Duffy’s influence extends beyond Chicago’s restaurant scene and into television.
He has served as a culinary consultant for FX’s Chicago-made series The Bear, bringing his fine dining expertise to a production that has introduced audiences around the world to the intensity of professional kitchens.
His own culinary career includes time at several influential Chicago restaurants, including Charlie Trotter’s, Trio, Alinea and Avenues. He received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2016 and published his memoir, Fireproof, in 2025.
The documentary also features appearances by prominent culinary figures, including Daniel Boulud, Andrew Zimmern, Grant Achatz, Gavin Kaysen and Giuseppe Tentori.
Music plays an important role in the film, with contributions from Anthrax, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, Parkway Drive, Bleeker, The Native Howl and Nefariant.
Duffy’s life has been the subject of a documentary before. The 2015 film For Grace chronicled his pursuit of culinary excellence and the opening of his acclaimed Chicago restaurant Grace. Reel Chicago covered the film’s premiere at SXSW and its subsequent Audience Favorite Award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Now, eleven years later, Ever After continues his story, exploring the personal and professional challenges that followed.
Seven years behind the camera
Ever After marks Nasso’s feature documentary directorial debut. His extensive background includes directing music videos for major recording artists and working as second unit director and co-producer on Sing Your Song, the documentary about Harry Belafonte.
Wagner, who wrote and produced Ever After, also co-authored Duffy’s bestselling memoir Fireproof. The two filmmakers produced the documentary through Aphotic Media and Umami Media.
For Duffy, the film represents more than a chronicle of professional achievements.
“This film captures a chapter of my life that was both professionally defining and deeply personal,” said Duffy. “It is about confronting the past, moving through uncertainty, and redefining what success means when the things you once chased no longer feel like enough.”
Ever After world premiere and release
Ever After will make its world premiere Monday, October 19, at the Music Box Theatre as part of the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival. Director Frankie Nasso, producer Jeremy Wagner and Curtis Duffy are scheduled to attend. A special conversation will follow the screening.
A second screening is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, at 7:45 p.m. at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 04. Director Frankie Nasso, producer Jeremy Wagner and Curtis Duffy are scheduled to attend.
General admission tickets for the October 22 screening are $26, and festival passes are accepted. Additional venue information is available on the Chicago International Film Festival website.
Following its festival debut, the documentary will become available nationwide to rent or purchase on digital platforms beginning November 17 through Blue Harbor Entertainment.
For a chef whose career has been built around creating extraordinary dining experiences, Ever After offers audiences something different: the story of what happens when the pursuit of perfection meets the search for personal happiness.
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY
PLEASE SUPPORT US!
Please make a donation, no matter how small, to help us continue publishing.
