The Independent Film Alliance Chicago (IFA), a nonprofit dedicated to providing the community and resources needed to build a diverse and sustainable industry of independent content creators, will honor independent film director Minhal Baig with its Breakthrough Voice Award at its second annual Magic Hour Gala.
The event will be held on Thursday, November 30, and aims to grow support for the nonprofit’s rapidly expanding community.
Minhal Baig will be honored alongside IFA Chicago 2023 Visionary Leadership awardees Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Film Office for their roles in developing a thriving, growing film industry in Chicago.
Thursday, November 30
Wildman Boiler & Tank Co
3022 W Carroll Avenue in Chicago
Cocktails begin at 6 PM with VIP tickets available for $200 per person, and general admission is $140. All proceeds will support the mission of IFA Chicago. IFA Chicago will donate 50% of the proceeds from its silent auction to support crew members impacted by the industry strikes. For more information on sponsorships or tickets, visit ifachicago.org/magichour.
“I am deeply grateful to the Independent Film Alliance for honoring me with the Breakthrough Voice Award,” said Minhal Baig. “Chicago has been an incredible canvas for my last two films, and I am indebted to the unwavering support I’ve received in bringing these stories to life here.”
Baig grew up in Rogers Park and attended Chicago Public Schools, graduating from Northside College Prep. Her first feature film, Hala (2019), was set in Chicago and follows Pakistani American teenager Hala as she struggles to balance desire with her family, cultural and religious obligations. Her most recent film, the critically acclaimed We Grown Now, is set to be released by Sony Pictures Classics in the Spring of 2024. The film centers on two boys, best friends living in Cabrini Green circa 1992. The Hollywood Reporter said in its review that Baig’s film is “A film that takes the idea of beauty seriously and works, with deceptive ease, to show us the tiny pleasures that make up life in Cabrini-Green.”
“Minhal Baig represents all that we love about home-grown talent — using the literal and metaphorical canvas of Chicago to explore universal themes of human connection and an important sense of place,” said IFA Chicago Executive Director Wesley Julian.
IFA Chicago serves Chicago-based independent creatives and creative entrepreneurs in film, television, web series, and digital content. With artist development programs, community building and project incubation, IFA is building an ecosystem of sustainable film careers. Inherent in IFA’s philosophy is the artistic, ethical, and moral imperative for inclusion of underrepresented individuals both within IFA and the broader field.
Current sponsors of Magic Hour include AICP, Allstate, CineCity, Cinespace Studios, DCASE, DePaul University, the Director’s Guild of America, the Illinois Production Alliance, Alexander S. Pissios Family Foundation, SAG-AFTRA Chicago, SAG Indie, Jason Stephens and Ken O’Keefe, OKRP, Studio Mechanics Local 476, Wolf Entertainment and more.
(photo by Mark Maloney)
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