Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Film Office were both presented with the IFA Chicago Visionary Leadership Award at the 2024 Magic Hour Event held at Wildman Boiler & Tank Co on Thursday evening. Peter Hawley Director of the Illinois Film Office, accepted the award for the Illinois Film Office.
In addition, filmmaker Minhal Baig (We Grown Now) was the recipient of the Breakthrough Voice Award.
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.”
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.
Here are a few pictures from the event.
(photo credit: Vincent Shade)
The 2023 Visionary Leadership Award was presented to Cinespace founder, Alex Pissios and the Breakthrough Voice Award went to filmmaker, McKenzie Chinn.
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