The Gene Siskel Film Center will screen the Chicago premiere of the award-winning film, Moving Parts, on January 3rd, 6th, and 7th.
Sponsored by IFP Chicago, Moving Parts is a narrative feature written and directed by Emilie Upczak. Filmed in the Caribbean and finished in Chicago, it tells the story of Zhenzhen, a Chinese woman who becomes entangled in a cycle of human smuggling and sex trafficking after immigrating to Trinidad and Tobago.
Moving Parts launched an international festival run and complementary load of praise after premiering at the Denver Film Festival. After its Friday screening at the Siskel, Upczak and Chicago-based producer John Otterbacher, will hold a Q&A after the show.
“Sections of the film bring to mind Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros with its interlocking narratives and brooding mood,” writes critic Andre Bagoo. “The minimal score also leaves room for mesmerizing sequences that rely on the ambient sounds of the capital.”
EMILIE UPCZAK
MOVING PARTS TRAILER
Behind the scenes
Moving Parts Producer John Otterbacher, who is also a member of the faculty at Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy in Chicago, describes how the film’s production and post-production process lived up to its name.
“It was a complicated but very successful collaboration,” he says. “Post initially started in the Caribbean before it was moved to Chicago. Our composer, Rafael Attias, is in Rhode Island. Color was done at Technicolor in New York, and our director is in Colorado. For an indie film with a small budget, Moving Parts had a lot of moving parts.”
Additionally, the film’s cast includes a diverse cast from around the globe. Lead actor Valerie Tian, who plays Zhenzhen, is Canadian. Kandyse McClure, who plays Evelyn, is a native of South Africa. And Jacqueline Chan, who plays Mrs. Liu, was born in Trinidad and Tobago.
Moving Parts will be available for streaming on Amazon via Indie Pix starting January 21st.
Tickets to the Chicago premiere are available at the Siskel Center website. Showtimes are Friday, January 3rd at 8pm, Monday, January 6that 6pm, and Tuesday, January 7th at 8:30pm.
Further information about the film, including links to the trailer, visit www.movingpartsthemovie.com.
Credits
Directed by: Emilie Upczak
Written by: Emilie Upczak, Nicholas Emery, Jay White
Produced by: John Otterbacher, Emilie Upczak
Co-Producers: Rhonda Chan Soo, Annabelle Mullen
Executive Producers: Melanie Archer, Bonnie Kennedy, Jud Valeski Cinematographer: Nancy Schreiber
Production Designer: Shannon Alonzo
Post: Orange Chair Productions Ltd.
Editing: Gabriel Coss, Jonathan Gollner
Production Sound: Cedric Smart
Sound Design: Kris Franzen
Score: Rafael Attias
Send your indie updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
