A place for “Dinner Party” set at Taste of Chicago

A SPECIAL CELEBRITY FLAVOR has been added to Taste of Chicago festivities Thursday, July 10. By special invitation from the city, Elysabeth Alfano’s “The Dinner Party” will gather “for a evening of good food and conversation.”

“The Dinner Party” will center around prominent local chef Andrew Zimmerman, of svelte West Loop restaurant Sepia, Sepia under under the Pure Leaf Chef du Jour Tent near Buckingham Fountain.

Enjoying his “globally infused, contemporary American cuisine entrée” for the three course meal will be actor George Wendt (Norm of “Cheers”), singer/actress Felicia Fields and Ji, social media host and foodie on Ch. 7’s “Windy City Live” – and the 175 members of the audience.

You can purchase tickets, $45, here.

“The Dinner Party” will be taped for 90-minute streaming on tasteofchicago.us, starting at 6:30 p.m.  Tim Baron directs the three-camera capture and edits it live at the switcher for the streaming.

Alfano hosts The Dinner Party at the Chicago Winery on a seasonal basis. The next dates are Sept. 23, Oct. 27 and Dec. 1.

Derek de BoardON HIS 10TH ANNIVERSARY with Filmworkers Club this month, multifaceted senior producer Derek de Board was upped to executive producer of both Filmworkers and Churchill Studio, its new in-house visual effects studio.

He also will lead a team to coordinate joint projects with Filmworkers’ divisions Vitamin, Giannini Creative, Tree House Edit and its Dallas and Nashville facilities. 

The Columbia College grad joined Filmworkers in 2004, after his first stint in the business at Optimus.

VITAMIN PICTURES’ new hire is effects expert Tim Sepulveda as technical director, a newly-created position reflecting the studio’s continuing growth.

Sepulveda moved from Leviathan where he had spent three years as experiential company’s first design director. His previous experience also includes Daily Planet and a year at Charlex, the New York 3D animation and effects house.

 “Tim is an extremely well-rounded artist,” says Vitamin creative director Danny DelPurgatorio. “He has excellent skills in storytelling and design and deep technical knowledge about 3D and effects.”

NEW ENERGY BBDO CREATIVE is former Crispin Porter + Bogusky ECD Tim Roper, who comes to Chicago from a two-year stint as a writer/director at international production company Partizan’s LA branch.

His Energy BBDO job title hasn’t been confirmed, but according to a recent official executive memo:  “Tom Roper is a still a director and committed to that role industry-wide. He is one of those rare talents who can do both. Currently, he is assisting Energy BBDO and CCO Mark Taylor in an ECD capacity on several pieces of business. Duration, yet to be [determined].”

MUSIC PRODUCER VINCE LAWRENCE, cofounder of Trax Records and house music pioneer, kicks off the Chicago Ad Federation’s new series called “Inspiring Minds,” with interesting people stories of how they achieved success, Thursday, July 10. 

At MillerCoors Fred and Adolph’s Pub, 250 S. Wacker Drive, 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $25 members, $40 non-members.

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