Chicago’s independent film scene has a new production underway. Chrome Dancer, the directorial debut of co-writer/director Miles Erickson, began principal photography on September 11, with filming taking place throughout the Chicagoland area. The project is slated to wrap in mid-October.
Described as “a haunting portrait of survival, addiction, and a woman’s fight for agency in a world intent on consuming her.” Chrome Dancer follows Jude, a woman who flees her abusive partner and finds refuge in a rundown motel on the city’s outskirts. Among its residents, outcasts and misfits, she becomes entangled in a surreal underworld where toxic love, addiction, and longing blur the lines of reality.
Director Erickson notes that the project is rooted in lived experience as much as cinematic vision. “Chrome Dancer began with a simple question: What is a muse without an artist? Through Jude’s journey, I explore the messy, parasitic dynamics of inspiration, power, and survival,” Erickson said in a statement. “This is a story about longing, identity, and the uncomfortable beauty of being both seen and consumed. As a Black queer artist, this film reflects my lived experience navigating love, creativity, and the duality of being both creator and creation.”
The production, led by Erickson and producer Ellie Jackson, is working exclusively with local crew and talent, further cementing its Chicago roots. Both Jackson and Erickson are SAIC alumni and are tapping into the city’s creative community to bring the film to life.
As an ultra-low budget independent picture, Chrome Dancer is a SAGAFTA signatory production and benefits from the Illinois Tax Incentive and production while working closely with the Chicago Film and Tax Office.
With its raw and surreal approach, Chrome Dancer aims to deliver a distinctive perspective on survival and identity—both grounded in and inspired by Chicago’s vibrant independent film community.
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