Six films made on Macs featured at Apple Store’s new Film Week series, July 19-23

Six filmmakers who have created films on Macs and edited on Final Cut Pro will be featured in a new Film Week program of shorts, July 19-23, in the theater at The Apple Store at 679 N. Michigan Ave.

The films, ranging in length from 10 minutes to more than an hour, were made by directors Gary Adcock, Dave Skwarczek, John Borowski, Steve Ordower, Tom Trinley and editor Billy Sheahan, who will field questions after the screening of their films. As a bonus, Roger Ebert will discuss the revolution of digital cameras during Film Week.

Film Week is the brainchild of Scott Murphy, the Apple Store’s theater and events manager, a former video news photographer and currently the Apple advisor for the Chicago area Final Cut Pro Users Group. “So many great films are made on Macs and cut on Final Cut Pro that I felt our theater offered a good opportunity to showcase them,” he said.

Murphy was persuaded that an audience existed when 100-plus people showed up for the May 13 screening of Tom Trinley’s “Monumental Myths.” (It’s being reprised July 23.) “I recommend all the films we’re going to show. They are all fabulous, highly creative, and show what you can do on your Mac.”

Here’s the Film Week line-up:

  • July 19, noon: Director/consultant Adcock’s 10-minute short, primarily shot in HD with a Panasonic Varicam, edited using Final Cut Pro HD, is about “Origin of the Water Street Glassworks” and its founder, Jerry Catania.
  • July 19, 6 p.m. Director Skwarczek’s 30- minute animated clips from his “Bzots-Escape A Go- Go!” captures Skree and Wkewke as they escape the factories of Globocrud to follow their dreams of becoming a band.
  • July 20, 6 p.m. Producer/director John Borowski’s 63-minute doc about Chicago’s “H.H. Holmes, America’s First Serial Killer,” was three years in the making. He also composed the score on a Mac.
  • July 21, noon: Producer/director Phil Donlon’s 15-minute “Wrestled,” edited by Steve Ordower, used Final Cut Pro to reedit, sync dialog, mix sound and color correct.
  • Also on July 21, 6 p.m. Roger Ebert discusses “iMovie to Cannes,” how digital cameras and Macs have put the tools of production in the hands of the workers.
  • July 23, noon: Filmmaker Tom Trinley’s 60- minute doc, “Monumental Myths,” is about his drive towing a 1965 Airstream trailing to visit four monuments exposing a side of history censored from the sites.
  • July 23, 6 p.m. Editor Billy Sheahan’s 11- minute fiction short, “Mrs. Marshall,” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner.

    “The series is one of many presentations and workshops we gear to users so they can learn the latest about what you can do with Macs,” added Apple spokesman Fletcher Cook.

    To participate in future Film Week programs, submit a brief description and a link to Quick Time to nmatheater@apple.com, or send a DVD to Murphy at the Apple Store, 679 N. Michigan. For Apple Store’s many other presentations and workshops, see apple.com/retail/northmichiganavenue/.