32nd Onion City Experimental Film + Video Festival in-person and online takes place March 31 – April 3, 2022! In-person screenings are held at Chicago Filmmakers firehouse cinema located at 1326 W Hollywood Ave in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes prior to showtime and be ready to present your order confirmation number for admission. Proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 PCR test result is required to attend all screenings and events.
Onion City is one of the premiere international festivals exclusively devoted to experimental film and video. It was founded in the 1980s by the Experimental Film Coalition and run by them for many years. Chicago Filmmakers assumed responsibility for the festival in 2001, and expanded the size and opened it up to video work as well as film.
ALSO READ: Chicago Filmmakers announces competition programs for Onion City Festival
The mission of Onion City is to provide local and regional audiences with an opportunity to view a wide variety of contemporary experimental works, focused on artistic excellence but also with an eye towards representing differing styles, forms, and nationalities.
The Bloody Child: Friday, Apr 1 at 7:00 PM
The Chicago premiere of a new digital restoration of Nina Menkes’ third feature, which offers a deconstructed retelling of a murder investigation on a U.S. military base. Presented in partnership with Cine-File. Purchase tickets.
Sharon Couzin Shorts Program: Saturday, Apr 2 at 7:00 PM
A collection of 16mm films made by Sharon Couzin, the long-serving chair of SAIC’s film department and a founding figure in the Experimental Film Coalition and its offshoot Onion City Film Festival. Presented in partnership with the Chicago Film Society. Purchase tickets.
A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces: Sunday, Apr 3 at 7:00 PM
Closing night of the festival features the Chicago premiere of local filmmaker Shengze Zhu’s A RIVER RUNS, TURNS, ERASES, REPLACES, a timely and beautiful portrait of her hometown, Wuhan, China. Presented in partnership with Nightingale Cinema. Purchase tickets.
