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Static Studio adds original music and pro bono PSAs

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 6, 2015

Riding the crest of its recent success producing original music for national broadcast spots, Steven Vandeven’s Static Studios is offering clients the services of three...

Events

Zurek’s doc one of many worthy screenings & events

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 6, 2015

SHARON ZUREK’S COMPELLING DOC, “A Mind in Quicksand — Life with Huntington’s,” produced by her Black Cat Productions, will screen April 9 prior to its national PBS air...

Mensch’s indie drama with David Oyelowo airs on HBO

By Lori Rotenberk Apr 5, 2015

On a lark in February, 2013, Frederick Mensch, who runs MovieBytes, a market resource for screenwriters, posted his own one man dramatic screenplay, “Nightingale,” on Blac...

Anderson’s compelling doc of blues great at CIMMfest

By Mark Frazel Apr 4, 2015

Premiering at CIMMfest Saturday, April 18 will be Grammy-nominated director John Anderson’s wondrous Sam Lay in Bluesland, a documentary about the celebrated blues drumme...

REEL THINGS

Annual Siskel Center benefit to honor Mark Ruffalo

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 2, 2015

MARK RUFFALO will receive the 2015 Renaissance Award from the Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC) of the Art Institute of Chicago to celebrate his accomplishments as an actor, direc...

Whitehouse Post to receive top CIFF Television Award

By Mike Morgan Apr 2, 2015

Whitehouse Post on April 22 will receive the prestigious Commitment to Excellence Award for Television Commercials from the 5lst Chicago International Film Festival Tele...

“CRC Live” music videos play weekly on RedEye site

By Dan Patton Apr 1, 2015

Chicago Recording Company has launched “CRC Live,” a six-part series of archived music videos that were recorded in their big Studio 4 and post Tuesdays on RedEye Chicago an...

Simon Bolivar feature opens Latino Film Fest April 9

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 1, 2015

The 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival's Thursday, April 9, Opening Night / Night of Venezuela film marks the only US theatrical run for “The Liberator,” a rousing epic abou...

WIF members to meet IFO’s director Dudley April 2

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 30, 2015

AN EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS-ONLY meeting of Women in Film, Thursday, April 2, will them an opportunity to meet new Illinois Film Office director Christine Dudley, who will participat...

Publicis’ 3 agencies won 80% of recent Addy Awards

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 30, 2015

Perhaps the Chicago Ad Federation, host of the annual Addy Awards, will be inspired to change the name of the Addys to “The Leos,” considering that three Publicis-owned a...

DeGeneres to EP NBC reality show to shoot here in July

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 30, 2015

AN NBC NETWORK reality show will start filming in Chicago in July. Ellen DeGeneres’ company is producing eight episodes of “First Dates” with Shed Media, part of t...

CSNC lands Mandy Patinkin to narrate 2005 Sox doc

By George Castle Mar 27, 2015

Chicago actor Mandy Patinkin, a lifelong White Sox fan and skilled narrator seemed a natural to front a 90-minute Chicago Sports Net Chicago (CSNC) documentary about the South S...

Adman’s Platcow’s restaurant goes “Mad Man” retro

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 26, 2015

With the “Mad Men” series returning for its seventh and final season April 7, local adman Steve Platcow, CEO of RPM Advertising, is reviving that glamorous 1960s era&nb...

REEL THINGS

CIMMfest’s “Evening with Spike Lee” salutes his career

By Mike Morgan Mar 26, 2015

Filmmaker Spike Lee’s career will be celebrated during the 7th annual CIMMfest as “An Evening of Music, Film & Wine with Spike Lee,” spanning from his breakthrough 198...

Cinespace a massive revenue booster, job creator

By Ruth L Ratny Mar 25, 2015

By the time Sun-Times had headlined Gov. Bruce Rauner’s demand that Cinespace return a $10 million state grant, studio president Alex Pissios had already sent the uncashed ch...