Interview

CHICAGO – The contemplation of beauty gets a little more truth in a new film by Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) entitled “The Neon Demon.” It features Elle Fanning as Jesse, a naive girl who wants to break into the world of modeling, and does so in an unexpected way. The symbolic film has both strange drama and touches of horror.

CHICAGO – Two months ago, producer/director/cinematographer/editor Gordon Quinn received the Baadasssss Award from the 2016 CIMM Fest, for his longtime contributions to the cinema scene in Chicago through Kartemquin Films. The famous production house, known for their documentaries, is celebrating their 50th anniversary.

CHICAGO – When it comes to movie fandom, there are acolytes and obsessives, but few stories are better than three fanboys in 1982, who loved a certain film so much they decided to do a shot-by-shot remake. This is chronicled in the new documentary, “RAIDERS! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.”

CHICAGO – Mention the name Harry Lennix, and images of his many character roles are bound to emerge – Harold Cooper in the TV series “The Blacklist,” General Swanwick from “Batman v Superman” and Commissioner Blades from Spike Lee’s recent “Chi-Raq.” The deeply knowledgeable Lennix brings his years of dramatic expertise, as he directs the Congo Square Theatre Company’s world premiere stage play “A Small Oak Tree Runs Red.’

CHICAGO – There are show business stories, and then there are show business miracles. In the tech age we’re living through, the needle-in-a-haystack hope that a song, video or rant will go “viral” online is part of the experience. Singer Samantha Montgomery was one such singer, and her story is in “Presenting Princess Shaw.”

CHICAGO – The premiere of a director’s first feature film is a major evolutionary moment for the cinema artist, and Layne Marie Williams will debut “Dollface” this Friday, June 10th, 2016, at the Canvas event space in Wicker Park in Chicago. The film features Hannah Kopen in one of the lead roles, and the premiere will be part of a gallery/cinema fusion called SINtegrate. For complete details, click here.

CHICAGO – Comedy is what makes Dave Franco tick, and recently he’s taken on some prime funny roles in “Neighbors” and “Unfinished Business.” He also was in the very successful “Now You See Me” in 2013, playing a rogue street magician. The sequel was inevitable, and Franco will reprise his role in “Now You See Me 2.”

CHICAGO – With the evolution of marijuana legalization, and the continued hilarity of people getting high, the time has come for a new age stoner comedy. “My Friend’s Rubber Ducky” – written and directed by Josh Hyde – has its Chicago Premiere at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on Tuesday, June 7th, 2016. For complete information, click here.

CHICAGO – The great benefit of the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is the exposure to the layers of outsider art within cinema and other categories. A prime example was the fest’s Opening Night film, “Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present,” directed by Tyler Hubby.

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Michael Peña of ‘War on Everyone’ and ‘Ant-Man.’

CHICAGO – That’s a wrap! After seven days of fantastic films and packed houses, the 4th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) had their closing night on May 26th, 2016, with the film “Operator” – featuring Martin Starr (“Silicon Valley”), and directed by Logan Kibens. HollywoodChicago.com was at the event for all the celebrity appearances, and photographer Joe Arce got these Exclusive Portraits.