Film News: Joe Swanberg to Premiere Two Films at Chicago Filmmakers on July 5, 2012

CHICAGO – Wildly prolific indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg (“Hannah Takes the Stairs,” “Uncle Kent”) will return to his hometown of Chicago on Thursday, July 5th, for a double feature of two new films, “Caitlin Plays Herself” and “Marriage Material.” The event kicks off at 8pm at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark St., and will include a live Q&A with Swanberg himself.

Both pictures center on seemingly content relationships that have reached a potential crossroads. “Caitlin Plays Herself” was one of six films that Swanberg made in 2011 (the others are “Uncle Kent,” “The Zone,” “Silver Bullets,” “Autoerotic” and “Art History”). It stars Caitlin Stainken (of Neo-Futurist fame) as an actress whose provocative performance art pieces cause her boyfriend (Swanberg) to feel uncomfortable. It’s her nude performance inspired by the BP oil spill that pushes him over the edge. 2012’s “Marriage Material,” which made its viral debut in January, explores the repercussions that a night of babysitting has on a young, childless couple (played by Kentucker Audley and Caroline White). In many ways, the film serves as an intriguing complement to Todd Looby’s child-rearing drama, “Be Good,” which recently completed its run at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Both “Marriage Material” and “Be Good” feature supporting roles for Swanberg and his son, Jude.

Caroline White and Kentucker Audley star in Joe Swanberg’s Marriage Material.
Photo credit: Swanberry, LLC

Admission to the Joe Swanberg Double Feature is $8. The program will repeat Friday, July 6th, at 7pm at Gorilla Tango Theater, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie.

Check out Matt Fagerholm’s “Marriage Material” review.
For more information, visit http://chicagofilmmakers.org.

By MATT FAGERHOLM Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com matt@hollywoodchicago.com