Patrick McDonald

CHICAGO – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) celebrates Japan this week, and brought in the writer/director Seiji Tanaka and lead actor Yoji Minagawa to represent their film “Melancholic.” This crime drama combines a man’s inability to enjoy life with hired assassins at a bathhouse.

CHICAGO – It comes down to this. After the weeks of preparation, filming and post production judging, the local edition of the international 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) competition culminates with their “Best of Chicago” and Awards Ceremony. The 2019 films – created in 48 hours, then whittled down to the finalists – will be screened before the awards ceremonies beginning at 7:00pm, Wednesday, September 25th, at the historic Music Box theater. Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com was a judge for this year’s competition, and will present an award at the ceremony. For film line-ups and ticket information, click here.

CHICAGO – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) celebrated China on the week of September 15th, and brought in the writer/director Huo Meng to represent his film “Crossing the Border.” The drama of generations blends old and new China through the relationship of a boy and his grandfather.

CHICAGO – Moving from writing plays for the stage to writing for film may seem like a natural transition. But at the roots in each of these separate storytelling forms there are different ways of formulating the connection between dialogue and visuals. Alice Austen made this transition when she wrote – with director Kirill Mikhanovsky – the story and screenplay for “Give Me Liberty.”

CHICAGO – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC), continues on Thursday, September 19th, 2019, with the North American Premiere of China’s “The Enigma of Arrival.” Director Song Wen will appear on behalf of the film, moderated by Jennifer Dorothy Lee of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. at AMC River East 21 in downtown Chicago.

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Kelli of Skating Polly at Riot Fest, Chicago, 1 of 11

CHICAGO – Skating Polly, Anthrax, The Story So Far, Turnstile, Rise Against, The Damned Things and more incredible bands performed at Riot Fest in Chicago’s Douglas Park on September 12th and 13th, 2019. Photographer Jeff Doles of HollywoodChicago.com was there on both days, and took the following Exclusive Photos

CHICAGO – A film that made its world premiere in Chicago – at the 2018 Cinepocalypse Film Festival – is making its way into the national consciousness. “Empathy, Inc.,” directed by Yedidya “Jed” Gorsetman, has a theatrical run in the first half of September, (including Chicago) before the release with Video-On-Demand on 9/24.

CHICAGO – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) opened with an undead celebration as director Lee Min-Jae brought his hilarious horror satire “The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale” to Chicago on September 10th, 2019. The film was part of a South Korea themed week for APUC, as it launched its latest series.

CHICAGO – When the world broke open during the historic #MeToo entertainment industry scandal, the incidents were simply the tip of the gigantic iceberg. “This Changes Everything” goes deeper behind the subject of women in film, to expose a system in show business that has consistently lacked in opportunities for female filmmakers and production workers. The historic Wilmette (Illinois) Theatre will screen the documentary as part of a Women Filmmaker Celebration on September 13th, 2019 (7pm), with a panel discussion moderated by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com. For more details and tickets, click here.

CHICAGO – With the major league baseball playoffs on the horizon, there is no better way to celebrate than a screening of the ballgame-themed TV pilot “Vendors,” created by Christopher Biewer, directed by Joel Murray and featuring Biewer, Kim DeJesus, Tim Kazurinsky, Emo Philips and former Chicago Cub Ryan Dempster.