Chicago

CHICAGO – An exciting opening on Friday, August 14th, 2020, for the historic Music Box Theatre (which was the first movie house to open with safety precautions last month). They will be the ONLY movie theater in America to screen the 70mm print of director Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” AMC Theaters in Chicago and surrounding suburbs are re-opening on August 20th.

CHICAGO – It’s coming! YippieFest 2020 – joining the virtual and online revolution during these particular times – is set for August 22nd and 23rd. Details to come on schedules and times, but the whole fest can be downloaded for FREE on those dates through TWITCH streaming service. Click here for more details.

CHICAGO – In the landscape of life, not many have experienced a journey like Jian Ping. Raised in China, she was a child during the political reign of Chairman Mao Zedong. Eventually ending up in Chicago, she wrote her 2008 memoir “Mulberry Child” about her childhood, which was made into a documentary and directed by Susan Morgan Cooper. The doc is now on Amazon Prime.

CHICAGO – Got an act? Got a camera phone to record it? Then YippieFest wants you! The fourth annual Theater, Music, Film, Comedy and Performance festival is doing what all the hep cats are doing, going online and virtual to keep everyone safe (details closer to the actual dates of YippieFest, August 14-16, 2020).

CHICAGO – The urban drive-in is back … at least for now as we negotiate these extraordinary times.

CHICAGO – If Willy Wonka were a slightly rumpled middle-aged anarchist, he probably would be Richard “Flabby” Hoffman. The author, musician, broadcaster and philosopher has just added “retailer” to his resume, with his amazing pop culture store, modestly called “The Extraordinarium.” It re-opened this week at 2800 N. Milwaukee in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.

CHICAGO – Using safety-first precautions, the Music Box Theatre of Chicago has reopened as of July 3rd for limited seating (see link below for details). The Gene Siskel Film Center continues “Film Center From Your Sofa.”

CHICAGO – 50 years ago today (June 27th, 2020), a young activist got together with a group of marchers – with no permit – and showed the City of Chicago the actual faces of gay liberation. Gary G. Chichester, board member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, was part of that first gay pride march … and 50 years later he remembers the freedom and history of that magic day.

CHICAGO – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago, coming off their popular “Audience Choice Winners Rewind” and recent “Taiwan Cinema Online,” will present a specially curated “Father’s Day Cheer” from June 19th to 21st, 2020.

CHICAGO – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago, and their international Selection Committee, has announced the winners of the APUC “Funniest Stay-At-Home Short Film Competition. The competition took place over the last three months of the global quarantine, and attracted entries from the U.S. and the world.