Chicago Fire

CHICAGO – It’s the popular Female Filmmakers Night for the First Tuesday Midwest Independent Film Festival, falling on the first day of October, 2019. Nine films will screen at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, with the event beginning at 6pm.

CHICAGO – There is an expo this weekend that is providing educational and product info for the entire Chicago filmmaking community, and every other interested party. FILMSCAPE CHICAGO will take place on September 7th and 8th, 2019, at the magnificent Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. The event itself is free, with some small fee educational panels. For details, hours and ticket information, click here.

CHICAGO – One of the new Film Festival “kids” on the block is the Windy City International Film Fest, now in its 3rd edition. Touted as an indie film festival that celebrates local, national and international filmmakers, the fest has four days – July 18th through the 21st, 2019 – of networking, screenings and special events. One of the co-founders (with Josh Hope) of the fest is Mindy Fay Parks. For a complete schedule, click here.

CHICAGO – One of the gems of the local cinema scene is the organization known as Chicago Filmmakers. Their 43 year old mission? To make the world of filmmaking available to anyone who wants to learn, thereby allowing new and diverse voices to emerge. Chicago Filmmakers recently moved into their ultimate home, a converted fire station in the Edgewater neighborhood, which is ideally located and suited for any local resident to learn the nuts and bolts of moviemaking, or to take in their screen offerings. Ana Wright is the Programs Manager for the nonprofit center.

CHICAGO – The ballots were counted at the recent 54th Chicago International Television Festival – which has become a separate Spring event presented by Cinema/Chicago, the agency of the Chicago International Film Festival – and there were numerous honorees in the categories of Commercials and Television Production, given on Thursday, March 22th, 2018, at the AMC River East Theatre in Chicago. The highest award is the Gold Hugo, but also conferred were the Silver Hugo, Gold Plaque, Silver Plaque and Certificate of Merit.

CHICAGO – The rise of innovative and inclusive television programming, along with the expansion of the broadcast spectrum that includes digital and online options, has been the most important entertainment story of the last five years. The 54th Chicago Television Festival – an offshoot of the Chicago International Film Festival, and presented by their agency Cinema/Chicago – has grown in prestige and importance along with that evolution in TV, and will take place from Tuesday, March 20th through Thursday, March 22nd, 2018, at the AMC River East 21 Theater at 322 East Illinois, Chicago.

CHICAGO – He has portrayed the reliable firefighter Joe Cruz for six seasons on NBC-TV’s “Chicago Fire”… Joe Minoso both plays that role and actually lives in Chicago now. Before his stint on “Fire,” he had completed a short film for local filmmaker Ben-Hur Uribe, “Alonso, The Dream and the Call,” which has just been released for Amazon Prime download.

CHICAGO – TV fans know Monica Raymund as paramedic Gabby Dawson on the long-running “Chicago Fire.” But the talented actor is expanding her range, debuting her first film as director, “Tanya,” at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on Tuesday, August 1st, 2017. The short film – written by Sam Forman – will be part of “Female Filmmakers Night” at the Midwest Indie, and is part of Raymund’s involvement with Hidden Tears Project, an organization dedicated to raising consciousness by creating media on gender inequality, sexual abuse and human trafficking.

CHICAGO – On Tuesday, December 6th, the Midwest Independent Film Festival gave out their 2016 “Best of the Midwest” Awards with a ceremony at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago. Best Feature honors went to “For Grace,” directed by Mark Helenowski and Kevin Pang. Best Female Actor was Amy Frazzini of “Guidance,” Best Male Actors were T.J. Jagodowski and David Pasquesi of “T.J. & Dave,” and Best Screenplay was Robert Putka of “Mad,” among other categories.

CHICAGO – When filmmakers are searching for the “rules of the road,” when seeking to produce in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, one of the stops they need to make is with The Illinois Film Office. The Film Office is part of the state’s Department of Commerce, and not only takes care of production coordination, but the economic incentives for film, television and advertising in the area. Since 2015, the Director of The Illinois Film Office has been Christine Dudley.