Documentary

NEW YORK CITY – The 17th Edition of the Tribeca Film Festival continues through April 29th, 2018, but the main jury awards were announced on April 26th at Awards Night ceremonies. “DIane,” directed by Kent Jones, was awarded Best U.S. Narrative Feature. “Smuggling Hendrix” took the honors for Best International Narrative Feature, and “Island of Hungry Ghosts” was Best Documentary Feature.

NEW YORK CITY – The 17th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will open with a truly New York-centric celebration. Live from the Beacon Theatre on April 18th, 2018, will be “Love, Gilda.” This documentary on the life of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) superstar Gilda Radner kicks off the two week festival, April 18th through April 29th.

CHICAGO – Elvis is everywhere and the new documentary “THE KING” proves it. There can’t be a better Closing Night film at Chicago’s DOC 10 Film Festival – April 8th, 2018, at the Davis Theater in the Lincoln Square neighborhood – then this amazing document of Elvis and the American Dream, which was directed by Eugene Jarecki (“Why We Fight”). It’s a must see. For more information, ticket info, click here.

CHICAGO – Documentaries are often the most compelling filmmaking, because truth is always stranger. The Chicago Media Project presents its third annual DOC 10, a weekend festival of 11 (10+1!) prominent documentaries that often end up either making a national statement or getting nominated for awards. It all takes place at the Davis Theatre in the Lincoln Square neighborhood from April 5th-8th, 2018. For more information, including schedule and tickets, click here.

CHICAGO – The era of World War II, now close to 80 years in the past, seems ever so farther in the rear view mirror of history. Movies have done their part to keep the memories and the spirit alive, so joining such works as “Band of Brothers” and “Saving Private Ryan” is a new documentary in development, “The Girl Who Wore Freedom,” now in pre-production by filmmakers Christian Taylor and Terry Jun of Reverse Negative Studios in Skokie, Ill.

CHICAGO – Within the expanding DePaul University School of Cinematic Arts is a commitment to community outreach. Liliane Calfee is an Instructor in the school, as well as the Program Director of the CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) Program in Documentary Filmmaking, a course which gives female youth from public housing the opportunity to learn the nuts-and-bolts of the documentary art form from DePaul academic experts. This program, along with film community leader Chaz Ebert, will present the 2017 documentary “Step” on Saturday, December 17th, 2017, at the CDM Theatre on the South Loop campus.

CHICAGO – The Chicago International Film Festival is a competitive fest, and the 53rd edition presented its awards on October 20th, 2017, at the AMC River East Theatre in Chicago. The winner of the Gold Hugo as Best Film was “A Sort of Family” (Argentina), directed by Diego Lerman.

CHICAGO – They’re warming up the spotlights, and gathering up all the glam for the next two weeks. The 53rd Chicago International Film Festival opens on Thursday, October 12th, 2017, with the film “Marshall” (details below), and it’s time for movie lovers to come together in the Windy City.

CHICAGO – Opening Night of the fifth season of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema is Wednesday, September 20th, 2017, and the first film is a doozy. “The Gangster’s Daughter” is a different take on the popular Taiwanese mobster movie, a relationship film as much as the pure crime. At the helm is director Mei-Juin Chen, with her first narrative film.

RACINE, WIS – The last of the Lawsonians has now passed on. Merle Hayden, six days after he made an appearance on Closing Night at the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF), died on June 10th, 2017, of natural causes in Racine, Wisconsin. He was 96 years old. His life was the subject of a World Premiere documentary shown at CUFF, “Manlife: The Last of the Lawsonians” on June 4th. Mr. Hayden made an appearance at that screening, lucidly participated in a Q&A and got to celebrate the achievement of his life’s work brought to a cinematic form.