Movies

AUSTIN, TX – The 2024SXSW Conference and Festivals wrapped on March 16th, after nine days of magic and Austin wackiness, showcasing film, TV, interactive, conferences, interviews and music. The Film & TV Fest named “Bob Trevino Likes It” as the top Narrative Feature and “Marvin is Sorry” as top TV Pilot.

CHICAGO – Often on my weekly appearances on WGBR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin), there is a topic associated with that week’s reviews. I don’t usually publish them, but the result of May the 4th was special. Host Dan Baker and I did a ranking of our favorite superhero movies on “Guardians 3” release day, and the talk was lively and surprising.

AUSTIN, TX – The SXSW Conference and Festivals wrapped on March 19th, after 10 days of magic and Austin wackiness, showcasing film, TV, interactive, conferences, interviews and music. The Film & TV Fest named “Raging Grace” as the top Narrative Feature and “Grown” as top TV Pilot.

CHICAGO – The 58th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) recently launched its 2022 promotional campaign with the release of its official poster, centered on the theme of “Life Subtitled.” The 58th edition will take place October 12-23, 2022, and Early Bird passes (through 9/16/22) are available by clicking 58th CI

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “Official Competition,” a new Spain/Argentina film about a trio – two actors and a director – trying to get a film out of rehearsal and in front of the cameras. It opened in select theaters on July 1st, 2022, see local listings.

CHICAGO – Of all the films of the recent 2022 SXSW Festival, one documentary stood out as a profile of empathy. Co-directors Zara Katz and Lisa Riordan Seville presented “A Woman on the Outside,” an overview of a Philadelphia activist who advocates for prison reform while actually having – within her own story – three male family members in and out of incarceration.

CHICAGO – As the 2022 SXSW Festival wraps up this weekend, many filmmakers brought their new works, and one that stood out is a new documentary on Voyager, the space probes (1 & 2) that were launched in 1977 and still miraculously are exploring the interstellar galaxy. Filmmaker Billy Miossi profiles the crew keeping tabs on the probes in “it’s Quieter in the Twilight.”

CHICAGO – Groundbreaking filmmakers often start at the South by Southwest Festival. Influencers like the Duplass brothers, Chicago’s Joe Swanberg and Lena Dunham got their first prominent notices at the fest. In that spirit, the 2022 SXSW Grand Jury Awards were announced on March 15th.

CHICAGO – The 2022 SXSW Festival opened Friday with in person events for the first time in THREE years, with its unique mix of music, film, VR and associative networking opportunities. The Opening Night Film on Friday was the Asian American sci-fi film “Everything Everywhere at Once.” There are also participatory online opportunities, for information on joining in, click SXSW2022.

CHICAGO – The virtual/online 2021 SXSW Festival wrapped up on March 20th, after a compacted five day run. The Award Winners were announced on March 19th, and contained themes of redemption, joy, loneliness and reckoning.