Chicago premiere!
LOVERS OF HATE
2010, Bryan Poyser, USA, 93 min.
With Chris Doubek, Alex Karpovsky

“Witty…a riveting sense of spontaneity.”—Rob Nelson, Variety

“A thrillingly emotional roller coaster ride–a cinematic achievement that few directors and actors have pulled off as successfully.”—Don Simpson, Smells Like Screen Spirit

“Do unto brothers…” might be the perverse motto of this quasi-comic thriller of a sibling rivalry taken to the height of absurdity. Rudy (Doubek), a would-be writer and perennial loser soon to be divorced from Diana (Heather Kafka), harbors a snarling resentment of younger brother Paul, the acclaimed and wildly successful author of a Harry Potter-like series of kids’ books. With Rudy out of the picture, Paul and Diana succumb to a long-simmering attraction, and Paul whisks her off to his palatial winter retreat in trendy Park City. Bringing up the rear in his beater car is a vengeful Rudy, turned stalker, home invader, and diabolical trickster. Let the games begin. HDCAM video. (BS)

Visit the Gene Siskel Film Center website to watch the trailer, get showtimes, and purchase tickets!!

Want a great way to hone your filmmaking skills, develop your craft, and explore your existential angst all at the same time? Our friends at the 46th Chicago International Film Festival invite you to explore The Human Condition through film!

Filmmakers of all ages and experience levels are invited to conceive, design, and produce an original 60-second film that examines who and what we are. This unique competition will be judged by an international jury of industry professionals, film critics, and civic leaders.

A program of finalist entries will be screened during the 46th Chicago International Film Festival and online, and the top three films will receive prizes, including $1,000 cash.

Submissions must be postmarked by August 25, 2010. For details on how to submit your film, visit www.ChicagoFilmFestival.com/TheHumanCondition.

First Tuesdays with The Midwest Independent Film Festival continue on Tuesday, August 3rd at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark beginning at 6 p.m. A post-screening reception will be held immediately following the film at Forno Diablo, 433 West Diversey. The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark in Chicago. This year-round film festival sits proudly at the center of the independent film scene in Chicago and the Midwest and is dedicated to celebrating and strengthening that community. More information can be found on the Festival website: www.MidwestFilm.org.

Individual Tickets
$75 for IFP/Chicago members, $100 General Admission
(Early Bird Price good until Aug. 6th – Regular Price is $150)
Only 2 tickets per membership at the membership price.

Individual Tickets

IFP/Chicago Members $75.00 General Admission $100.00

Advocate – $400
2 tickets to the event
2 tickets to the VIP reception
recognition in the event program

Advisor – $600
4 tickets to the event
2 tickets to the VIP reception
recognition in the event program

Host Committee – $1000
6 tickets to the event
2 tickets to the VIP reception
2 complimentary raffle tickets
a one-year IFP/Chicago corporate membership (good for three people)
recognition in the event program

Part sequel, part variation on his acclaimed and controversial HAPPINESS, the newest film from celebrated director Todd Solondz (WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, PALINDROMES) assembles an amazing ensemble cast including Allison Janney, Shirley Henderson, Paul Reubens, Michael Kenneth Williams, Ally Sheedy, Charlotte Rampling, and Ciáran Hinds in an utterly hilarious exploration of the boundaries of forgiveness, family, and love.

Ten years have passed since shocking revelations shattered the world of the Jordan family, and now sisters Joy (Henderson), Trish (Janney), and Helen (Sheedy), each embroiled in their own unique dilemmas, struggle to find their place in an unpredictable and volatile world. The past now haunts their family both literally and otherwise, and jeopardizes the future. Alternately hilarious and tragic, outrageous and poignant, LIFE DURING WARTIME is an audacious comedy with unexpected resonance.

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
7:30pm
AMC River East 21
322 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL 60611

For the past five years, IFP/Chicago has run the Summer Production Program, a program where high school students are paid to go through the script-to-screen process of producing a short film. While the students are responsible for every single aspect of the production, they are given the tools they need by local industry professionals coming in before production begins and working with the students one-on-one in relation to their individual jobs.

This program has been a huge success, garnering several awards, including two national Student Emmy’s in both 2006 and 2007, an NAACP Act-So Award, positive press attention, including a cover story in the Chicago Tribune, and, most importantly new skills, confidence and dreams of the future for the underserved participants in the program.

This summer, we in our first year conducting the program at Hyde Park Career Academy, as our former school, CVCA, cut their programming and dissolved the Radio/TV/Film program that we had worked with for the past five years. As more and more arts education is cut from the public school system, we feel even more responsibility to continue programs such as this one.  Not only have we provided students with knowledge and experience, but with a summer job that many desperately need.  Additionally, the knowledge that several students that have had no previous film experience have gone on to four-year universities to study film as a result of this program is one of the most rewarding affirmations possible regarding the effect the program is having on the participants.

2009’s CARJACKED has recently started playing the festival circuit with the world premiere at The Giggleshorts International Comedy Short Film Festival in Toronto and followed with a screening at The Wisconson Film Festival with many more festivals on the horizon.

2008’s HUSH received a Midwest regional Emmy award and won the top prize out of 400 entries at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival’s High School Competition.  It continued win awards and play in numerous film festivals all over the world, including being named #33 in the Global 100 Films, created by the “world’s best young filmmaking talent” by the YoungCuts Film Festival in Canada.

2007’s WAKE ME UP LATER just received a National Student Emmy award for the second year in a row. Only seven awards are given each year. WMUL was nominated for an NAACP award, won a Midwest regional Emmy and is slate to screen in the CineYouth festival here in Chicago.

2006’s THE LAST STAIN received one of seven National Student ‘Emmy’ Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, beating out 600 entries. This important honor has resulted in much-deserved attention for the students and the program, including a cover story in the Chicago Tribune and news reports on the Chicago NBC and CBS affiliates. Production of THE LAST STAIN was also the subject of a Chicago Tonight report, which airs on the Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW.

2005’s SCREAM AT ME was enthusiastically received by local festival audiences at the Black Harvest Film Festival and the Future Filmmakers Festival, and was one of four projects nationally to win an award from Time Warner’s youth media program. SCREAM AT ME won the Kodak Opportunity Award at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison, beating out 56 other shorts. It was the only film by high school students in the competition.

A Documentary by Greg Jacobs & Jon Siskel

Louder Than a Bomb is a film about passion, competition, teamwork, and trust. It’s about the joy of being young, and the pain of growing up. It’s about speaking out, making noise, and finding your voice.

It also just happens to be about poetry.

A documentary feature intended for theatrical release, Louder Than a Bomb tells the stereotype-confounding stories of four Chicago-area high school poetry teams as they prepare for and compete in the world’s largest youth slam. By turns hopeful and heartbreaking, the film captures the tempestuous lives of these exceptional kids, exploring the ways writing shapes their world, and vice versa. This is not “high school poetry” as we often think of it. This is language as a joyful release, irrepressibly talented teenagers obsessed with making words dance. Set against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s historic primary campaign, Louder Than a Bomb paints a powerful and timely portrait of the Obama generation, from the heart of the president’s hometown.

Louder Than a Bomb had its world premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival in March 2010, where it won both the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for best film and the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition for films that celebrate social justice and activism. For more information, contact ltab@siskeljacobs.com


Typing

Director – Jack C. Newell
Writer – Ron Falzone
Producer – Ron Falzone & Jack C. Newell

Typing is the story of what happens when the creative process crashes head first into the wall of stereotypes and clichés.  It features writer/actor/comedy legend Tim Kazurinsky and Steppenwolf ensemble member Francis Guinan as two tired MGM screenwriters forced into the impossible task of having to write a Robert Montgomery movie that features sex, adventure and a dog.


Postales

Writer/Director – Josh Hyde
Producer – Claire Connelly,  Maxi Holland,  Dan Fischer, and P.J. Fishwick

In the ancient cobblestone streets, of Cuzco, Peru, 11-year-old Pablo sells postcards to tourists in the town square, and his brother, Jano, lives a life of petty crime to help their family survive. Pablo’s world turns upside down when he encounters Mary, who unbeknownst to him is the daughter of an American businessman planning to develop the land on which his family lives.

The Winning entry receives cash prize and will premiere at the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival!

The Illinois Film Office today launched its third annual Shortcuts contest. Shortcuts is a statewide short film competition designed to encourage growth in Illinois’ film industry. The competition is open to all Illinois residents over the age of 18 and students over the age of 18 who attend Illinois colleges and universities. The winning entry will receive a cash prize and the winning film will screen during the Chicago International Film Festival.

“Shortcuts is another avenue for up-and-coming Illinois filmmakers to showcase their talent and gain greater exposure. At the same time, it provides the film office with another great tool for promoting Illinois’ exceptional film industry,” said Illinois Film Office Managing Director Betsy Steinberg. “I encourage filmmakers of all levels of experience to participate in this year’s competition, which we anticipate will be bigger and better than ever.”

Participants may use any format – film, video, graphics and/or animation – to tell a narrative story, a documentary or free form visual expression of ideas. Submissions must be 15 minutes or less in running time. Entries will be judged by a panel of film industry professionals. Submissions must be postmarked by August 31st, 2010.

Additional contest rules and details can be found at www.illinoisfilm.biz.

Over the last few years, Illinois’ film industry has enjoyed record spending in the state with such films as “The Dark Knight,” “Public Enemies,” and “The Informant.” The state is already seeing positive momentum in 2010 with a number of TV pilots and movies in the works.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is dedicated to advancing Illinois’ reputation as a world-class film destination. The Illinois Film Office (IFO), a division of DCEO, promotes and markets the state as an ideal shooting location for films, television shows and commercials. The IFO also promotes and encourages the training and hiring of Illinois residents who represent the diversity of the state’s population.

It’s time for our annual Comedic Shorts Program!
Sundance, SXSW, LA Comedy Fest picks highlight lineup

First Tuesdays with The Midwest Independent Film Festival continue with the festival’s annual Comedic Shorts Program on Tuesday, June 1st at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark beginning at 6 p.m. This laugh-loaded lineup includes selections from this year’s Sundance and South by Southwest Film Festivals and hilarious performances from comedic talents Brian Boland, Andy St. Clair, Toby Jones, Greg Hess and T.J. Miller (She’s Out of Your League). Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion with the audience.

JUST ADDED: The June 1st First Tuesday festivities are being presented by Abel Cine Tech and Sony and will include an exclusive pre-show presentation of the latest and great filmmaking technology from Sony and Abel Cine Tech. More info later this week!

Click here for the long-awaited lineup of Comedic Shorts!

Screening Information: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 — screening begins with a Pre-Show Cocktail Reception (sponsored by Heineken and Candid Wines) at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema (2828 North Clark) at 6 p.m. Our exclusive presentation from Sony and Abel Cine Tech will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the theater. Our annual Comedic Shorts Program screens promptly at 7:30 p.m. A post-screening reception will be held immediately following the film at Forno Diablo, 433 West Diversey.

ABOUT THE MIDWEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark in Chicago. This year-round film festival sits proudly at the center of the independent film scene in Chicago and the Midwest and is dedicated to celebrating and strengthening that community. More information can be found on the Festival website: www.MidwestFilm.org.

IFP/Chicago is thrilled to bring you The 17th Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF), presented by DePaul University – School of Cinema and Interactive Media, and will showcase a savvy program of film and video exploring the many definitions and interpretations of the ‘underground’ concept at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, June 24 – July 1.

Each year, CUFF reveals a unique programming niche of films that ignore limitations of genre and are made with passion and drive. Audiences this year will again be captivated by an array of films that include two World Premieres, five Midwest Premieres, four Chicago Premieres, as well as a tribute to Jonas Mekas who is often referred to as “the godfather of American avant-garde cinema,” question and answer sessions with many of the featured filmmakers, and a journey into the world of underground film. Over a thousand submissions were received for a program of 20 films including features, documentaries, and shorts.

“For the past 17 years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has been bringing some of the most unique films to Chicago,” said Bryan Wendorf, Programmer and Artistic Director for CUFF. “This year we are thrilled to present a lineup showcasing the defiantly independent visions of some of today’s most cutting-edge filmmakers. Not only do the films reflect and comment on the times we live in today, but they will also take viewers through fantasy and comedic journeys. Presenting CUFF with the help of the Gene Siskel Film Center and IFP/Chicago has enabled us to reach out to even more film fanatics, media, and industries alike who have a passion for the underground film world.”

For more information about this year’s festival go here!

For press inquiries, please contact Laura Silverman at The Silverman Group