CHICAGO– The 2015 awards ceremony at the 51st Chicago International Festival took place on Friday, October 23rd, and Andrew Davis – International Competition Jury President – announced that the French film “A Childhood” was the recipient of the prestigious Gold Hugo Award for the festival’s top film.

The evening was also highlighted by the Founder’s Award, given by festival originator Michael Kutza. Director Michael Moore accepted the award in person for his new and provocative documentary, “Where to Invade Next.” Moore gave an impassioned acceptance speech, amplifying his optimism in his new film, which pleads for social change in America.

Michael Moore Accepts The Founder’s Award
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

The awards event took place in the ballroom at Chicago’s Peninsula Hotel, and was hosted by festival Managing Director Vivian Teng. Presenters included Programming Director Mimi Plauché, programmers Anthony Kaufman and Camille Lugan, plus various jury members – which included Director Andrew Davis (“The Fugitive”) of the International Competition Jury. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery. The 51st Chicago International Film Festival continues through October 29th, 2015.

International Feature Film Competition

’ A Childhood,’ Directed by Philippe Claudel
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo for Best Film:“A Childhood” (France), directed by Philippe Claudel 

The Silver Hugo – Special Jury Prize:“Paulina” (Argentina, Brazil), directed by Santiago Mitre

The Silver Hugo – Best Director: Pablo Larrainl of “The Club” (Chile)

The Silver Hugo – Best Actors: Alexi Mathieu and Jules Gauzelin of “A Childhood” (France)

The Silver Hugo – Best Actress: Lizzie Brochere of “Full Contact” (Netherlands, Croatia)

The Silver Plaque – Best Ensemble:“The Club” (Chile)

The Silver Plaque – Best Cinematography: Frank Van den Eeden for “Full Contact” (Netherlands, Croatia)

The Silver Plaque – Best Screenplay: Guillermo Calderon, Daniel Villalobos and Pablo Larrain for “The Club” (Chile)

The Silver Plaque – Best Art Direction: Toma Baqueni for “My Golden Days” (France)

New Directors Competition

’Underground Fragrance,’ Directed by Pengfei Song
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo: Director Pengfei Song of “Underground Fragrance” (China)

The Silver Hugo: Director Runar Runarsson of “Sparrows” (Iceland)

The Roger Ebert Award for New Directors: Director Ida Panahandeh of “Nahid” (Iran)

Documentary Competition

’ Volta à Terra,’ Directed by João Pedro Plácido
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo:“Volta à Terra” (Portugal, Switzerland), directed by João Pedro Plácido

The Silver Hugo:“In The Underground” (China), directed by Song Zhantao

Gold Plaque Special Mention:“Time Suspended” (Mexico, Argentina), directed by Natalia Bruschtein

Gold Q Award (LBGTQ Films)

’Carol,’ Directed by Todd Haynes
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo:“Carol” (USA), directed by Todd Haynes

The Silver Hugo:“Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” (USA), directed by Stephen Cone

Short Film Competition

’ Leidi,’ Directed by Simón Mesa Soto
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo – Live Action:“Leidi” (Colombia, UK), directed by Simón Mesa Soto

The Silver Hugo – Live Action: “The Exquisite Corpus” (Austria), directed by Peter Tscherkassky

Gold Plaque – Live Action: “One-minded” (South Korea), directed by Sébastien Simon and Forest Ian Estler

Silver Plaque – Live Action: “over” (UK), directed by Jörn Threlfall

Silver Plaque – Live Action: “Ramona” (Romania), directed by Andrei Cretulescu

The Silver Hugo – Documentary: “Santa Cruz del Islote” (US, Colombia), directed by Luke Lorentzen

Gold Plaque – Documentary: “A Tale of Love, Madness and Death” (Chile), directed by Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez

The Silver Hugo – Animated: “Sunday Lunch” (France), directed by Céline Devaux

Gold Plaque – Animated: “The Same River Twice” (USA), directed by Weijia Ma

Silver Plaque – Animated: “Waves ‘98” (Lebanon, Qatar), directed by Ely Dagher

The Chicago Award

Best Chicago/Illinois Based Film:“Radical Grace” (USA), directed by Rebecca Parrish

The Founder’s Award

The Founder’s Award:“Where to Invade Next” (USA), directed by Michael Moore

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The future of filmmaking was on display at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival at the City & State Short Film program. Subtitled “Feel the Illinoise,” the collection included works by directors Bradley Bischoff, Joel Benjamin, Ed Flynn, Andy Berlin, Jake Zalutsky and Weija Ma.

As technology evolves, the short films are more masterfully created, either through student work or independent production. Some of the genres represented were animation, short documentary and examinations of the human condition. HollywoodChicago.com was there, talking to the young directors about the films that represent them.

Bradley Bischoff, Director of “Nomad”

‘Nomad,’ Directed Bradley Biscoff
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

“Nomad” is yet another notable submission from director Bradley Bischoff, a festival favorite from past years. The edgy psychosis in the film is in contrast to the seemingly normal couple having a gathering in their apartment. Surely there can’t be a breakdown in the middle of it all?

HollywoodChicago.com: You love mood and emotion in your films to create atmosphere. How does this match your application to everyday life?

Bradley Bischoff: What I would say about that is I went through a phase in my life where I wouldn’t take off my jacket or my shoes. It took me awhile to break that phase, I still only take them off at a unique point in the day. There are so many things I want to do and get it done, I just have a hard time sitting still.

HollywoodChicago.com: Within the context of ‘Nomad,’ how alone do you feel we are?

Bradley Bischoff of ‘Nomad’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Bischoff: Everybody has to fall asleep at night on their own terms, whether surrounded by people or living a single life, everybody falls asleep alone. I can only fall asleep if I’m satisfied with the decisions I have made that day. It’s not a weekly or monthly decision, it is that day. In that sense, everyday is a struggle to be honest with yourself, to be honest with what you’re doing in your life, to hit that pillow.

In the film, the main character wears his jacket, and takes it off only until he is connected with his wife. That informed me that he would sleep that night. The next morning he’s shirtless, having a cup of coffee, and f**k, it starts all over again. Every day is a challenge.

HollywoodChicago.com: When do you call ‘cut’ when you are directing…when you have what you want in the scene being shot in front of you, or beyond that barrier?

Bischoff: One of the big things I learned was when I was taking acting lessons in Los Angeles from Jeffrey Tambor. He made me consider the moment before the action and the moment after. That changed my life as a director. I will always roll early, and keep rolling afterward, to see what happens. What Tambor said was ‘I don’t have life figured out, how the hell can I have a movie figured out?’ In a film, we’re trying to recreate a life’s moment. There should be imperfections, there should be the ‘moment afterward.’

Often I will light another part of the set and shoot that, unbeknownst to the actors who are doing their lines elsewhere. Life is then happening, and if I did my job right, the actors will react accordingly, with a more honest portrayal. So I never say ‘cut’ too soon, it has to feel real.

Joel Benjamin, Director of “Chasm”

’Chasm,’ Directed by Joel Benjamin
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Joel Benjamin makes his second appearance in a row at the City and State program, with his particular view and style on animation. “Chasm” is a science fiction morality play set in outer space, which pits knowledge and technology versus the human determination of connection.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is different about ‘Chasm’ than any other animated film you’ve done, especially from last year’s ‘Drifting’?

Joel Benjamin of ‘Chasm’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Joel Benjamin: The biggest difference was that I worked with other people – as an independent animator I hadn’t done that much. So I got to bounce ideas off of other people, and it was fun to work through the challenge of creating different ideas.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since it was your original story, how did it evolve as you collaborated?

Benjamin: When Shelley Dotson [co-producer] and I began to work through the story – which is about an astronaut – we talked about how technology can be amazing, but you can still do a stupid thing like drop a screwdriver, and the amazing technology doesn’t matter anymore – that could be the end. We were figuring out how to make that basic story work, and it was a lot of fun with other people involved.

HollywoodChicago.com: The early movie projectors were called ‘The Magic Lantern.’ How does that magic lantern illuminate your path in filmmaking, and how does it continue to illuminate cinema in general?

Benjamin: Part of it is the recognition that other people want to tell stories as badly as I do, and that no matter what that story is about, if it’s good we can all relate to it. And that’s the best things about movies, we can escape into the reality of somebody else and relate to it.

Ed Flynn, Director of “Unknown Unknown”

‘Unknown Unknown,’ Directed by Ed Flynn
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Ed Flynn’s “Unknown Unknown” was on of the more memorable short films in the program, an allegory set in a grocery store, under the glare of florescent lighting and unrealized dreams.

HollywoodChicago.com: Why did you cast yourself in the lead? Was it because of your deeper understanding and mood regarding the film, since you wrote it?

Ed Flynn of ‘Unknown Unknown’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Ed Flynn: Well first, it was easier for me. I knew what that guy needed to do, just be impressionable and take it in. And second, it was practical. I have more experience as an actor than any other element of filmmaking. So I thought if I acted in it, maybe it would make up for what was lacking in the experience of my first film.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since your film was set in a grocery story, how do you feel these place feed our souls as much as supply our sustenance?

Flynn: A grocery store is this magic place, where we know there are several levels of function going on. There is a presentation going on, and there are less-than-savory things going on behind that presentation, that allows for the pretty, well-lit and colorful label thing possible. The grocery store was a good place to explore levels of things we notice, and levels we don’t notice, which was the basis for my film.

HollywoodChicago.com: Which film seems so close to your style, that it would almost seem as if you’d made it?

Flynn: The movies that I watch that are tied up into what I do in film are ‘Nashville,’ ‘The Shining’ – which played a big role in ‘Unknown Unknown.’ as you might guess – and the early short films of comedian Louis C.K., even before his TV series. And also, Robert Downey Sr., and his film ‘Putney Swope.’ They all give you the feeling that you can do anything.

Andy Berlin, Director of “Marlene”

’Marlene,’ Directed by Andy Berlin
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

“Marlene” is a stark, documentary-like narrative about a young woman getting some ominous news, and how it affects her path through life.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the origin behind the idea for your film?

Andy Berlin of ‘Marlene’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Andy Berlin: Originally the idea came from my irrational fear of death, and how I would react if directly confronted with it. The script I began to write evolved into a separate character that wasn’t me.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was behind the decision to cast the role as an African American woman?

Berlin: She was just a great actress, my casting director showed me her web series, and the timing was right because I wanted to work with a woman in the lead. Someone had challenged me years before that I couldn’t write a woman like myself – as I mentioned this started as an autobiographical piece – and that frustrated me. Sure there are social and cultural differences between men and women, but at our core we’re all human beings, and we all have the same fears.

HollywoodChicago.com: Which film seems so close to your style, that it would almost seem as if you’d made it?

Berlin: What is very close to my heart, and the type of film that feels closest to my style, is Agnés Varda’s ‘Cleo from 5 to 7.’ It’s about a woman who is worried that she might have cancer. It was very influential for my film, and a big influence on my film style in general – that you can stretch out time and focus on actors, and how they actually feel about things. I relate to that, so definitely that is the one.

Jake Zalutsky and Nick Santore, Director and Subject of “Nick Santore”

’Nick Santore,’ Directed by Jake Zalutsky
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

“Nick Santore” is a think-piece documentary about family and memory, as father and son – both named Nick Santore – try to work out the process of their relationship at a point in which the father is relying more on his adult son.

HollywoodChicago.com: In the context of your film, what do you both feel are main dynamics of a relationship between an adult son and a father?

Jake Zalutsky: For me, the core of the film was distilling what wasn’t unique about their relationship, in a broader context. What is the relationship we have with our parents at a certain point? What exists that connects us between generations. Besides children and parents need to get along, there is something else that connects us. The goal of the film is to reach that unattainable core of that connection.

Jake Zalutsky & Nick Santore of ‘Nick Santore’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Nick Santore: For me, it was realization and discovery. How at a certain point in my life, I can be with and talk to my parents at the same level as I am now. I wanted to bring it to another level, to get into it. Once you get into those types of conversations, you feel things that you didn’t know about, and you have those conversations to get there.

HollywoodChicago.com: What truth did you discover most about Nick Santore?

Zalutsky: They are just two people trying to get along with other, I don’t think there is a grand truth beyond that. Like all fathers and sons, they are bonded together in a certain way, that can be confusing, complex and hard to figure out. That’s what I was trying to get to in the film.

Santore: My father was just the man I thought he was.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the most personal element of yourselves that we find in the film?

Zalutsky: Even in doing a documentary that is outside in, there is something personal that resides in me in some way. I have my relationship with my parents, and in making this connective film with Nick and his father, I learned a little bit about my own relationship with my parents, and have worked through it.

Santore: Figuring out relationships, that is what it was for me, beyond just my father. It was about friendships, romantic attachments and relationships with relatives, how do we mend them, get around them, and grow within them? By having these conversations with my father, I was able to do that. It gave us a way to put things out there, get through it, and figure it out for ourselves.

Weijia Ma, Director of “The Same River Twice”

‘The Same River Twice,’ Directed by Weijia Ma
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Director Weijia Ma has created a tone and emotion poem to her father in this sumptuously animated film. The 51st Chicago International Film Festival recognized this on Awards Night, honoring Ma with a Gold Plaque in the “Short Film, Animated” category.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was most impressive in your film was the emotional tone. How did you convert feelings and emotional tone into the animated result?

Weijia Ma of ‘The Same River Twice’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Weijia Ma: It took me a long time to figure out what to do. It began as a portrait of my father, which people were discouraging me from doing, especially in the context of the accident scene in the film – they were just assuming that it was about a girl whose father passed away. When he survived, they then figured it wasn’t about that. [laughs] Everything is normal, and nothing really happened again. I wanted to trick the audience. There are things that change in your life, and other points that don’t change. Life goes on.

HollywoodChicago.com: Was was your father’s critical view of his animated profile?

Ma: He didn’t really know the story of the piece. I did ask him to play the harmonica for it, and do the voices, and he was fine with it. His reaction after he saw the finished piece was, ‘I guess this means the audiences will know all the stories about me, right?’ I said, “I guess, yes.’ [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: When you talk about your love for filmmaking or animation, what is the first thing you talk about?

Ma: I came from China, and this was my graduate film from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. I first studied animation in Bejing, and I learned a lot of traditional skills of animation there. The basis for my love of animation is that I wanted to tell a story, but it took awhile to figure out what kind of story I wanted to tell. As I learned more about it here, I feel animation is a medium that has so many possibilities, and I want to explore all the methods within it.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

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Artist and filmmaker Agnés Varda

CHICAGO– With the 51st Chicago International Film Festival now history, photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com has collected his portrait highlights. Opening Night – October 15th, 2015 – was a Red-Carpet Extravaganza, with many notable personalities of the Festival making their way through the gauntlet of press and photographers. HollywoodChicago.com was also there, to collect some voices behind the images.

FILMMAKERAGNÉS VARDA

Agnés Varda is a living legend, an influencer on the French New Wave of the late 1950s and early 1960s (“Cléo from 5 to 7”) and a social and feminist commentator through her film, photography and art installation.

HollywoodChicago.com: Where does the origin of film as an art form reside in your mind and perspective?

Agnés Varda: Look around you, it is a feast of cinema here. [Pointing to the Chicago International Film Festival logo] I would like to go back there and meet again the eyes of Theda Bara, because it made me come.

ARCHITECTHELMUTJAHN

The iconic Mr. Jahn is one of the most notable architects of the 20th Century. He was honored at the Festival with a Spotlight tribute. He recently made news again when a structure he designed, the Chicago-based State of Illinois Building, was placed on the market for sale by the governor’s office.

HollywoodChicago.com: What design style was the inspiration for the State of Illinois Building, and how does it reflect your state of creativity at the time it was rendered?

Helmut Jahn: First it was a building for the government and the state in Chicago. We didn’t want a typical office building. The governor at the time, James Thompson, was smart enough to make a decision to utilize the building that he and I thought would best represent the state government – it was open and mixed the citizens with the governmental offices.

It was based on state capitols, with a big dome shape, but not following a traditional style. It was referred to at the time as ‘post modern,’ but it wasn’t that, it was designed as modern. Unfortunately, the vision that Governor Thompson had was not followed through in other administrations, and that’s why the building wasn’t properly maintained.

SINGERTERISAGRIFFIN

Ms. Griffin is a singer, musician, songwriter, producer and entertainer, and recently competed on NBC-TV’s “The Voice.”

HollywoodChicago.com: What is one thing about ‘The Voice’ that people who watch the show probably don’t understand.

Terisa Griffin: You don’t actually work with the judges as your coaches. They pay someone to come in and work with you – but they do make it look good.

DIRECTORANDREWDAVIS

The films of Andrew Davis – “The Fugitive,” “Chain Reaction” and “Collateral Damage” – continue to influence the cinema culture, and have had Oscar recognition. Mr. Davis was President of the International Features Competition jury, which determined the top film of the festival.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you first started out in filmmaking in the 1970s, what was the prevailing atmosphere of was it was, and what it was to become?

Andrew Davis: When I made my first independent film, ‘Stony Island’ [1978], there were only six independent films made that entire year. Now there are 4000 submissions to the Sundance Film Festival every year, so there is a big difference regarding the ability of filmmakers to actually make films. In many ways, you had to be stronger and tougher to get a film made back then, but now there is so much competition, it takes more money just to get a release.

CHAZEBERT

Ms. Ebert is the CEO of RogerEbert.com, and is making her mark as a film producer.

HollywoodChicago.com: You are in the midst of producing a new film about civil rights icon Emmett Till. Why do you think that story still resonates in society?

Chaz Ebert: Unfortunately the story still resonates because there is evident inequality – especially this year with the incidences of young, unarmed black men being killed. And it’s evident in organizations like Black Lives Matter, who you would think wouldn’t be necessary in these times – 60 years after the murder of Emmett Till – you would think we would be in a new place. But I want to find some hopeful seeds, and help move society forward in our racial healing, and I hope that’s what we can do with the Emmett Till story.

DIRECTORJOSHMONDANDLEADACTORCHRISTOPHERABBOTTOF“JAMESWHITE”

Josh Mond, producer of films like “Martha Marcy May Marlene,’ is making his directorial debut with “James White,” with actor Christopher Abbott (HBO’s “Girls”) in the title role. Mond and Abbott were presented with the Emerging Artist Award at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival.

HollywoodChicago.com: You both wrote and directed ‘James White.’ Was it autobiographical or just impressions of your relationship with your mother?

Josh Mond: It’s not entirely autobiographical, it came from a place regarding something I wanted to understand. I am from New York City, and I did lose my mother to cancer.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do you think the TV show ‘Girls’ gets most right about contemporary relationships, especially in New York City.

Christopher Abbott: Lena [Dunham] has a way of tapping into that world of relationships. In an urban setting, it all happens pretty quick.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

1. CIFF1: Artist and filmmaker Agnés Varda
2. CIFF2: Architect Helmut Jahn
3. CIFF3: Singer Terisa Griffin
4. CIFF4: Director Andrew Davis
5. CIFF5: Producer Chaz Ebert
6. CIFF6: Director Josh Mond of ‘James White.’
7. CIFF7: Christopher Abbott of ‘James White’ and HBO’s ‘Girls.’
8. CIFF8: Josh Mond and Christopher Abbott
9. CIFF9: Michael Kutza, Founder of the Chicago International Film Festival.
10. CIFF10: Actor/Producer Jossie Harris Thacker, International Features Jury.
11. CIFF11: Director Laura Astorga, International Features Jury.
12. CIFF12: Actor/Director Nawaf Al-Janahi, International Features Jury.
13. CIFF13: Director Ivan Trujillo, International Features Jury.
14. CIFF14: Hanna McEwen, CineYouth Best Documentary.
15. CIFF15: Jordan Blazak (Director) and Alan Dembeck (Director of Photography), CineYouth Best Feature.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

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Sarah Silverman represented her new film, ‘I Smile Back.’

CHICAGO– The Red Carpet was well trod during the 51st Chicago International Film Festival. with film stars, directors and other personalities taking their walks in representing their films during the two weeks of the event. Photographer Joe Arce took the Exclusive Portraits, and Patrick McDonald got the soundbites.

SCREENWRITERCHARLIEKAUFMAN

Charlie Kaufman is the Oscar-nominated screenwriter known for his offbeat view of the world through films like “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation,” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” He presented his latest film at the Festival, “Anomalisa.”

HollywoodChicago.com: How would you describe yourself if someone asks you why you write the type of stories that you write?

Charlie Kaufman: I just try to be honest, because I think that’s my job description as a writer. I try to present something that is true, so I don’t further destroy the world with my work. I want to be careful because there is so much crap shoveled into the world every day through the business I work in, as well as marketing, politics and more.

I try to be vulnerable and present myself in the hope there is some truth that I can get to, that can make people less alone in the world, even if the story is about loneliness. So part of my thing is to be as naked as I can be in my writing.

PRODUCERGIGIPRITZKER

The Chicago-born Ms. Pritzker is the Producer of such diverse films as “From Prada to Nada” (2011), the Oscar nominated “Drive” (2011), “The Way, Way Back” (2013), “Ender’s Game” (2013) and the Jon Stewart directed “Rosewater” (2014). Pritzker was honored during the festival’s “Industry Days.”

HollywoodChicago.com: How involved are you in the hometown Chicago film scene, are you keeping tabs on what is going on here, and do you plan to do anything here?

Pritzker: You know, every time we take on a film, I think can we shoot it in Chicago? I would love nothing more than to shoot it at home. We are getting closer on some things, we have a few TV projects that we’re trying to get off the ground, and we have a film we’re in contention for right now, and if we get it we hope to bring it here. I’m always trying, even though I haven’t done it yet.

FILMMAKERMICHAELMOORE

Moore virtually needs no introduction, for his documentaries “Roger and Me,” “Bowling for Columbine” and the Oscar-winning “Fahrenheit 9/11.” He presented his latest provocative doc, “Where to Invade Next” at the Chicago International.

HollywoodChicago.com: Your documentaries often provoke extreme reactions. At what point in your career did you find you had to start watching your back?

Michael Moore: It happened about 20 seconds after I gave my Oscar speech in 2003. I never worried about anything before then, and afterward it came down like an avalanche. I actually started receiving death threats.

DIRECTORPATRICIARIGGEN

Ms. Riggen presented her latest film, “The 33,” at the festival. It’s the story of the rescue in 2010 of miners from Chile, the 33 men trapped underground for 69 days.

HollywoodChicago.com: There are overt expressions of faith in ‘The 33.’ What is your general approach when depicting a person of faith in a film?

Patricia Riggen: In the case of ‘The 33.’ it was just the truth that these men relied on faith – in God and their families – to survive. The real story had a lot of faith. I was raised in the Catholic faith, and I understand the culture behind it. Faith-based movies are also the ones being green lit right now.

DIRECTORATOMEGOYAN

Egoyan is a Canadian filmmaker known for both cult films and memorable cinematic experiences like “Exotica,” “The Sweet Hereafter” and “Chloe.” Mr. Egoyan presented his latest film, “Remember,” at the film festival.

HollywoodChicago.com: There seems to be a theme of redemption in many of your films. What is your idea of redemption and how do we maintain the path toward it?

Atom Egoyan: It involves a degree of empathy, first and foremost, being able to understand how someone is feeling about something. What we are taught in our Western tradition is to treat others as you treat yourself. There are, however, a lot of people who would not want to be treated as you treat yourself. [laughs] That strikes me as narcissistic. But to wrap your head around that, is fundamental in understanding the true nature of empathy.

DIRECTORTODDHAYNES

Haynes presented his latest film, “Carol,” at the film festival, and like his earlier film “Far From Heaven” it is set in the 1950s. The director of the infamous “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story,” “Velvet Goldmine,” “Safe” and “I’m Not There,” he provides a variety of perspectives through his art.

HollywoodChicago.com: You have one of the most infamous films in pop culture history, ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.’ With the passage of time and your reputation, have you ever run into Richard Carpenter to talk out his issues with this film?

Todd Haynes: No I haven’t. I should do it, I always bring it up to my lawyer every now and then. [laughs]. And another reason we have to revisit it is because there is a restoration going on right now for the film through UCLA and Sundance.

I hope it’s water under the bridge, but Richard Carpenter is a complicated individual. He’s also entitled to his own opinion on how his sister is depicted. The film has lived on and survived, and ultimately is an affectionate celebration of Karen Carpenter.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

1. CIFF1:Sarah Silverman represented her new film, ‘I Smile Back.’
2. CIFF2:Sarah Silverman was awarded the ‘Breakthrough Performance’ for ‘I Smile Back.’
3. CIFF3: Composer and Oscar winner Howard Shore.
4. CIFF4: Howard Shore honored with a Gold Hugo Career Achievement Award.
5. CIFF5: Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman presented his new film ‘Anomalisa.’
6. CIFF6: Co-Director Duke Johnson of ‘Anomalisa.’
7. CIFF7:Producer Gigi Pritzker was honored during ‘Industry Days’ at the festival.
8. CIFF8: Michael Moore presented his new film ‘Where to Invade Next.’
9. CIFF9: Michael Moore received the Founder’s Award for ‘Where to Invade Next.’
10. CIFF10: Carl Deal, producer of ‘Where to Invade Next.’
11. CIFF11: Director Michael Moore and producer Carl Deal.
12. CIFF12: Director Patricia Riggen of ‘The 33.’
13. CIFF13: Director Charles Burnett was honored at Black Perspectives night.
14. CIFF14: Director Charles Burnett with his Career Achievement Award.
15. CIFF15: Actor Richard Brooks, featured in Charles Burnett’s ‘To Sleep with Anger.’
16. CIFF16: Director Atom Egoyan presented his new film ‘Remember.’
17. CIFF17: Producer Ari Lantos and director Atom Egoyan of ‘Remember.’
18. CIFF18: Director Todd Haynes presented his new film ‘Carol.’

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

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Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago International Film Festival.

CHICAGO– 50 years ago today – Thursday, November 4th, 1965 – a 22-year old filmmaker named Michael Kutza realized his dream of bringing the cinema world to Chicago, with the opening night of the first Chicago International Film Festival. 50 years later, founder Kutza just finished overseeing the 51st festival.

The dream began in 1964 with the backing of former silent-era movie comedienne Colleen Moore Hargrave, who opened the doors of contact for Kutza in the film and Chicago community. Michael Kutza then founded Cinema/Chicago, the organization that presents the Chicago International Film Festival each year, and remains so to this day. The first opening night took place at the old Carnegie Theatre in Chicago, at the corner of Rush and Oak Streets.

On the Red Carpet of the 51st Chicago International Film Festival, HollywoodChicago.com asked Michael Kutza what he thought he had in common now with the 22-year old gentleman that started the fest on November 4th, 1965. “I’m certainly not him,” he said, “except maybe mentally. It is the films that keep me going, and the team that I work with that keep it on track. Can you imagine 50 years? I’m still loving this and it’s great. It’s crazy and exciting.”

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of the Chicago International Film Festival. Photos 1 and 4 © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

1. 50CIFF1: Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago International Film Festival.
2. 50CIFF2: Young Michael Kutza at the Carnegie Theatre, where it all began in 1965.
3. 50CIFF3: The first poster of the Chicago International Film Festival, 1965.
4. 50CIFF4: ‘I’m still loving this and it’s great.’ Happy 50th, Michael Kutza.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– Last night (Thursday, May 5th), the 2016 CineYouth Film Festival – which is associated with the Chicago International Film Festival and Cinema/Chicago – kicked off with “Nocturna,” a European animated film from the famed GKIDS distributor (“A Cat in Paris”). The 2016 festival runs through Saturday, May 7th, with a full schedule of film related youth activities on Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule, click here.

‘Nocturna’ Kicked off the 2016 CineYouth Film Festival
Photo credit: Cinema/Chicago

Cinema/Chicago is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to encouraging better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image. CineYouth is one of the year-round programs presented by Cinema/Chicago, which also include the Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards, Chicago International Film Festival, International Screenings Program, Education Program and Members Film Series. Celebrating its 52nd edition this year, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America’s longest-running competitive film festival.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The 2016 52nd Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) Kicks Off on Thursday, October 13th, with the Opening Night Film, “LALA Land.” After the first night ceremony, the main event starts, and navigating this amazing selection of films can make or break the most ardent film fan. HollywoodChicago.com offers the following tips on what to “seek out” during the two week cinema buffet.

The Official Poster of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Seek Out the Films in Competition

There are 15 films the International Feature Competition, there are nine films in the Documentary Competition and there are 12 in the Special Presentations category (re-releases and upcoming/anticipated fall feature films). These are the films that have been filtered through the CIFF competition committees, experts who are offering the best the world cinema has to offer. You simply can’t go wrong with these choices.

For more a specific list – in press release format – of all the competition films, click here.

Seek Out Films from Countries That Interest You

This is an “international” film festival, and gives filmgoers the opportunity to experience the culture – through their cinema – of 49 countries besides the U.S. From Afghanistan to the United Kingdom, CIFF is an opportunity to understand these countries through the eyes of their movie artists. It is a rare and necessary opportunity for film fans.

The PDF download of the official program lists films by country, click here.

Seek Out Special Events and Presentations

CIFF has always been notable for their creative packaging of special event films, categories and filmmaker presentations. Love horror films? The “After Dark” series will satisfy the fear in you. Short films programs – international, local, animated and more – are put together in special screenings. Black Perspectives, Outlook (LGBTQ+ films) and the local City&State are categories that highlight specific audiences. And “SPOTLIGHT! Musicals” celebrate the artistic genre of belting out in song, in 11 films from all over the world.

All of the events and presentations are ready-to-click on by clicking here.

Seek Out Industry Days

Just added last year, this overview of the film industry is a three-day series of Tributes, Lectures and Events having to with the business and circumstances of movie making. From honoring producer James D. Stern (“An Education”) to providing seminars on comedy, dealmaking and funding, Industry Days is a must-do for aspiring filmmakers and everyone else who is interested in the realities of movie show business.

The complete line-up of Industry Days events can be accessed by clicking here.

Seek Out Tributes and Filmmakers

All of the film screenings takes place in the just-off-Michigan-Avenue environs of the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, and the world comes to Chicago through visits by the producers, directors and filmmakers that populate the festival. Make sure you take advantage of the Q&As or seek them out afterward in the Lucky Strike Lounge at the theater or the many CIFF“Hot Spots” (see the program PDF). There are also FIVE special tributes to legendary filmmakers that will be taking place during the festival, with opportunities to attend their events and receptions afterward.

The complete line-up of Tribute events can be accessed by clicking here.

Finally, “Because Everybody Loves Movies…”

The Chicago International Film Festival is a celebration for the love of cinema. It can be overwhelming, but just make a list of all the films you want to see and events you want to go to, and do as much as possible. For two weeks out of every year, the world of film comes to Chicago, and you are there to get the opportunity to see that world.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The 52nd Chicago International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, October 13th, 2016, with the highly anticipated film, ‘La La Land.’ The modern day musical, directed by Damian Chazelle (“Whiplash”) features Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as two star crossed lovers.

HollywoodChicago.com will offer coverage throughout the next two weeks, including previews of films throughout the festival by Editorial Coordinator Patrick McDonald and Film Writer Jon Espino. For a PDF connection to the complete schedule, click here.

OPENINGNIGHT“La La Land”

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land,’ Opening the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Lionsgate

This luxurious musical revives the form by going back to what makes bursting-into-song great. From the opening number that takes place on a Los Angeles Freeway (naturally) to the enthralling conclusion, “La La Land” is a magical homage to the past, as well as a modern statement on this particular brand of movie entertainment. This is part of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival’s “Spotlight on Musicals!” series, and it is a perfect compliment to the glamour and anticipation of Opening Night.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– It’s Week One of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, and with so many film opportunities to experience, what are some of the highlights? The intrepid film reviewers of HollywoodChicago.com has been sampling the cinema fare for the first week, and offers the following capsule summaries.

HollywoodChicago.com reviewers Jon Espino (JE) and Patrick McDonald (PM) has taken in the previews, and offer these recommendations for the first week of the festival. For a PDF connection to the complete schedule, click here.

“The Confessions” (Italy/France)

’The Confessions,’ Directed by Roberto Ando
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The world is in fiscal meltdown, and a G8 summit of the world’s greatest economists is taking place in a remote coastal resort in Germany. One of economists has invited an Italian monk to the meetings, in order to make a confession. When that vital world leader turns up dead the next morning, the balance of the event is throw off the tracks – which has implications for the entire society. A virtuous balance of religion, the definition of sin and the reliance on the code of wealth collide, within the meaning of life. (PM)

Friday, 10/14, 6pm
Monday, 10/17, 6pm

“24 Weeks” (Germany)

’24 Weeks,’ Directed by Anne Zohra Berrached
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

When a popular German comedian has her second pregnancy, tests reveal that the baby has Down’s Syndrome. The decision that needs to be made a result of this news is devastating, for the mother and her boyfriend partner. This is a very pro-woman film, in the realm of providing some empathy for this impossible situation – in fact, in a aside with a nurse in the film, the mother asks what that medical expert would do. The nurse honestly says we cannot know unless we go through the situation. That’s exactly what this film is about, a glimpse into that loneliness. (PM)

Friday, 10/14, 8:30pm
Saturday, 10/15, 3:45pm
Tuesday, 10/25 3:30pm

“A Man and a Woman” (France)

’A Man and a Woman,’ Directed by Claude Lelouch
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The 50th Anniversary of this classic film gets the big screen treatment at the festival, and the scope and power of the visuals are timeless. Two people (Anouk Aimee and Jean-Louis Trintignant) meet after their spouses have died, and enter into a new relationship still haunted by their past. The use of camera movement, the haunting familiar theme music, the dynamic of relationships and the unfolding of some scenes has influenced both cinema and the art of advertising since its release. Director Claude Lelouch will be in attendance. (PM)

Saturday, 10/15, 3pm
Tuesday, 10/18, 3:15pm

“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” (United States/Britain)

’The Autopsy of Jane Doe,’ Directed by Andre Ovredal
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

A morgue is usually one of the last places we ever want to visit, but it ends up being one of the last places we all do. There is an inherent creepiness about being in a place with so much death. “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” takes full advantage of that unnerving fact to create a tense atmosphere for the enigmatic occurrences that happen when an unidentified woman shows up for an autopsy after an unexplainable slaughter. “Trollhunter” director André Ovredal creates enough mystique in the film to keep you guessing until the end. Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch play a father and son team of morticians that perform autopsies in their family business that goes back generations. As they begin to examine Jane Doe, they soon discover that there is much more to her than meets the eye. The film goes from suspenseful to a supernatural survival film as horrifying events happen that threaten the lives of living by bring back the dead. (JE)

Saturday, 10/15, 10:45pm
Saturday, 10/22, 3pm

“Christine” (United States)

’Christine,’ Directed by Antonio Campos
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Sure to be high on the list come Oscar time, this unrelenting look at a mental breakdown – based on a true incident – is saturated with meaning in every frame. Rebecca Hall (“Vicky Christina Barcelona”) breaks out as a reporter on a Sarasota TV news program in the summer of 1974. There is something amiss about her mental acuity, and this is combined with the pressure to produce increasing trivial information on the newscast. With intense supporting performances by Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”) and Chicago’s own Tracy Letts. “Christine” is part “Network,” part “A Woman Under the Influence” and all original. (PM)

Saturday, 10/15, 5:45pm
Sunday, 10/16, 8:15pm

”Neruda” (Chile/Argentina)

’Neruda,’ Directed by Pablo Larrain
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

One of the hottest directors of the moment, Pablo Larrain (“The Club,” “Jackie”), creates a masterful “anti-biography” based on Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who went into exile in the late 1940s because of his Communist Party leanings. He is pursued by an Inspector (Gael Garcia Bernal, excellent as always) who seems to be seduced by his prey rather than obsessed with the poet’s capture. Magnificently symbolic and a with a magic that only the art of cinema can produce – a fever dream wrapped in poetry and history. (PM)

Sunday, 10/16, 7:30pm
Monday, 10/17, 8:15pm

“Things to Come” (France/Germany)

’Things to Come,’ Directed by Mia Hansen-Love
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Philosophy is something that has been argued for centuries. Postulating each other’s point through arguments and hypothetical situations. What happens when you are forced to practice what you preach? Writer/Director Mia Hansen-Love and actress Isabelle Huppert team up to deliver a ponderous film about the monumental changes that you never expect to coming later in life. Through Huppert’s amazing performance we witness how a life-changing upheaval caused by divorce, death and politics can shake someone out of complacency and make them re-examine what they actually believe in. Hansen-Love turns this philosophy-filled film about about different points of view into an engaging character study that speaks to us on a level we can all painfully relate to. (JE)

Sunday, 10/16, 5pm
Wednesday, 10/19, 5:45pm

”One Day Since Yesterday” (United States)

’One Day Since Yesterday,’ Directed by Bill Teck
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Subtitled “Peter Bogdanovich & the Lost American Film,” this tear-inducing documentary tells of the fate that was director Bogdanovich’s snake bit movie, “They All Laughed” (1981). This was PB’s tenth feature film, on the heels of a string of his 1970s classics – including “The Last Picture Show,” “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Paper Moon.” Meticulous in detail, and one of the finest movie-about-the-movie ever conceived, it engenders a new appreciation for this American Dreamer, and the fact that no one gets out of here alive. A must see, and director Peter Bogdanovich will be attending the screening. (PM)

Sunday, 10/16, 5pm

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– If Peter Bogdanovich had only been a film writer and critic, he still would have made a major contribution to cinema culture. But he also chose to direct, and besides producing arguably one of the best American films ever made (“The Last Picture Show”), he continues to work and fulfill his creative vision.

Bogdanovich was honored at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival with a Gold Hugo Career Lifetime Achievement designation, which was augmented with a magnificent documentary about a period in his career called “One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich and the Lost American Film.” The film tells the story of “They All Laughed” (1981), a post modern screwball comedy starring Audrey Hepburn, John Ritter and Dorothy Stratten. Bogdanovich was in a relationship with Stratten during the production of the film, and she was murdered by her ex-husband while the film was being edited. The tragedy, the prescience of the film and the times Bogdanovich lived through emotionally unfolds.

Peter Bogdanovich at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, October 16th, 2016
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Peter Bogdanovich was born in Kingston, New York, the son of Serbian immigrants. An early adapter of film scholarship, Bogdanovich kept a meticulous record of every film he ever saw from the age of 13 to his thirties. He began his career as a film writer, seeking out the titans of the early studio era in their old age, and revived scholarship on John Ford, Howard Hawks and Orson Welles. A chance encounter with producer Roger Corman led to his first directing job, “Targets” (1968), and his association with Ford and Welles (Orson actually lived with him for awhile) inspired him to create his masterpiece, “The Last Picture Show” (1971).

What he touched turned to gold thereafter, as his follow ups were the hilarious “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972) and the brilliant “Paper Moon” (1973). The next few films were not as well received (“Daisy Miller,” “At Long Last Love,” and “Nickelodeon”), but he came back in the mid-1980s with “Mask” (1985). He has made six films since that time, his most recent being the Owen Wilson-starring “She’s Funny That Way” (2014), and has plans for a new film, that he discusses below.

HollywoodChicago.com was honored to meet and talk with Peter Bogdanovich on the evening of and day after the conferring of his Career Achievement Award at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival.

HollywoodChicago.com: The documentary about the making of ‘They All Laughed’ opened a Pandora’s Box of spirits that were released. What hope was left once that all was examined?

Peter Bogdanovich: It is about still making pictures. That was my hope.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you saw the final cut of the documentary, what insight do you think the filmmakers got about you, your career or ‘They All Laughed’ that you never expected when the project began?

Bogdanovich: What was gratifying were the comments that the other directors made in the film, like Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach. That was very nice, and the insight they had about the film was interesting, and touching, and was moved by it.

HollywoodChicago.com: I was fascinated with your card catalog of films seen from 1952 through 1970. What became your go-to theater for a majority of those films, and can you tell me a film and memory associated with that theater that stands out forever?

Bogdanovich: I started that card file when I was living in New York City, and there was a theater nearby called The Alden. When the Lincoln Center was built, they tore down the RKO Colonial Theatre, and I used to go there a lot. The Museum of Modern Art film program was also a destination, my parents would take me there often when I was a kid. When I got older, there was the New Yorker Theatre, on 89th and Broadway, and I loved to go there.

HollywoodChicago.com: Of course, one of the famous trivia answers is that the film ‘Red River’ was the last picture show in your film ‘The Last Picture Show.’ Was that inspired by a ‘last picture show’ that you encountered in your movie-going life?

Bogdanovich: The reason I chose ‘Red River’ for that film is that we were shooting in Texas, and I wanted to show a film that had a sense of Western adventure. I was deciding between ‘Wagon Masters’ by John Ford, and ‘Red River’ by Howard Hawks. I chose the latter because it has the great sequence of the cattle drive that was exciting, and it was in contrast to the sad town in the story.

HollywoodChicago.com: I think about ‘What’s Up, Doc?’ when asking this next question. How important is it for you to get the right character actors to establish a comic rhythm, and could you give me an example from that classic comedy?

Bogdanovich: All the actors in that film were good at comedy. It was Madeline Kahn’s first film, and I had met her in New York City. Kenneth Mars I’d seen in Mel Brook’s ‘The Producers’ and thought he was hilarious, that’s why I used him. Barbara [Streisand] of course had done stage comedy, and we sort of taught Ryan [O’Neal] how to do it.

HollywoodChicago.com: If you could take a time machine back to the point right before ‘The Last Picture Show was released, what advice would you have given your younger self and would that younger guy taken that advice, since it is you?

Bogdanovich: That’s a complicated question. [laughs] I would tell that younger guy to ‘stay calm.’

HollywoodChicago.com: Orson Welles once told you, ‘I started at the top, and have been working my way down ever since.’ In the context of being a filmmaker, does that generally ring true?

Still from ’One Day Since Yesterday: Peter Bogdanovich & the Lost American Film’
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Bogdanovich: With Orson, it wasn’t true, he was just being modest. He had a particularly hard time, because he was too f**king smart, too much for the people in the industry. Every career is different, you can’t really go by one and say it pertains to another.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is your mindset on the work of Bob Fosse, especially in the context of how he interpreted the events of the period described in the documentary, in his film ‘Star 80’? Does that alter your view of his overall achievements?

Bogdanovich: Well, it didn’t help. I thought ‘Star 80’ was a piece of shit. It was badly made, and had nothing to do with the real people involved. Bob had never met Dorothy, and had no clue as to what she was actually like – he made her a generic blonde. The whole thing was in bad taste, it never should have been made.

HollywoodChicago.com: In what circumstance did you actually watch the film?

Bogdanovich: I had to see it because Dorothy’s family was thinking about a lawsuit against Warner Brothers. So I watched it, and I told Louise [Stratten, Dorothy’s sister] and Dorothy’s mother Nellie what I didn’t like, specifically a couple lines of dialogue. We got them to cut those lines, and they paid the family a settlement.

HollywoodChicago.com: Did you know Bob Fosse before that all went down?

Bogdanovich: Yes. When he made the film ‘Lenny’ in 1974, he asked me for some advice for shooting in Black & White, and I helped him with it. I actually called him when they announced they were making the film, since it was in such bad taste. I asked him why he was making the film, and he told me it was a good story. I told him I don’t even know the whole story, how the hell did he know it? Then I concluded the conversation with, ‘Bob, if this had happened to you I wouldn’t make a movie about it, that’s all I have to say.’

HollywoodChicago.com: In the period where you rediscovered and brought to light many of the studio era filmmaking titans, which one shocked you in the sense of how the world was neglecting them at that point and why?

Bogdanovich: I remember at the time saying, ‘why am I working and John Ford is not?’ I couldn’t quite figure that out. He certainly could have made a film during his later years. Hollywood is a ageist town, and the hot new thing is the thing. However, it was worst back then than it is now. Clint Eastwood is still working. All of those titans you refer to, they all should have worked to the end.

HollywoodChicago.com: Has falling in love been redefined for you as your life has evolved, with all the high profile and tragic circumstances you’ve had in association with falling in love?

Bogdanovich: I think I discovered what falling in love was for the first time with Cybill [Shepard], and in a much stronger form with Dorothy. When I made ‘They All Laughed’ I was defining what real love meant to me, and Dorothy was the inspiration.

HollywoodChicago.com: If there was somebody who has passed away that you could call on a celestial phone, who would it be and what would tell or ask them?

Bogdanovich: Probably Orson.

HollywoodChicago.com: What would you ask Mr. Welles?

Bogdanovich: Help! [laughs] He was a complicated guy, in contrast to Howard Hawks, who I found to be much more centered. Of all the directors from that era I knew, Orson was complicated, Jack Ford was a bit reckless and Howard was centered.

HollywoodChicago.com: I’m very happy to conclude this talk with this question, what is next for Peter Bogdanovich?

Bogdanovich: It’s a ghost picture, and I hope to make it this upcoming year. It’s a comedy/drama about a film director like John Cassavetes, a director/producer/writer type. He’s been married six times, and has six daughters. It’s an interesting story, and it’s based on something I started working on 30 years ago. It’s an ensemble piece, and I want a lot of current movie stars in it, as many names as I can. It will help the audience understand who everyone is, because there are lots of characters in this one.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– It’s Week Two of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, and with Closing Night coming next Thursday, what film gems still are yet to see? The film reviewers of HollywoodChicago.com has been previewing several second week screenings, and offers the following capsule summaries.

HollywoodChicago.com reviewers are Jon Espino (JE) and Patrick McDonald (PM). For a PDF connection to the complete schedule, click here.

“Kaleidoscope” (United Kingdom)

’Kaleidoscope,’ Directed by Rupert Jones
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

This tense, Hitchcockian thriller would score praise from the Master of Suspense himself. Taking the mother/son relationship to a new and ever weirder level, the unwanted appearance of Carl’s (Toby Jones) mum interrupts a potential date, and throws him into a tailspin of psychological dread. The cutting and the camera work, including a sequence following a rolled up newspaper, makes this major film debut of director Rupert Jones (Toby’s brother) a stunner. (PM)

Friday, 10/21, 8:45pm
Sunday, 10/23, 1pm

“I, Daniel Blake” (United Kingdom/France)

’I, Daniel Blake,’ Directed by Anne Zohra Berrached
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Anyone who has ever had to deal with any bureaucratic system (American or English) can tell you how fundamentally flawed and counterproductive it ends up being. Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) has spent over 40 years of his life working, but when a heart attack forces him to seek financial help from the government, he is thrown into an endless loop as he tries to navigate through all the red tape. The filmmaking team of Ken Loach (director) and Paul Laverty (writer) create another film with socialist overtones about human compassion and an inherently broken government system that values pointless paperwork over the lives of the people they are there to protect. This film won the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for its social appeal and depth of emotion. This tragic tale will remind you that empathy is something that we should all feel for each other, including strangers. (JE)

Saturday, 10/22, 8:30pm
Tuesday, 10/25 6pm

“City and State Shorts” (United States)

’Think Locally’ City and State Short Films
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Saturday, October 22nd is Short Film Day at the Festival (click the link above for full schedule), but the next day the City and State Short Film showcase gets a repeat from its debut the week previous. Highlights include “Positioning” (director Ann Beal), a incredible piece of animation culled from 400 pages of a self portrait; “Huh” (Filip Kojic) is a visually marvelous piece using the cityscape as a surreal planet; “Le Nu” (The Nude, Brian Zahm) is a cutting piece of French New Wave satire. (PM)

Sunday, 10/23, 12:45pm
Wednesday, 10/26, 8:15pm

“Daughters of the Dust” (United States)

’Daughters of the Dust,’ Directed by Julie Dash
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

This lush restoration of the first film directed by an African American woman to get major theatrical distribution (in 1991!) is also celebrating its 25th anniversary. Set on an island off the coast of South Carolina in 1902, these sons and daughters of freed slaves are deciding whether to stay in their insular – and traditionally African – society, or join the burgeoning industrial America. Visually intuitive, with bits of poetic narrative, the film is a timeless statement on inevitable change. (PM)

Sunday, 10/23, 3pm

“The Handmaiden” (South Korea)

’The Handmaiden,’ Directed by Park Chan-wook
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Hold onto your bells as the infamous director of “Oldboy” (Park Chan-wook) creates an erotic period thriller that combines the comic weirdness of Preston Sturges with the twists of Alfred Hitchcock, all done with a wry blink-or-you’ll-miss-it sensibility. A gang of Korean theives are looking for a big score from a eccentric Japanese book collector, so they send one of their own to infiltrate as a handmaiden to the estate’s mistress. What isn’t expected is that the handmaiden and the mistress may have more than just a mutual admiration. The crisp pace and the underlying fun make this a great ride. (PM)

Sunday, 10/23, 8:15pm
Tuesday, 10/25, 8:30pm

“Animation Shorts” (Various)

’Figures in a Landscape,’ Animation Shorts
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Animation has evolved a bit since the Saturday morning cartoon era, and these short films from around the world expresses that forward movement. Highlights include the a new use of clay-mation in “Moms on Fire” (Sweden), an allegory of vision in “Blind Vaysha” (Canada) and a an old folk legend come to life in “Among the Black Waves” (Russia). (PM)

Tuesday, 10/25, 6pm

“Lion” (Australia)

’Lion,’ Directed by Garth Davis
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Family is a strong relationship you have with people you care deeply for. This feeling transcends any biological boundaries. As you get older, you get to choose your family, but sometimes your family chooses you. “Lion” follows the true story of Saroo (Dev Patel) as he tries to find the family he was separated from as a child. The complex emotions in this film will take you on a roller coaster ride, making you shed tears of sorrow, but also tears of joy. Basically, be prepared to cry. The film attempts to tackle difficult questions concerning what truly makes a family, and how to reconcile the feelings for your adoptive family and the longing for the biological one you knew as a child. Powerful performances from the child actors, as well as Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, give this film the emotional ferocity of a lion.. (JE)

Tuesday, 10/25, 7:45pm

“Moonlight” (United States)

’Moonlight,’ Directed by Barry Jenkins
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

An unusual film with an unusual structure, this three chapter story exposes three periods in the life of a poor and desperate African American man, nicknamed Little, and his struggle with existence. The final chapter has the power and subtlety of a one act play, as filmmaker Barry Jenkins lets the emotions unfold slowly, within a gratitude that develops between two old friends who gave each more to each other than could ever be expected. The way Little is cared for – and not cared for – is the key to the narrative thread, essentially defining how all of our accumulated love and nurturing makes us who we are. (PM)

Wednesday, 10/26, 7:30pm

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The recently completed 52nd Chicago International Film Festival offered a world perspective on cinema, and honors the films that will influence the arts culture for years to come. Their Awards Night was October 21st, 2016, and was hosted by Richard Roeper, film critic of the Chicago Sun Times. The recipient of the top prize of the fest, the Gold Hugo, was “Sieranevada” (Romania), directed by Cristi Puiu.

The 52nd Chicago International Film Festival Awards Night was Oct. 21, 2016
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The awards event took place at the AMC River East Theatre. Presenters included Programming Director Mimi Plauché, programmers Anthony Kaufman and Sam Flancher, plus various jury members – which included Geraldine Chapman (actress and daughter of Charlie Chaplin), who presided over the International Feature Film Competition Jury. Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com sat on the Animation Shorts jury. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery.

International Feature Film Competition

“Sieranevada,” Directed by Cristi Puiu
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo for Best Film:“Sieranevada” (Romania), directed by Cristi Puiu 

The Silver Hugo – Special Jury Prize:“The Salesman” (Iran), directed by Asghar Farhadi

The Silver Hugo – Best Director: Cristi Puiu of “Sieranevada”

The Silver Hugo – Best Actor: Adrian Titieni of “Graduation” (Romania/France)

The Silver Hugo – Best Actress: Rebecca Hall of “Christine” (USA)

The Silver Plaque – Best Cinematography: Kacper Fertacz for “The Last Family” (Poland)

The Silver Plaque – Best Screenplay: Cristian Mungiu for “Graduation”

The Silver Plaque – Best Art Direction: Jagna Janicka for “The Last Family”

New Directors Competition

“The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki,” Directed by Juho Kuosmanen
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo: Director Juho Kuosmanen of “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki” (Finland)

The Silver Hugo Director Jonas Rothlaender of “Fado” (Germany)

The Roger Ebert Award for New Directors Director Atilla Till of “Kills on Wheels” (Hungary)

Documentary Competition

“Samuel in the Clouds,” Directed by Pieter van Eecke
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo:“Samuel in the Clouds” (Belgium/Netherlands), directed by Pieter van Eecke

The Silver Hugo:“Where We’re Meant to Be” (United Kingdom), directed by Paul Fegan

Gold Q Award (LBGTQ Films)

“Heartstone,” Directed by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo:“Heartstone” (Iceland), directed by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson

The Silver Hugo:“Paris 05:59” (France), directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau

Short Film Competition

“Moms on Fire,” Directed by Joanna Rytel
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo – Live Action:“Madre” (Sweden), directed by Simón Mesa Soto

The Silver Hugo – Live Action: “Rhapsody” (France), directed by Constance Meyer

Gold Plaque – Documentary: “Moriom” (Switzerland), directed by Francesca Scalisi and Mark Olexa

The Silver Hugo – Documentary: “Home of the Brave” (Sweden), directed by Gustav Hugosson and Andreas Nilsson.

The Silver Hugo – Animated: “Moms on Fire” (Sweden), directed by Joanna Rytel
The Animation Jury was Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Artist Kera MacKenzie and DePaul University Asst. Professor Steve Socki: “This is an animated short which uses stop motion claymation and creates a audacious and authentic commentary on pregnancy, family values, isolation and everyday mendacity. Using ordinary settings, intricately detailed art, unique character design, and a hilarious screenplay, the filmmaker constructs an evolved sensibility for a familiar animated format. Sex, marshmallows and Jamaica will never be the same, and for this we award the Silver Hugo to Moms on Fire by Joanna Rytel.”

Gold Plaque – Animated: “Blind Vaysha” (Russia), directed by Theodore Ushev
“This animated short is presented through a compelling woodcut style to tell a simple fable of vision and blindness, through a character who can only see the past in one eye and future in the other. The sumptuous expression of the animation has a fluid beauty which culminates in a vital and necessary philosophy. For evoking the importance of staying in focus, in an unforgettable visual journey, we award a gold plaque to Blind Vaysha by Theodore Ushev.”

Honorable Distinction – Animated: “I, Destini” (USA), directed by Destini Riley and Nicholas Pilarski
“This use of the short animated platform, with hypnotic design and illustration, demonstrates the African American experience through the plights and anguish of one family, as they maintain their will to survive while one of their own is incarcerated. For expressing a commonality between all humans, during the current climate of profiling and misunderstanding in race relations, we award a Special Mention to I, Destini by Destini Riley and Nicholas Pilarski.”

The Founder’s Award

The Founder’s Award:“Paradise” (Germany/Russia), directed by Andrei Konchalovsky

By PATRICK McDONALD Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– One of the great nights at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival is the short film presentation celebrating the best of area filmmakers, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. Included in the program were three notable filmmakers, Anne Beal (“Positioning”), Filip Kojic (“HUH”) and Brian Zahm (“The Nude”).

Every year, HollywoodChicago.com seeks out these filmmakers, to talk about the challenges of using cinema as a expressive platform, in addition to finding their style and artistic energy through the process of creating their films.

Anne Beal, Director of “Positioning”

‘Positioning,’ Directed by Anne Beal
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Anne Beal is a local artist and academic who spent a year filling a book called “Know How” – that she randomly found – with self portraits. After that project was done, she decided to create an animated film using the artwork.

HollywoodChicago.com: Your film is very timely, as treatment of women by a patriarchal society is on the table in this campaign. What good do you see, if any, coming from this discussion, in the context of your film?

Anne Beal of ‘Positioning’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Anne Beal: People take their own experience to my film, because with the images combined with the text in the book flashing at the viewer, what it brings up for them is their experience. The words ‘positioning,’ ‘operating mechanism’ and ‘money making’ come up a lot, which are jargon words, but when they’re put into the context of the workplace, for example, it becomes more in depth.

For background sound, I was using snippets of Lucky Strike cigarette ads and also me reading from an old book from 1898, ‘Women and Economics.’ It’s amazing what is in that book about emancipating the woman from the household, and how it is relevant 120 years later.

HollywoodChicago.com: Sound design is a vital part of your animated dream. When you are planning the design, do you want a certain soundbite and endeavor to find it, or do you remember certain things that you’ve heard and animate around them?

Anne Beal: It was a combination. For example, I have a fondness for old radio shows, and I used soundbites from these cassette tapes I found at a thrift store. One of radio shows on that collection was an adaptation of ‘The Jazz Singer’ [first sound film], and the Lucky Strike ads were in that program. The words, ‘the taste that makes the difference’ kept radiating, which has a subversive tone when applied toward women.

HollywoodChicago.com: Martin Scorsese once said, ‘films are the fever dreams of psychotics. What do you believe to be the most psychotic element of your work?

Beal: Well, the images come at you really quickly, and if you think of the psyche as the self and the mind, the way that I put it together was grabbing different parts of my artistic experience. Just the act of drawing my face on every page, in a book I found in a parking lot, was a psychotic act. [laughs] I saw the book through the lens of myself.

Filip Kojic, Director of “HUH”

’HUH,’ Directed by Filip Kojic
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

“HUH” is a wonderfully rendered visual poem on the randomness of mortality and life. A series of long shots with the actions in the framing tell more about the participants than traditional narrative.

HollywoodChicago.com: You like the action in the long shots from afar, rather than close-ups or cutting into action. What about your view of cinema informs that style?

Filip Kojic of ‘HUH’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Filip Kojic: I like duration, and there is a type of filmmaking called ‘slow cinema,’ which I subscribe to. I like to have static shots with object movement in the frame, with many things going on at once. I want to give the viewer the freedom to look where they want, and pay attention to what is interesting to them. I think it’s a good way to engage, and creates a more active experience. It’s my own battle against the hyper-speed edits we see everyday in our image consumption. I want to create images to give space you as a viewer, and give you an opportunity to create a more meaningful visual relationship.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you are visually assessing a landscape for a shot, what elements do you focus on to get what you want visually?

Kojic: I shot the film in my neighborhood, so I knew what was visually interesting to me. When I’m thinking about the rhythm of the film, I’m also thinking about how the images are connecting in the edit. For example, there are cement trucks in one shot, and it always caught my attention whenever I saw them. So I went to that space, and told my actor to ride his bike into the scene. It became a beautiful reveal as he rode through where the trucks came out, it’s like he came out from behind a curtain.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you talk about your love for filmmaking, what it the first thing you talk about?

Kojic: The communication that you can have through poetic imagery is an effective one, and the cinema has the ability take intimacy to another level, expressing more that even language or words. It’s the ability to speak in images, rather than dialogue, that’s magical. To communicate that clearly, and then to challenge the audience in a provocative way, can result in an experience that a viewer might not encounter in their regular life.

Brian Zahm, Director of “The Nude”

‘The Nude’ (Le Nu) Directed by Brian Zahm
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The absurdist film is a sharp spoof of pretentious French films, done with precision, hilarity and style by Brian Zahm, a filmmaker and instructor at DePaul University.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since this is a goof on French pretension in cinema, was there a specific film or series of films that gave you the idea?

Brian Zahm of ‘The Nude’ Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Brian Zahm: I do admire French New Wave like a madman, it changed the way we look at cinema and how we do cinema. The real answer is in trying to make the most pretentious film ever, I harken back to my first experiences with foreign films, and I wanted to emulate everything that stuck in my crawl.

I would say, ‘f**k this,’ because I was young and undeveloped. I didn’t understand those film’s power back then, so I wanted to mock all the things that f**ked with me – the slow motion, the cross cutting and a bird. I wanted it to be grainy and soft focused, basically the most pretentious film ever.

HollywoodChicago.com: The themes of your films seem to be the ordinary scenarios of everyday life brought to punch line. Do you agree with Charlie Chaplin, in the context of your films, that in the end it’s all a gag?

Zahm: I don’t think it’s all a gag, but I do tell my students that it’s all about being the perfect liar. You have to believe in whatever reality you’re bringing to life. My film is a gag ultimately, but it’s a gag about being human. When you’re younger, your life energy is limitless, but when you’re older it’s about the limits – so it became about those limitations. Even thought the film is about pretension, I’m not pretentious, but I am a jokester.

HollywoodChicago.com: Given your perspective and world view, how is film the ideal medium to communicate that point of view?

Zahm: More Trump commercials, so he becomes king! [laughs] It is f**ked up how media is distorting the world and our beliefs. Whether there is truth or lies, it’s a very f**ked up time. I can grab a camera and I have a good eye, so for me it works. Ultimately, I want to make something that people remember. I throw it together, and at the very least it can give you some entertainment.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO–The 53rd Chicago International Television Awards, a companion celebration to the Chicago International Television Festival – and presented by Cinema/Chicago, the organization who presents the Chicago International Film Festival – will take place Thursday, March 23rd, 2017, and will honor entertainment reporter Dean Richards, advertising guru Joe Sedelmeier and the newly-formed-but-already-influential Amazon Studios. The entire television festival will take place from March 21st to the 23rd at the AMC River East 21, and screenings are free and open to the public. Click here for a complete schedule and details.

The 2016 Awards, given in April of last year, were conferred through Michael Kutza, Artistic Director and Founder of the Chicago International Film Festival, and were “The Commitment to Excellence in Television Productions,” which was given to HBO; the “Career Achievement Award,” that went to actress Regina Taylor; the “Chicago Legend Award,” given to local ABC 7 Chicago broadcaster Janet Davies; and the “Chicago Award” which was presented to Bill Zwecker, entertainment reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times and FOX 32 Chicago.

Chicago International Television Award 2016 Honorees: Janet Davies, Presenter Michael Kutza and Bill Zwecker
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago

HollywoodChicago.com did some Red Carpet interviews from last year – Janet Davies and Bill Zwecker – and will be on the carpet for the 53rd Chicago International Television Awards. On the next page, the 2015 honorees are interviewed. Both the 2016 and 2015 Red Carpet talks are published for the first time.

Janet Davies, “The Chicago Legend Award”

Janet Davies is an entertainment reporter and host at ABC 7 (WLS-TV) in Chicago. She has worked for the station since 1984, covering the globe as a general assignment, features and entertainment journalist. She is the host of the Chicago TV magazine show “190 North,” and she is the co-host of the highly rated “Countdown Chicago” every New Years Eve, among other program hosting duties. She previously worked in the Cincinnati (her hometown) and Philadelphia TV markets.

Janet Davies, The 2016 ‘Chicago Legend Award’ Recipient
Photo credit: ABC 7 Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com: Since you grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, what was distinctive about that hometown life that you don’t think would be available anywhere else?

Janet Davies: The Cincinnati chili, of course, and Graeter’s ice cream and Dixie hamburgers…are you getting the food theme? [laughs] And since we’re in a movie theater right now, my childhood was going to the Court Theatre in Hamilton, Ohio. I remember watching, at least six times, the film ‘The Moon-Spinners’ with Hayley Mills. I was in love with the young male actor in the film, Peter McEnery.

Fast forward years later, I was in Three Oaks, Michigan, at the Acorn Theatre. I knew the owner, and he showed me an organ that they’d recently purchased. It look familiar, so I asked where it came from. He said, ‘The Court Theatre in Hamilton, Ohio.’ I was blown away, because there in Three Oaks I was reunited with a piece of The Court.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since you have some local notoriety hosting the annual New Year’s Eve show on ABC 7. What weird things have happened over the years on that live event?

Davies: Well, I was physically attacked with a champagne bottle one year. That wasn’t good, and it happened on the air. Another year, we were doing the show at the terrace restaurant at the Trump Hotel. The Trump folks at the hotel promised we’d have heaters if we did the show outside. They never showed up. So Mark [Giangreco, her co-host] and I froze our butts off, and it got so cold that people thought we’d been drinking because it was so hard to talk. We ended up in blankets.

HollywoodChicago.com: What story do you think has been the best in the history of your magazine show, ‘190 North.’?

Davies: Well, I’ll start with any story featuring the late Doug Banks, I still miss him. But there was one story, where I put on pads and skates, and joined the ‘Mother Puckers’ women’s hockey league… and I scored a goal. [laughs]

Bill Zwecker, Chicago Award

Bill Zwecker has Chicago journalism credentials that is all in the family. His mother, Peg Zwecker, was an award-winning fashion editor and columnist for the Chicago Daily News, and the paper her son Bill currently works for, the Chicago Sun-Times. Bill Zwecker also works as an Entertainment Reporter for FOX 32 Chicago, and has worked for “The Today Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Joan Rivers Show.”

Bill Zwecker, 2016 ‘Chicago Award’ Recipient
Photo credit: FOX 32 Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com: What memory or story do you think emphasizes your mother’s career in old Chicago journalism?

Bill Zwecker: Probably the most important story she did is when she discovered [fashion designer] Halston. He was in the School of the Art Institute fashion program, and the publicist for the Ambassador Hotel called my mother to tip her off about him. He was making hats for a boutique in their atrium, and she wrote about him. She then introduced him to a designer in New York City, and lent him money to go there.

Years later, when Halston sold his business for $60 million dollars, my father said to my mother, ‘You should a cut a better deal back then.’ [laughs] Halston and her remained friends until he died, and that’s probably her biggest achievement.

HollywoodChicago.com: Prior to being a journalist, what jobs did you do that nobody would believe right now?

Zwecker: I worked at a summer camp in Michigan when I was younger, where my job was to clean out all the septic tanks… and there can be many jokes made that it was equivalent to what we see in the screening room. [laughs] I also worked for Senator Charles Percy, politics was my first love. When I started writing at the Sun-Times, I actually did political pieces. Even as I switched to entertainment, it wasn’t that dissimilar to politics.

HollywoodChicago.com: Tell us something about the legendary Joan Rivers that the rest of the world doesn’t know.

Zwecker: In real life, she was the kindest and nicest person in the world. I know that sounds like something anyone would say, but there was one thing I’ll never forget about her. She told me once, when I was working on her show, that she always judged famous people by how they treated others who couldn’t talk back to them… like make-up people, drivers and wait staffs. I always thought that was a great rule of life in general, no matter who you are – people are people, no matter what.

NEXTPAGE: Three more talks with honorees from the 2015 Chicago International Television Awards.

Jay Levine, “Commitment to Excellence in Investigative Journalism Award”

Jay Levine is one of the familiar faces in Chicago broadcast journalism, and in January of 2016 – after 42 years – reduced his status from day-to-day reporter to special correspondent for CBS 2 Chicago (WBBM). He began his work in the Windy City in 1974, working for ABC 7 Chicago until his move to CBS 2 in 1990. One year before that, in 1989, Levine married another local newscaster, Mary Ann Childers.

Jay Levine, 2015 ‘Commitment to Excellence in Investigative Journalism Award’ Recipient
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the biggest story you’ve ever worked on, or the one that made you proudest?

Jay Levine: I think the biggest was getting embedded with the 101st Airborne during the second Gulf War in 2003. I was trying to keep up with twentysomething soldiers, and had to dig my own foxholes, and set up tents. I lost 18 pounds over the weeks, and my wife told me if I gained it back, I’m going back. [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: As an investigative reporter, what signal do you get that a story is too hot, and you have to back off?

Levine: I do not back off. Reporters don’t do that, because any reporting is investigative, it is just characterized as long form or short form. Everyday, I do some kind of investigative reporting. When I go after something, I go after it. Nothing will make me back down.

I’ve had drug traffickers in Mexico following me because they didn’t like what I was doing. I’ve had bullets whizzing over my head in Beirut. If you’re going after a story, those are the type of things that can happen, but I keep going after it.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since television in general has to create advertising revenue, how do you think the skewers the perspective of a potential audience?

Levine: There is a real iron wall between the ad side and the news side, and we don’t cross that wall. Sponsors do not affect what I am doing. There are times when they do get uncomfortable about a story, but that’s the way it goes. It we started to get influenced by that, it becomes a slippery slope, and that’s one place no self-respecting reporter will get on to.

HollywoodChicago.com: With television changing so rapidly, what in your opinion is the future of TV news?

Levine: I think there will be more immediacy, because of the online partnership. There is no ‘best of the day’ on the evening news anymore. Everything is immediate, especially since we can report with devices like mobile phones. The shelf life of a story today is a fraction of what it was when I first started.

Tom Burrell, “Chicago Legend in Advertising Award”

Tom Burrell is one of the pioneers in marketing/advertising focus for the African American consumer, when he co-founded the Chicago-based ad agency Burrell McBain in 1971. It was renamed Burrell Advertising in the mid-1970s, and Burrell Communications Group in 1991. With clients like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Toyota, Hewlitt-Packard and General Mills, the various Burrell ad groups delivered cutting edge direct marketing campaigns for the African American audience. Tom Burrell retired from his namesake agency in 2004.

Tom Burrell, 2015 ‘Chicago Legend in Advertising Award’ Recipient
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: You were famous for coining the phrase, ‘black people are not dark skinned white people.’ Has the dynamic of that phrase changed since you first coined it?

Tom Burrell: No. It didn’t start with me saying it, either, it’s as old as African Americans being here. It continues to be the same, by the virtue of how we came here – against our will essentially – it has just adjusted through the different dynamics that has been manifested through the culture and marketplace. That hasn’t been resolved because it continues not to be addressed.

HollywoodChicago.com: In the treatment of African Americans during the 1950s and ‘60s, and the transition that occurred during the Civil Rights era, where did you see the opportunity to reach that culture of people in advertising and commerce?

Burrell: The opportunity simply came out of the fact that African Americans had never seen themselves reflected positively in the media. They were depicted either as caricatures – like a Stepin Fetchit – or exceptions like high achieving academics. There was no middle ground, so the opportunity came from a craving for people in middle to see themselves reflected in media. All we had to do was show that, it did the people some good, and sold a lot of products.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since you’ve started a second phase in your life, ‘rewired’ as you put it, what have you discovered about yourself that you never knew as an ad executive?

Burrell: I believe I sat on some of my creative skills just because I was delegating as that executive, and didn’t want to compete with the creative folks who were working for me. Once I stopped doing that, I’ve found that creative side again, writing, artistic stuff, even singing. All of that has value.

Tom Skilling, “Chicago Award”

Tom Skilling is somewhat of a legends in the world of meteorologists, as the chief weatherman at WGN 9 Chicago, and is acknowledged as one of the best in the business, through his comprehensive knowledge regarding weather trends. He began his career at age 14 on WKKD-AM/FM in Aurora, Illinois. After completing his degree in meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin, he joined WITI in Milwaukee in his first job as on-air weatherman in 1975. Three years later, he joined WGN-TV in Chicago, and has worked for the station ever since, and is under contract until 2022.

Tom Skilling, 2015 ‘Chicago Award’ Recipient
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Mark Twain once said, ‘everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.’ How do you think that saying applies to weather reporting and meteorology today?

Tom Skilling: We’re still talking about it, no question about that. I do believe we are doing something about it. Tornado warnings have become sophisticated now, and people are grateful that they get these warnings ahead of time, and lives are saved. What has happened to the models in the science of meteorology in the last 50 years has been amazing, and anybody who has been lucky enough to do what I do has had a front row seat to this change.

For example, I was just talking about climate change at a conference, and in my keynote speech there I talked about how we’re able to see the planet now, and get an idea of what is going on. It’s stunning for me, in the context of what I do.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– One of the hottest new shows on HBO is “Crashing,” a quasi-autobiography of the star of the show, comedian Pete Holmes. Last week, at the Chicago International Television Festival, Holmes stopped by and presented the latest episode.

Comedian Pete Holmes of HBO’s ‘Crashing’
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Pete Holmes was born in Massachusetts, and started doing improvisational comedy in college. After he graduated, he started doing stand-up comedy, and chronicles that process in “Crashing.” He also did a couple years (2013-14) as a talk show host, immediately following Conan O’Brien on the TBS Network. Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com offers this Exclusive Portrait of Pete Holmes at the Chicago International Television Festival on March 22nd, 2017.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The actualities that define adolescence are always prime for new territory in drama, and that is what the Chicago-based film “The View from Tall” accomplishes. Co-directed by Erica Weiss and Caitlin Parrish, it will be screened at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 (details below).

The story centers on Justine (Amanda Drinkall), a highly intelligent high school senior who feels like an outsider in her insular adolescent community. Her rebellion was a consensual relationship with a teacher, and the subsequent problems when the situation is exposed has the teacher exiled, and places Justine in therapy. Her facilitator is Douglas (Michael Patrick Thornton), a wheelchair bound therapist who frees her thoughts and reactions. Their intimacy evokes feelings that neither one of them expect, which raises the suspicions of Justine’s sister Paula (Carolyn Braver).

Michael Patrick Thornton & Amanda Drinkall in ‘The View From Tall,’ next at the Midwest Independent Film Festival
Photo credit: Tyler Core for the ‘The View From Tall,’ LLC

The Midwest Independent Film Festival is a year-round movie event in Chicago that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The festival has been recognized by Chicago Magazine in their “Best of Chicago” issue, and has become one of the top places for local filmmakers, producers and actors to network in the city. HollywoodChicago.com spoke to Erica Weiss on her collaboration with Caitlin Parrish, her connection to the lead character and how “The View from Tall” can express progress in its overview of young women in society.

HollywoodChicago.com: One element from the production that I found truly fascinating was that the story was updated from a stage play that co-director Caitlin Parrish wrote when she was 18 years old, and then updated as a screenplay when she was an adult. What key place in the film does the evolution and maturing of that story become most evident?

Erica Weiss: Without giving anything away, it was actually the ending that had the biggest shift. It was more planned, and the characters had more of an expiration date in their relationship in regards to what had transpired in the story. In the play it was more open ended, but the film takes a more complex view, and allows us to wrestle with whether the circumstance were the right thing to do, and allows the characters to do the right thing. Another big change was was in the lead character of Justine. In the play, she was more self righteous and above it all, and the story followed that emotion, but in the film she is not always right.

HollywoodChicago.com: The sexual politics of women and their relationships are interestingly explored from the perspective of two teenage girls. How were you and Caitlin able to inject your understanding of that part of your lives into the performances of Amanda and Carolyn?

Weiss: I can speak for the both of us – because Caitlin and I discussed it – because ultimately it was about being younger women in high school, but not being able to relate to our peer group and feeling older than the age of the people around us. And also it was about the girls around us, who seemed to be more willing to do and have fun with the high school thing. That certainly altered the way we thought about the entanglements of that age, and how they played out.

We felt mature, which made us feel like we could handle adult decisions, and that was different than acting on impulse. That made us feel like we owned it, and had tremendous agency, but the pitfall – like Justine and the teacher – was that we could easily be taken advantage of, by adults who could manipulate that you think you’re acting on your own behalf. It was a different type of exploration, a choice that the teacher makes to create the exploitation.

HollywoodChicago.com: So how did that apply to the experiences of you and Caitlin?

Weiss: We weren’t necessarily telling our stories, but portraying an empathy for what Justine goes through, and why she makes the decisions that she makes, is what we related to in that context. I hope what the film tells us in the end is that she will be okay, and the decisions that she made will not make her a childhood victim, but a woman in her own right.

HollywoodChicago.com: The main men in the story are an indifferent father, a ghost [the teacher] that has run away and a lonely therapist who finds himself falling into a moral vacuum. What do understand about the choices of men that you think came to the surface in ‘The View From Tall’?

Weiss: Well obviously the film is most sympathetic to Douglas the therapist, as it focuses on him and his loneliness. Justine in the film is on the brink of adulthood, but the grown-ups who were closest to her were still very distant, which left a vacuum that caused her to seek out relationships with older men like the teacher… and in turn that became more important than seeking out relationships with her people her own age.

The men you mentioned have different distances from Justine, which is about men seeing young women for who they are, rather than any other type of assessment. For example, her father saw Justine as a little girl who embarrassed him through her actions, and he doesn’t understand it. The teacher saw her as a mark, because he figured out she was seeking approval and validation from an older man. Douglas was the only one that ultimately saw her for who she actually was, and in the end everyone desires to be seen in that way.

Caitlin Parrish (left) and Erica Weiss on the Set of ‘The View From Tall’
Photo credit: Tyler Core for the ‘The View From Tall,’ LLC

HollywoodChicago.com: Amanda Drinkall was an amazing discovery, and was fearless in her performance. Of all the younger actresses you saw in the casting process, what did Amanda understand about Justine that the others did not?

Weiss: First, Amanda was older that the other actresses we saw, even to the point where we weren’t sure if she would look like a teenager on screen. But then we did a camera test, and it turned out to be the right casting. The character of Justine was never intended to seem like she was that young anyway, and the other characters around her tended to forget she was a teenager, and we also wanted at times for the audience to forget that as well. Amanda walked within that part of Justine that was 17 years old going on 35, and that was the character.

HollywoodChicago.com: I thought the costuming was key as well, because her clothing reflected her adolescence, but there is also a point in the film where she emerges confidently with a key costume change…

Weiss: My costume designer, Alarie Hammock, has been working with me in the theater since 2011, and this was her first feature film. She really understood the character and her evolution, from someone who didn’t particularly want to be seen to someone who is seen.

HollywoodChicago.com: One of the key lines for me was when Douglas says to Justine – regarding going off to college – that she will be ‘trying on a new version of herself,’ and everything will change after that time. When have you, in your life, tried on a new version of yourself, and how did to you relate that back to Justine?

Weiss: That line rings true for both Caitlin and I, we both were able to do that in college. College gives you an opportunity to start fresh with a new group of people, with a chance to say ‘this is the version of myself that I want to be.’ And also you realize that everyone else is going through the same thing, in terms of reinvention.

HollywoodChicago.com: Recently our country went through a profound rejection of progress, and elected a man who both represents the patriarchy and our lowest fears. What specifically will this mean for women, in your point of view, and how can be best all fight back?

Weiss: I think the most catastrophic result of the election, in terms of gender politics specifically, was the validation and an elevation of behavior that is exploitative, disrespectful and misogynistic. What this validation did is teach young men that it’s okay to live and practice within an attitude of harassment, and devalue female voices.

Films like ‘The View from Tall’ are designed to fight back that narrative, no matter who wins an election. Young women, most importantly, need to be seen by their peers – and especially older men – as strong, independent people with their own authentic voices. Women who tell stories and make art are using those creations as the best weapon to counter this catastrophic election… which was and is a genuine attempt to silence women, and we will not be silenced.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is your final pitch to a potential audience for the film, in the sense of what they can get from it when they come on Tuesday?

Weiss: First, what has surprised me in our previous festival showings – counter to the goal of creating this film as a representative story for women, that we wanted to see when we were teenagers – is that it touched a much broader audience. Men and women of all ages saw something that they identified with, and that was really powerful.

It was gratifying to experience the resonance of the film, and we’ve been very excited that it expanded its connection to different audiences, especially in the disability community. It’s a funny, challenging and sincere film, and it’s relatable even when it asks the audience to grapple with the tougher questions in it.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– It was an evening to honor the past, current and future brands in TV media at the 53rd Chicago International Television Awards Night on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017. TV advertising creator Joe Sedelmaier, WGN-TV Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards and Amazon Studios – represented by Development Executive Jill Arthur – were the individual honorees at the ceremony.

Also honored with awards were an array of television commercials and productions. Top prizes in the advertising categories went to FCB-Chicago, The Martin Agency and mcgarrybowen. The NBC-TV series “Chicago Justice” was awarded the top festival prize, the Gold Hugo, for a Dramatic Program.

Michael Kutza (right) Honors Joe Sedelmaier with the Chicago Legend Award at the Television Festival
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

This was the 53rd Chicago International Television Festival, which began as a component of the Chicago International Film Festival, and was spun off into a separate festival in the Spring of 2016. Attending the Awards Night was the Founder and Artistic Director of the Film Festival, Michael Kutza, and members of Cinema/Chicago, who facilitate both the Film and TV festivals. Event organizer Sam Flancher highlighted some memorable moments from the three-day fest, including screenings and panels associated with “Public Housing Unit” (Independent), “American Playboy” (Amazon Studios) and “When the Streetlights Go On” (Hulu), in addition to comedian Pete Holmes presenting his current HBO series, “Crashing.”

HollywoodChicago.com was at the Awards Night, and scored some Red Carpet interviews with two of the individual honorees. Dean Richards was not able to attend due to illness, but his letter of appreciation was read at the ceremony.

Joe Sedelmaier, Chicago Legend Award Honoree

TV commercial director Joe Sedelmaier was the originator of the catchphrase “Where’s the Beef!” for a series of Wendy’s franchise national spots, along with a whole slew of other famous television ads of the 1960s through the 1990s. Sedelmaier’s distinct style and eye for unique casting set him apart in advertising-on-TV history, and appropriately he received the Chicago Legend honor on Awards Night.

Chicago Legend Award Honoree Joe Sedelmaier
Photo credit: Chicago International Television Festival

HollywoodChicago.com: What does it mean to you to be honored by a Chicago Television Festival, since Chicago is one of the greatest advertising cities in the country?

Joe Sedelmaier: I consider myself a Chicagoan. I came here to study at the Art Institute in 1951 when I was 18 years old, and I’ve been here ever since. I still think Chicago is the best city in the country.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you began to change the way that TV commercials could be conceived, and simply make them more entertaining, why do you think clients and agencies were scared of that concept?

Sedelmaier: I have no idea. [laughs] But that’s the way it goes with the whole human thing – nobody wants to take a risk. But to be entertaining is not risky, everybody likes to be entertained.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do you observe about TV commercial production today that both encourages you and distresses you?

Sedelmaier: Besides the technology, I don’t find much of a difference. I think the quality is there, and there are good commercials and bad ones, just like always.

HollywoodChicago.com: What director of movies do you think would make a good TV commercial director and why?

Sedelmaier: You know what… I have no idea. [laughs] In some ways, it’s easier to go from short form to long form than vice versa. I used to make 30 second ‘movies,’ and I think if I only did long form I would find it difficult to adjust to that short a length. ‘I gotta say something in 30 seconds. Forget about it!’ There have been directors who have done commercials over the years, but they seem to be the exception.

Development Executive Jill Arthur of Amazon Studios

Representing Amazon Studios, who received the Commitment to Excellence in Television Production Awards, Development Executive Jill Arthur is part of a team that is redefining the scheduling and production of TV programming. Their stable of Emmy and Golden Globe winning series include “Transparent,” “Mozart in the Jungle” and “The Man in the High Castle,” along with original programming like “Red Oaks,” “Bosch” and “Hand to God.” The film division of the studio just scored their first two Oscars, when “Manchester by the Sea” won Best Screenplay, and Best Actor for Casey Affleck.

Jill Arthur of Amazon Studios, with Michael Kutza
Photo credit: Chicago International Television Festival

HollywoodChicago.com: One of the more interesting elements of Amazon Studios is how you found TV pilots when you first began. You’d actually asked for submissions from anyone, got the public to vote on them, and ‘green lighted’ them based on reaction and creative factors. How does that approach still play out at the studio?

Jill Arthur: It’s something comes through that is really great, we still want to produce it. It’s not the same producing structure at this point as when we began, but it’s still an important part of the business.

HollywoodChicago.com: I know you’re not directly involved in this, but how did the film division come about, to suddenly produce Woody Allen and win Oscars?

Arthur: The hiring of [producer] Ted Hope was the key. He built the film division and clearly knows what he is doing.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the studio excited about regarding what is coming up?

Arthur: We have great stuff coming up in both drama and half hour series. We’ve got ‘Jack Ryan,’ executive produced by Carleton Cuse, and of course the reboot of ‘The Tick’ with original creator Ben Edlund. I think it’s the best it’s ever been, and we’re really looking forward to relaunching it. Plus there are new seasons of ‘Transparent,’ ‘Mozart in the Jungle’ and ‘Patriot’ and we’ve just put up some new pilots, including ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ And as they say, more to come.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– The 13th annual CineYouth Festival – presented by Cinema/Chicago – starts on Thursday, May 4th, 2017, at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, kicking off a three day festival run. The opening night film is the animated “My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea,” a debut by director Dash Shaw, who will make an appearance on behalf of the film for the CineYouth Festival.

The festival celebrates the talent of filmmakers from around the world who are 22 years old or younger, and will showcase a variety of 70 short films. The fest is free and open to the public. For more information and a schedule click here.

‘My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea,’ Directed by Dash Shaw
Photo credit: Cinema/Chicago

Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a non-profit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. In addition to CineYouth, Cinema/Chicago’s programs include the Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago International Television Festival, international screenings, and a year-round education program. Celebrating its 53rd edition October 12-26, 2017, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America’s longest running competitive film fest.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– Cinema/Chicago – the parent organization of the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) – announced today that Mimi Plauché will take over as Artistic Director for the festival, effective immediately. She assumes the position formerly head by Michael Kutza, the Founder of CIFF. Kutza will continue with the festival as President &CEO, overseeing operations, the branding of Cinema/Chicago, fundraising and the education programs.

Mimi Plauché, the New Artistic Director for the Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Timothy M. Schmidt for Cinema/Chicago

Mimi Plauché had been part of the programming department of Cinema/Chicago since 2006, rising to her most recent position of Programming Director. As Artistic Director, she will be responsible for all film programming at the Chicago International Film Festival, Cinema/Chicago’s year-round programming and community partnering. She will also identify established and emerging filmmakers for inclusion into the festival, and will represent CIFF at other festivals throughout the world.

Michael Kutza, Founder, President &CEO of CIFF Photo credit: Timothy M. Schmidt for Cinema/Chicago

Michael Kutza was the longest serving Artistic Director in film festival history, serving in that capacity since founding CIFF in 1964. As Governing Board Chair Penelope Steiner said, “Having Michael’s time and attention focused on helming the organization’s year-round branding and fundraising efforts will enable us to expand in a multitude of ways. Mimi’s extensive knowledge of film, her longstanding relationships with studios and filmmakers and - more than anything — her impeccable taste, make it clear that the artistic leadership of the Festival is in extraordinarily capable hands.”

“It is a great honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the organization’s artistic direction, and I am excited to be guiding the continued evolution of our world-renowned film festival,” Mimi Plauché added. “Michael has been my mentor and collaborator for more than a decade.  I look forward to carrying on the tradition of bringing the finest in international and independent cinema to Chicago’s adventurous and informed Festival audiences. I am also working to expand the Festival through strategic growth and dynamic community partnerships to better support the international and local filmmaking communities and best serve our audiences.”

Cinema/Chicago, the parent organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a non-profit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. Cinema/Chicago’s programs include the Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago International Television Festival, the CineYouth Festival, international screenings, and a year-round education program. Celebrating its 53rd edition October 12-26, 2017, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America’s longest running competitive film fest.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com

CHICAGO– When Rebecca Fons, the former Education Manager of the Chicago International Film Festival, was getting married to Jack C. Newell – a prominent Chicago film director – her mother Marianne told her something that would change the course of their lives. Fons’ hometown movie theater, the “Iowa,” was about to offered for sale. In the equivalent of the recent Matt Damon family film favorite, Rebecca and Marianne Fons was about to star in their version of “We Bought a Movie Theater.”

Rebecca Fons has been a mover and shaker within the Chicago cinema scene. She was the Education Manager for the Chicago International Film Festival for nine years, and participates in a number of screening committees for film festivals across the country. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Columbia College here, and serves in various capacities with the Steppenwolf Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Junior League of Chicago. She is a former roller derby referee for the Windy City Rollers league, and recently joined a improvisation ensemble named “Spitfire,” after training at The Second City.

Marianne and Rebecca Fons at the Announcement for the Reopening of the Iowa Theater
Photo credit: The-Iowa.com

In the following podcast interview with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Fons describes the process of acquiring and rehabilitating a bit of her childhood past in bringing the Iowa Theater back to life, and the legacy of her hometown of Winterset, which also was the birthplace of Hollywood legend John Wayne.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com