Happy Black History Month, everybody! If you have any special Black History Month events you'd like to share with us, be sure to send them our way at tips (at) chicagoist (dot) com. more ›

A movie we saw at last year's Chicago International Film Festival has a return engagement at the Midwest Independent Film Festival this Tuesday, and it's got our seal of approval. Home of the Giants was one of our surprise favorites last year, partially because going in we weren't expecting much from a high school crime thriller starring Haley Joel Osment. But we were impressed: more ›

--The Midwest Independent Film Festival starts a new season on Tuesday with the world premiere of Osso Bucco, which was produced in Chicago. The comedy revolves around disparate types stuck in an Italian restaurant during a massive snowstorm. Doesn't sound like such a terrible situation. The movie stars Illeana Douglas, who we've had a sort of crush on ever since Grace of My Heart. Several other cast members as well as the filmmakers will be at the show: 7:30 at the Landmark Century. more ›

Now that the Chicago International Film Festival is over, we can finally turn our attention to some homegrown cinematic delights. Currently showing at the Siskel for a week-long run is Joe Swanberg's dramedy Hannah Takes the Stairs. A microbudgeted movie shot in Logan Square, it's been taking the festival circuit by storm and garnering write-ups in the New York Times. Despite his movie's acclaim, Swanberg himself, according to a new article in the Reader, is... more ›

- In case you've missed the previous screenings of local film Crime Fiction, produced by former U of C students, you've got another chance to see it this evening at this month's edition of the Midwest Independent Film Festival. That's at the Landmark Century. There'll be an afterparty just around the corner at Cousin's. - Starting this Wednesday night at 6, Jonathan Rosenbaum presents a weekly series of film screenings and lectures at the Siskel... more ›

We're used to the Reader throwing out a curve ball now and then and rubbing some people the wrong way, but nevertheless we raised our eyebrows after reading its four-star review of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. If nothing else, it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to put a Cartoon Network-derived feature right up there with A Woman Under the Influence or even A History of Violence. Despite the controversy... more ›

Filmmaker Brian Jun more ›

No, we are not referring to post-Super Bowl craziness. We're talking about the Midwest Independent Film Festival, whose 2007 season begins tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Landmark Century. It's the only festival dedicated solely to work from the Midwest (thus the name) and best of all, it's year-round! Take that, Sundance! It's always the first Tuesday of each month. The fact that it's at the ultra-comfy Century is like icing on the cake (or marshmallows in the cocoa; choose your own metaphor). more ›

Darren Afronsky’s Requiem for a Dream enjoys a special place in our DVD collection. It was one of those films that was superbly put together, but because it was so well done, we find it hard to just sit down and casually watch. It is the East Coast “here’s your brain on drugs” film. Tonight at the Midwest Independent Film Festival, the Midwest is responding with our drug film in the form of Iowa. Iowa... more ›

Last month, the Midwest Independent Film Festival premiered the feature-length drama, . It was a very good -- but heavy -- drama done here in the city. more ›

Zachary Zises & Dan Waller from the film "Repetition" more ›

Bored and looking for something to do tonight? Good, because there're two great film events happening tonight. more ›

Tonight's edition of the Midwest Independent Film Festival will be featuring the Chicago premiere of a few new short comedy films. more ›

George Eckart - Animator more ›

After a two month hiatus following the awards show, The Midwest Independent Film Festival is back. On February 7, the festival will host the Chicago premiere of Casting About, a film documenting the casting process of selecting from a pool of aspiring actress auditioning for The Part. It's a meta-movie if we've ever seen such a beast. After looking at an IMDB cast list longer than anything we've ever seen, we fired off a... more ›

Last Tuesday, Chicagoist went down to the Landmark Century Theater to check out the 2005 awards for the Midwest Independent Film Festival. (See our earlier interview with the founders.) The evening kicked off with a social that included a rock band made up of cats, free drinks, and a drawing for screenwriting software. Around seven thirty, everyone piled into the theater to watch the ceremony. Half the awards show was spent announcing the winners... more ›

Mike McNamara & Mike Kwielford - MWFF Founders more ›

Pete Schwaba - Writer, Director, Actor, & Producer more ›

The Chicagoist Arts and Entertainment department has been suffering from a month long movie news drought that officially ends this week. more ›

When Chicagoist saw a notice yesterday for the Midwest Independent Film Festival, we were stunned; we thought we were finished with the spring round of fests. Turns out we were right as the MWFF is a clever re-naming of the Chicago Community Cinema, a monthly screening of the best short films and videos “from the eight-state Midwest region” (we’re guessing that’s Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio). May’s program features a video... more ›