Sad to say that once again this year the Chicagoist business office has refused to front us the money to attend Sundance. And we were really looking forward to mingling with Robert, Ethan, Maggie, and Ellen over a few bottles of organic champagne. Oh well. As consolation we'll head over to the Music Box. more ›

We've been so preoccupied lately with Blago and Huberman that we forgot to get excited about the Oscar nominations. Frankly, compared to last year, this year's crop holds a lot less excitement for us, although there are some notable exceptions. It's pretty awesome to see Richard Jenkins and Werner Herzog (!) up for awards, but coolest of all is the Best Supporting Actor nomination for long-time Chicago actor Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. more ›

Josh Peck, aka Josh of , a Sundance not-quite-darling set in the summer of 1994. He'll be at the Apple Store on Michigan Ave on Thursday with Jonathan Levine, the film's writer and director, to show clips and answer questions. more ›

"Internet," you say, "cure my case of the grumpies." more ›

This year's Sundance is perhaps more important than ever, at least in the eyes of the industry. The WGA strike just might be ending soon, but studios need to start buying up indie films now so that they have plenty of stuff to release this year. One of the movies showing at Sundance was directed by Batman and shot in Gotham City. more ›

A: A free movie every week. To us summer is about more than music festivals, street fairs and outdoor dining. It's also about enjoying wonderful cinema, either indoors in a wonderfully air-conditioned theater, or outside on a big freakin' lawn. And we'll be getting plenty of chances for both over the next several months thanks to Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival. Better known as the organization behind the annual Chicago International Film Festival,... more ›

It's now (sort of) official: Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas has signed a lease to open an eight-screen theater on the site of the former Fannie May candy factory in the West Loop. The last time we reported on this story was way back in 2005. But as anyone waiting for a Dominick's to reopen in lakeview can tell you, real estate development often moves about as quickly as a glacier. (Tangental rhetorical question: whatever happened... more ›

Somebody alert the IOC – Chicago’s got another feather in its civic entertainment cap, but did anyone here even notice? Last week at the Winter Music Conference in Miami, the South by Sundance Break of the club and electronic music world, our very own SmartBar collected the 2007 Club World Awards honor for “Best Club.” Guess that winter makeover really paid off, as Club Awards representative Kerri Mason put it: “When SmartBar revealed its new... more ›

Filmmaker Brian Jun more ›

Discussions about Black History Month have become as complex as discussions about race. Debating the labels ‘black’ and ‘African-American’ lead to debates about biracial identity and, recently, whether Senator Obama, Joe Biden’s “first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy” friend, is actually African-American. In the same vein, Black History Month has increasingly been relabeled African-American Heritage Month and African Heritage Month, terms emphasizing the present and future as... 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 ›

As the world holds its breath, teetering precariously on the cusp of the Super Bowl (well, at least in America), the wheels of the -ists keep on turning. Austinist was in a musical frame of mind as they listened to the new Shins album, updated the SXSW band listings and got called "punk rock" for their efforts by MTV. And an ice storm swept through the area. Bostonist said goodbye to John Kerry's plans... more ›

Oscar fever has got us doing cartwheels all over the Chicagoist offices, as well as placing more than a few friendly wagers over who will be taking home those expensive doorstops come February 25th. But that’s not the only thing going down in the film world at the moment. A little gathering in Park City, Utah called the Sundance Film Festival has been underway since last week. And lest you shrug your shoulders indifferently just... more ›

Way back in 2005 we told you about Crime Fiction, a movie made by students of the University of Chicago. When we last heard from them they were in the midst of post-production. Far from being the last step in the filmmaking process, post-production is merely the end of the beginning; for as any indie filmmaker will tell you, once you've "finished" your film the wheels of the industry can turn very very slowly when... more ›

Quick: how many more days 'til the Oscars? Frankly, we don't care. However the Sundance Film Festival opens on January 18, an event which we've always daydreamed about but haven't been able to attend. This year's opener will bring a bit of Chicago to the usually-sleepy ski town of Park City, Utah: the documentary Chicago 10, directed by Brett Morgen. It chronicles the anti-war protests which accompanied the 1968 Democratic Convention and the subsequent trial... more ›

Earlier this week, Chicagoist went to an advanced screening of The Puffy Chair at Copa Lounge in Lincoln Park because (A) we like going to free events, (B) we like drinking beer while we watch movies, and (C) we thought a movie centered around a ginormously hideous purple velvet chair had to be entertaining. more ›

Sometimes we at Chicagoist get busy with our day jobs and miss out on an opportunity to post breaking news. But when we come across a damn good event, we’ve gotta find a way to let you know about it, one way or another. more ›

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

Crain’s is reporting that Robert Redford’s year-old Sundance Cinemas chain plans to anchor a shopping center at Jackson and Racine, the former site of a Fannie May candy factory. The Sundance Cinemas theater would not only give Chicagoans an additional venue for art house films but would also bring some economic development to the West Side. A “specialty grocery store” is planned for the site as well as a health club. And we’re willing to... more ›

The Tribune’s Mark Caro is a lucky guy. No sooner does his Pop Machine blog debut than he’s off to Park City, Utah to cover the Sundance Film Festival. Wait…you don’t suppose they planned it that way, do you? In any case, we’ve been getting a kick out of Caro’s warts-and-all coverage, especially his realization last week that people might, you know, read his blog. Unfortunately, this didn’t occur to Caro until after he took... more ›

Chicagoist enjoys giving stuff away. You, the reader, get free movies or a Swatch out of the deal and we get a Santa Claus-like ego boost. That’s what the sales guys call a win-win situation. more ›

Hey, indie filmmakers! On your way to getting pickled at Rainbo or hitting open mic night at The Innertown, stop in at Atomix (1957 W. Chicago) and sign you and some of your film major friends up for the Fast Forward Film Festival #17 – The Stranger. Forget the rumors you've heard, the show's a go. It seems that on April 1st, the guys running the event sent out an e-mail to their mailing... more ›

“Admission is free.” more ›

This was the year that the Sundance Film Festival definitively jumped the shark. When the big story coming out of Park City isn’t about the bidding war for some hot new film but rather how much swag DJ Qualls is pulling down then you know something’s amiss. And so the South by Southwest festivals stand alone in wearing the mantle of the true independent spirit of the arts. Despite growing in size and scope over... more ›

Tonight begins Reeling 2004: The 23rd Annual Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival. Presented by Chicago Filmmakers and running through November 11th, Reeling is the 2nd oldest GLBT film fest in the U.S. and prides (pardon the pun) itself on showing a wide variety of films. It even claims that “many consider the festival to be the highlight of their cinematic year.” Oh the modesty! Check their website for ticket info and the full schedule. The opening night film is D.E.B.S., the feature-length version of a short film by Angela Robinson that makes the rounds on Sundance Channel from time to time. more ›

Now that the fall has arrived, it’s time to put away all those memories of summer fun like laying out on the beach, road tripping across America and cruising on the Chicago River before getting pooped on by the Dave Matthews Band. more ›

If you want to see some truly independent films (and the Biograph, before it's converted into a stage theatre), head down there all this week for Indiefest. Their website describes the event as, "Incorporating a film festival, a well-known screenwriting contest, a film and script market, and a ten-day party, Indiefest brings the world's film community to the beautiful city of Chicago." Calling our city "beautiful," eh? The programmers sure know the way to our hearts. Plus, Chicagoist will take any excuse to party for ten days. more ›

pretty damn sleek and useful, especially when it comes to filmmaking. more ›