Let's Pimp This One For The Children

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on May 26, 2005 2:06PM

While many Chicago filmgoers are aware of the Chicago International Film Festival, they may not be aware of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival to be held in October of this year. But the CICFF has a problem, man. Dude, they were totally gonna party this weekend but their van broke down and now it’s totally busted. It needs like, a new...everything. But it’s cool ‘cause the Facets Young Chicago Critics group is all over it so long as they can get a little help from MTV’s Pimp My Ride.

It seems that the CICFF's 1985 Toyota van has a habit of breaking down at inopportune moments like on the way to a 1999 awards ceremony with...the award winners. Or just last Monday when the van was on its way to a fundraiser for programs that help underserved youth. Let this be a lesson to you kids: buy American!

But it seems that the Facets’ Young Chicago Critics (a camp that allows youth to create and critique their own films) came up with a solution to this problem: why not get Xzibit and MTV’s Pimp My Ride to give the van some rims and maybe a working transmission? The group is currently putting together an audition tape for the show in hopes that it will get their van in working order so they can continue to bring arts programs to the city’s youth.

But if you’ve got a van you’re willing to donate then they’ll forego the pimpin' route so long as the van’s next stop wasn’t going to be Victory Auto Wreckers. Contact Kasia Iverson at (773) 281-9075 or via e-mail at kasia@facets.org. But these are kids so make sure to take off the “If this van’s a rockin’...” bumper sticker first. If you know a youth ages 7-14 who'd be interested in the camp, click here to download an application for their next session starting in late June.