Makers Of Ferris Fest Are Now Creating A Massive John Hughes Fest
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 18, 2017 3:00PM
'Pretty In Pink' is just one of the movies to be celebrated at The Shermer Club: A John Hughes Fest this summer
Ferris Fest, last year's tribute to the 30th anniversary of the release of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, was both novel and popular. And now the people that brought you Ferris Fest are at it again, this time with The Shermer Club: A John Hughes Fest, taking place June 22 to 25 in Lake Forest.
The three day celebration of all things Hughes will feature screenings of six of his films: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Weird Science and, of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The fest also includes a number of guest appearances by actors with connections to the Illinois filmmaker are also scheduled to appear in a number of Q and As, as well as opportunities to interact with props from the movies, and a "live recreation" of the wedding sequence from Sixteen Candles.
We asked David Blanchard, the event's organizer, what sparked the idea in the first place.
"A few years back I asked myself, what with all the movies, TV, music, and pop culture happenings being celebrated with events around the globe, why has there never been a major event focusing on and celebrating John Hughes' beloved 1980's teen films?" Blanchard told us. "So coming away from the huge viral success of Ferris Fest, I decided that we should follow that up with a full-on tribute to the Chicago writer/director."
The Hughes fest appears to be a labor of love more than anything else. Blanchard told us, "Pulling an event like this together is done with a lot of passion and determination. I've been a big John Hughes fan since the 1980s when his first movies were released. And with the help of a great number of people who are volunteering their time to make this happen, as well as the support of excited fans attending, The Shermer Club: A John Hughes Fest will become the fruition of that pure love for Hughes' film work."
A list of "special guests" scheduled to appear with Hughes connections thus far includes Andrew McCarthy (Pretty In Pink), Lea Thompson (Some Kind Of Wonderful), Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Weird Science), and Howard Deutch (director of Pretty in Pink and Some Kind Of Wonderful). Blanchard told us that these guests "all expressed great interest in how we'll be focusing on these John Hughes films, which people around the globe hold near and dear in their hearts. They very much appreciate that unique connection that no other event like this has exclusively celebrated and honored."
Looking to the future, we asked Blanchard what to expect from organizers, and it appears they are going to remain true to their original inspiration for the fest, while broadening their horizons a bit.
"We are planning to make this John Hughes celebration an annual happening in the Chicago area. And as far as future events are concerned, we'll also be holding a completely different one later this year in honor of the 25th anniversary of A League Of Their Own, which will include cast members from the movie in attendance on location where the film was partly shot at a ballpark in Indiana."
Tickets to The Shermer Club: A John Hughes Fest are on sale now.