Entertainment News: 54th Chicago International Television Festival on March 20-22, 2018

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CHICAGO – The rise of innovative and inclusive television programming, along with the expansion of the broadcast spectrum that includes digital and online options, has been the most important entertainment story of the last five years. The 54th Chicago Television Festival – an offshoot of the Chicago International Film Festival, and presented by their agency Cinema/Chicago – has grown in prestige and importance along with that evolution in TV, and will take place from Tuesday, March 20th through Thursday, March 22nd, 2018, at the AMC River East 21 Theater at 322 East Illinois, Chicago.

March 20th-22th, 2018, at the AMC River East 21 Theater
Photo credit: Cinema/Chicago

The three day event will showcase a number of upcoming TV programming, starting on March 20th with a revolutionary look at “Woke TV: Chicago-Made Web Series.” The same night will premiere the latest iteration of “Roseanne,” the revival of the popular 1980s/90s sitcom. Two overseas dramas, “Your Honor” (Israel) and “The Vanishing” (German), will screen on March 21st. Closing night on March 22nd will focus on “Chicago Fire,” the classic drama from producer Dick Wolf, which was the first of the set-in-Chicago series on NBC-TV, and wrap up with a screenings of the best from the TV commercials competition. Actress Lecy Goranson (Becky) from “Roseanne” and various performers from “Chicago Fire” are scheduled to appear at their screenings.

The Chicago International Television Festival evolved from the annual Film Festival into a separate international event in 2016, celebrating the best in television production, series, commercials and the innovative of online programming. Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival and the Television Festival, is a non-profit cinema/TV arts and education organization. In addition to the annual festivals, the Cinema/Chicago programming includes the International Screenings Program, the CineYouth Festival, and the year-round Education Program. The 54th Chicago International Film Festival will take place October 11th-25th, 2018, and is North America’s longest-running competitive film festival.

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