Patrick McDonald

CHICAGO – The inroads of female filmmakers in cinema not only benefits our cultural reflection, but also offers points of view that are often different in their creative scope and storytelling ability. The Midwest Independent Film Festival – the “First Tuesday” Chicago happening – presents a program of women-centric shorts films on “Female Filmmakers Night,” Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016. For more information, click here.

CHICAGO – The Brown Paper Box Co., which embodies the passion and simplistic beauty of the storefront theater tradition, presents another fantastic and insightful musical, “Now. Here. This.” Director M. William Panek guides a splendid cast of two women and two men in a reflective, modern day morality tale.

CHICAGO – Comedian/writer/director Mike Birbiglia is breaking out as a filmmaker, and he adds a deft and emotional touch to a story of an improvisation comedy troupe split apart by change they didn’t expect. That sounds a lot like life, and it’s best to “Don’t Think Twice.”

CHICAGO – To come back to a character that everyone thought he had left behind, Matt Damon needed the right creative team. He got it again in co-writer (with Christopher Rouse) and director Paul Greengrass, and together they fashioned a paranoid spy tale in the rat-a-tat “Jason Bourne.”

CHICAGO – The weekend of July 29th through the 31st is the final three days of the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival in Mount Prospect, IL, and filmmakers from all over the indie sphere have made contributions, including director Matt Weinstein and his new short film project, “The Gun Equation.” For more information about the Blue Whiskey Festival, click here.

CHICAGO – When comedian/writer/director Mike Birbiglia is in his element, as during the interviews he conducted at The iO Theater in Chicago, he is relaxed and ardently philosophical. He has written and directed a new film, “Don’t Think Twice,” which is about a improvisation comedy troupe, but it’s also about life.

CHICAGO – After he reigned as the father in the classic 1979 film “Breaking Away,” actor Paul Dooley suddenly became everyone’s Dad – and by everyone that meant Molly Ringwald (“Sixteen Candles”), Julia Roberts (“Runaway Bride”) and Helen Hunt (“Mad About You”). He tells all in PART TWO of a comprehensive interview.

CHICAGO – He is one of the most prolific American directors of the modern cinema era, and has also forged a career as stand-up comedian, actor, playwright and screenplay artist. He is Woody Allen, and he walked the Red Carpet at the Chicago History Museum on July 21st, 2016, for his new film ‘Café Society.’

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com presents our red-carpet video coverage of the “Café Society” premiere in Chicago on July 21, 2016. We interview legendary filmmaker Woody Allen along with executive producer Ron Chez and Metropolitan Capital Bancorp Chairman/CEO Michael Rose at the Chicago History Museum.

CHICAGO – As far as TV shows that fans wish could be movies, the cult hit “Absolutely Fabulous” was high on the list. The adventures of Patsy and Edina, two middle age Brits with an appetite for self medication, has had a dedicated following since it premiered in 1992. Even though there were six full TV seasons, and various reunions, “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” has emerged.