Director

CHICAGO – Police reform and procedural alternatives in the U.S. continue to be in a hurricane of evolution. Despite the attention that the George Floyd incident brought to the perception, the law enforcement culture continues to resist. Stefan Forbes goes back to the past (1973), to inform them (and us) that change can work with his new documentary “Hold Your Fire.”

CHICAGO – The 9th Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) is on DAY THREE, and will feature “Hold Your Fire,” a tense documentary recounting a police incident in 1973 New York City, directed by Stefan Forbes. The Fest continues through May 19th, click CCFF for schedule and ticket info.

CHICAGO – Mental health and sports have been in the spotlight the last couple of years. The high profile breakdowns of tennis star Naomi Osaka and Olympian Simone Biles, as well as the confessions of swimmer Michael Phelps, has drawn scrutiny towards sports and mindful stress. Director Darryl Roberts explores this in his new doc, “I’m Fine, (Not) Really.”

CHICAGO – Let’s kick off the film year by getting together! Using the safest protocols for gatherings, the Midwest Film Festival presents the Best of Midwest Awards on February 1st, 2022, and it will be an in-person event for the first time in three years. To get tickets, click BEST OF THE MIDWEST.

CHICAGO – Although this former Chicago-based actor has moved on to Los Angeles, she continues as a filmmaker with her excellent second short, “Pick Up.” Clare Cooney wrote, directed and is featured in this poignant journey, as two ex-lovers figure out their current status in the midst of the world pandemic.

CHICAGO – In this new golden age of animation, the ability to create mood and setting is more accessible than ever. For creator and writer Ron Falzone (with director Julian Grant), a notable death in the 1920s and the movie business associated with it is in their film “Coriander and a Penny’s Worth of Lonesome.”

CHICAGO – Predicting the Oscars is like going on a blind date. You really don’t know what’s going to happen, and often you’re humiliated to boot. But here goes Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, along with one million other online prognosticators. The 93rd Academy Awards are Sunday, April 25th, 2021, in Hollywood.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on February 4th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Malcolm & Marie,” streaming on Netflix beginning February 5th, 2021.

CHICAGO – Sam Pollard has been a behind-the-scenes film editor/producer for most of his career, best known for his work with Spike Lee. But recently, after sporadic director assignments over the years, he has broken out with two major profile documentaries, one on Sammy Davis Jr. in 2017, and his most recent “MLK/FBI.”

CHICAGO – Getting through Year 2020 intact would prove to be a major accomplishment for any monthly film festival, but the Midwest Film Festival (MFF) did it with both style and their trademark sense of a film community during a year where that was missing for so many. The Fest is going virtual and online for their BEST OF THE MIDWEST AWARDS on January 14th, 2021. 7-9pm. You’ll need a ticket for this spectacular event, click here for all the particulars, including General Admission and VIP levels.