Film News

CHICAGO – It’s 2023 for the Midwest Film Festival. The Chicago institution – the only ongoing monthly film fest in the city – has their Opening night on Monday, January 30th, 2023, with a screening of the 2022 “Best of the Midwest” short films.

CHICAGO – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema … which began 26 years ago as a single screen in Austin, Texas, and has expanded to 38 locations … is opening in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood on January 27th, 2023.

CHICAGO – Call me an Ismael puppet. We’ll never know if that was the opening line Herman Melville intended for his classic “Moby Dick,” but the 5th Chicago International Puppet Festival presents their Opening Night marionette version on January 18th, 2023 (7:30p), and the fest runs through January 29th. For tickets and info, click 5TH PUPPET FEST.

CHICAGO – Lists are very arbitrary, but the exercise in determining a personal 10 BEST FILMS list of any year is a celebration of what I love, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. The filtering of experiences that form our opinions is a great gift, and the journey I’ve had with film criticism and reporting has been the greatest of my life.

CHICAGO – It’s Christmas countdown week and the first day of Chanukah, so what better time to serve up “Pat & Ken At the Holidays” for 2022, featuring Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com and his faithful companion Ken Candela, whose off-kilter commentary has blessed him with the nickname, The Movie Wag.

CHICAGO – The story of an unusual turn in a 1920s Irish friendship captured the hearts of the Chicago Film Critics Association, as they named “The Banshees of Inisherin” – written and directed by Martin McDonagh – as Best Picture at their annual awards announcement banquet on December 14th, 2022.

CHICAGO – The historic Cultural Center of Chicago got a early Christmas, hosting a screening of the new holiday film “A Christmas Story Christmas.” Story developer, producer and lead actor Peter Billingsley – reprising his role as Ralphie Parker from the original 1983 classic – walked the Red Carpet on November 15th, 2022.

CHICAGO – Karen Cardarelli has a plan. She was named Executive Director of Chicago’s FACETS Multi-Media in February of 2020, and during that time she has overseen its evolution. Currently, the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is being presented through November 20th. Click CICFF for info/schedule/tickets.

CHICAGO – Media journalist Kate Couric came to the 58th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) as an Executive Producer for the film “No Ordinary Campaign,” the story of Brian Wallach and wife Sandra Abrevaya, who decided to use their political acumen to create change when Brian was diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

CHICAGO – Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and the first woman U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., is throwing her new book into the ring “If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women.” She appeared on behalf of the book at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, on October 3rd, 2022.