Gene Siskel Film Center

CHICAGO – He is one of the hottest movie actors on the market right now, but Mark Ruffalo will tell you he’s not an overnight success. Building his resume with a series of character roles, Ruffalo struck gold as Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk in “The Avengers” film series. On June 6th, 2015, the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago honored his career.

CHICAGO – The discovery of an outsider artist’s eccentric creations leads to the testing revelation of a public shame in “Almost There,” a definitively human documentary that mixes the idiosyncratic canvas of “Grey Gardens” with the compassion of “Hoop Dreams.” Making its Chicago premiere tomorrow night at the Gene Siskel Film Center, “Almost There” has sold out its 7:45pm screening, but tickets a

Previous | Image 1 of 4 | Next

Morgan Freeman honored by the Gene Siskel Film Center, June 7th, 2014.

CHICAGO – The sonorous and familiar voice of Morgan Freeman was in Chicago on June 7th, 2014, as the Gene Siskel Film Center presented “A Candid Conversation with Morgan Freeman” to benefit the theater. The event, at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, raised more than $350,000 for the Film Center’s programming budget.

CHICAGO – Nothing bugs a critic more than obstacles strategically placed in the path of otherwise happy characters. Without the conspiratorial manipulations of the plot, these people would have no problem leading perfectly content lives. Instead of emerging organically from the characters themselves, the conflict swoops in like a speeding car fresh off the highway.

CHICAGO – What is paradise but a mirage unaccustomed to reality? It hovers over us at all times, tantalizing our minds with illusions of perfection, divinity and eternal harmony. Only when one reaches out with desiring hands does it fade into the ether. No one seeks utopia without setting themselves up for certain disappointment.

CHICAGO – Actor/filmmaker Kentucker Audley gave an exclusive interview to Indie Outlook, the independent film blog and podcast founded by Hollywood Chicago staff writer Matt Fagerholm. Audley stars opposite Kate Lyn Sheil in Amy Seimetz’s acclaimed crime drama, “Sun Don’t Shine,” which premieres in Chicago on Friday, May 3rd, kicking off a week-long run at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

CHICAGO – Hollywood Chicago staff writer Matt Fagerholm’s independent film blog, Indie Outlook, published an exclusive review of Neil Berkeley’s charming documentary, “Beauty is Embarrassing,” which opened Friday, December 14th, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The film explores the life and career of eccentric artist Wayne White, best known for his Emmy-winning set design on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.”

CHICAGO – The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago are teaming up to present “Castles in the Sky,” a 15-film series of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, highlighting the exquisite work of Ghibli animator Hayao Miyazaki. As part of the series, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com will introduce and lead a post-film discussion of Miyazaki’s classic, “Spirited Away,” July 13th at 6pm.

CHICAGO – One of the Chicago filmmakers to watch is Todd Looby. The director, who has won awards for his short film “Son of None” at Slamdance 2011 and the Boston Film Festival, premieres his latest feature film, “Be Good,” on June 22nd at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago.

CHICAGO – One of Nathan Adloff’s goals as a filmmaker is mastering the art of the awkward silence. That moment when audiences shift uneasily in their chairs, balancing on the razor’s edge between amusement and agony, appeals greatly to Adloff, a self-professed fan of Christopher Guest and Todd Solondz.