In-Person

CHICAGO – Of all the films of the recent 2022 SXSW Festival, one documentary stood out as a profile of empathy. Co-directors Zara Katz and Lisa Riordan Seville presented “A Woman on the Outside,” an overview of a Philadelphia activist who advocates for prison reform while actually having – within her own story – three male family members in and out of incarceration.

CHICAGO – As the 2022 SXSW Festival wraps up this weekend, many filmmakers brought their new works, and one that stood out is a new documentary on Voyager, the space probes (1 & 2) that were launched in 1977 and still miraculously are exploring the interstellar galaxy. Filmmaker Billy Miossi profiles the crew keeping tabs on the probes in “it’s Quieter in the Twilight.”

CHICAGO – The 2022 SXSW Festival opened Friday with in person events for the first time in THREE years, with its unique mix of music, film, VR and associative networking opportunities. The Opening Night Film on Friday was the Asian American sci-fi film “Everything Everywhere at Once.” There are also participatory online opportunities, for information on joining in, click SXSW2022.

CHICAGO – In the continued reopening the Chicago JCC Jewish Film Festival has put together a hybrid event … in person and online from March 10th-27th, 2022. One of their centerpiece films available to stream is “Jews of the Wild West.” Filmmaker Amanda Kinsey has put together an overview of the Jewish influence in the 19th Century taming of the America West, through immigration and commerce.