Original 60-Second Intros Kick-Start Each Film at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival

The 51st Chicago International Film Festival is announcing the 10 original short films that have been newly created to play before every film program during the Festival. Founder & Artistic Director Michael Kutza, Festival Programmers and Staff reached out to a variety of filmmaking teams to make 60-Second short films inspired by the Festival’s tagline: “Because Everybody Loves Movies.”

The first new Festival intro will be shown on Opening Night, before the Special Presentation of Mia Madre. Titled “Everyone Loves,” the short film was conceived by independent creative director Susan Schmidt with three filmmakers (Herman Asph, Eric Almond, and Will Meyers) from Quriosity Productions, a Chicago-based production house founded by Qadree Holmes. “Everyone Loves”.

A list of filmmaking teams who generously gave their time, energy and considerable talent to the project, along with links to their films, may be found below. The films are as diverse as the filmmaking community itself, from Let’s Catch A Movie, an animated piece directed by San Francisco-based 12-year-old and former CineYouth winner Emma Penaz Eisner to a funny Hitchcock-inspired work by Chicago filmmaker Mason Thorne.

The short films also came from filmmakers with ties to the Festival, including Film Lover, directed by Andy Berlin, who also has a short in this year’s City/State program, Marlene; I Got The Popcorn! made by a team of Columbia College Chicago students lead by Festival alumni, director Michael Caplan (Algren); and Dinner and a Movie, directed by Jack C. Newell, who is in the official selection this year with City/State feature Open Tables.

The “Voice of the Festival” Ken Nordine (of WBEZ-FM’s “World Jazz”), who has lent his talent and unforgettable phrasing in the production of the Festival intros for over 50 years, is introducing all of the 60-Second spots. He is also represented with his own short film You Can Film Anything.

“Dinner and A Movie” – Director: Jack C. Newell

“Everyone Loves” – Directors: Herman Asph, Eric Almond, Will Meyers

“Film Lover” – Director: Andy Berlin

“I Got the Popcorn!” – Director: Michael P. Caplan

“Let’s Catch a Movie” – Made by Emma Penaz Eisner

“Night of the Living Moviegoers” – Director: Kaitlin Martin

“Resonance” – Director: Mason Thorne

“Semblance of a Scene” – Director: Sam Parker

“You Can Film Anything” – Director: Ken Nordine

“Zaynab Loves Movies” – Director: Wendy Roderweiss

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