Premiere Status Archives: World Premiere

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A woman in a red swimsuit smiles as she stares at something. Behind her, the vast blue ocean glistens in the sunlight.

The Love Stories of Liv S. Les histoires d'amour de Liv S.

  Anna Luif

  Switzerland     73 minutes

Synopsis

A reconstruction of a life through a series of encounters, this decades-spanning portrait of one woman’s romantic history from girlhood crush to middle-life heartbreak investigates the joy and pain of partnership. Liv, a filmmaker and the lead singer of a post-punk band, drifts through a cycle of love and separation, in search of someone or something — even she can’t grasp what, exactly —  with a sense of optimism and self-aware irony.

Vulnerable, playful, and honest, this offbeat rom-com oozes with charisma in its montage and mise-en-scène, and is buoyed by original glitter-grunge music. But, much like the character of Liv herself, the delightful, wry exterior of this confessional film belies an inner depth that plumbs questions of  intimacy, compatibility, and connection without the promise of answers or resolutions.

 French with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Aline Schmid and Adrian Blaser
  •   Anna Luif, Marie Fourquet
  •   Nicolas Hislaire
  •   Timon Schäppi
  •   Agnès Delachair, Marie Fontannaz, Jean-Christophe Folly, Baptiste Gilliéron, Andranic Manet, François Neycken, Dimitri Stapfer, Antonin Schopfer, Rémi Fortin, Rebecca Bonvin
  •   Balz Bachmann
  •   Beauvoir Films
  •   https://www.love-film.ch

Sponsors

Comedy Program Sponsor

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All Happy Families

  Haroula Rose

  United States     90 minutes

Synopsis

Chicago native Haroula Rose (Once Upon a River) directs this delightful dysfunctional family comedy about Graham Landry (Josh Radnor), an eternally aspiring actor in Chicago who’s stuck in a funk and living in his family’s crumbling two-flat. When an old college crush (Chandra Russel) comes looking to rent the first floor apartment at the same time as his TV star brother Will’s (Rob Huebel) return home, Graham must finally grow up — if he can get out of his own way.

With a stellar cast of comic talents led by the lovable Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and the love-to-hate Huebel (Childrens Hospital) and David Pasquesi playing a sleazy family friend, All Happy Families wrings humor and pathos from its flawed, yet sympathetic cast of characters as they try to overcome bad choices, entrenched sexism, and their own human foibles.

 English 

headshot: Haroula RoseDirector Spotlight

We chatted with director Haroula Rose about her very Chicago film All Happy Families,, how music fits into her filmmaking, and of course, her favorite Chicago movies.

Read the interview…

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Liz Cardenas, Ian Keiser, Coburn Goss, Mary Munez
  •   Coburn Goss, Haroula Rose
  •   Caralyn Moore, Alex Marquez
  •   Johanna Coelho
  •   Josh Radnor, Becky Ann Baker, Rob Huebel, Chandra Russell, John Ashton, Colleen Camp, David Pasquesi
  •   Zac Rae, Oliver Hill
  •   Ted Reilly, Kelly Waller, Mark Glassgow, Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, Marshall Cordell, Susan Berghoef, Milan Chakraborty, Jack Williams, Michael Shannon
  •   Ten to the Six, Chicago Media Angels, Glass Bead Films, Neon Heart, Fair Enough

Sponsors

Comedy Program Sponsor

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Accessibility Partner

logo: Periscope Post & Audio 308x100

Live Captioning

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Two black cyclists, in full kits, ride past camera on a flat road.

Bike Vessel

  Eric D. Seals

  United States     92 minutes

Synopsis

Pulled pork, ribs, and liverwurst sandwiches — these are a few of the Southern delicacies filmmaker Eric D. Seals grew up eating alongside his father, Donnie Seals, Sr. But after facing death and undergoing the first of three quadruple bypass operations, the elder Seals decided to completely overhaul his life. Bike Vessel chronicles Donnie’s new chapter after becoming an avid cyclist, and follows the two men as they set out on an epic bike ride from St. Louis to Chicago.

Filled with flat tires, GPS snafus, and fast-food detours, the documentary is both a funny document of a father-son road trip and a powerful social statement. Through Eric and Donnie’s relationship, it takes a hard look at health disparities in the Black community and the systemic racism plaguing the well-being of Black men in America.

 English 

Screenings & Events

Virtual Screening

This film will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT, available only in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Learn more about streaming…

Accessibility options for this screening:
  • Closed Captions
Learn more about accessibility options...

Media

Film Credits

  •   Donnie Seals, Resita Cox
  •   Eric D. Seals
  •   Cai Thomas
  •   Donnie Seals Sr., Sharon Seals, Donnie Seals Jr., Nicole Newsome, Eric D. Seals, Dr. Terry Mason, Dr. Medell Briggs-Malonson, Dr. Stanley K. Frencher
  •   Zo!
  •   Eric D. Seals
  •   Digife
  •   https://bikevessel.com

Sponsors

Documentary Program Sponsors

Logo: WTTW (2019)Cynthia Stone Raskin

Black Perspectives Program Sponsor

logo: Allstate 199x50

Film Sponsors

logo: SRAM 330x50logo: Chicago Sun-Times 333x40Logo: WBEZ 91.5 - 285x100

Live Captioning

Logo: Caption Consulting 164x150