Author name: Alejandro Riera

CHICAGO, IL (October 2, 2014) – In the spirit of film critic Roger Ebert’s sense of discovery, the 50th Chicago International Film Festival introduces the Roger Ebert Award. The award will be presented annually to that emerging filmmaker whose film presents a fresh and uncompromising vision. The fourteen films eligible for the award are also competing in the Festival’s New Directors Competition. The Roger Ebert Award will be presented during the Festival’s annual Awards Night on Friday, October 17 at The Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, 20 E.[…]

CHICAGO (September 30, 2014) — The Chicago International Film Festival’s semi-centennial celebration will feature an exciting lineup of features, documentaries, and shorts made in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including three World Premieres, as part of its City & State program. Recently dubbed the “Best Place to Live and Work as a Filmmaker,” by “MovieMaker” magazine, Chicago has firmly established itself as a haven for both independent and big-budget Hollywood film production. The City & State program is sponsored by Cinespace, Periscope Post & Audio and SAG-AFTRA Chicago.[…]

CHICAGO, IL (September 24, 2014) – Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King”) will introduce his latest film, “The Last 5 Years” as the Centerpiece for the 50th Chicago International Film Festival (October 9 – 23). Starring Academy Award® nominee Anna Kendrick and Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan, “The Last 5 Years” will screen Wednesday, October 15, at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.) at 6 p.m.

“The Last 5 Years,” a rousing adaptation of the beloved Off-Broadway hit that originated at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, chronicles the tumultuous five-year relationship between struggling actress Cathy (Anna Kendrick) and rising novelist Jamie (Jeremy Jordan).[…]