Director Spotlight: Clare Cooney on Departing Seniors
Clare Cooney is an actor and filmmaker who rose through the ranks of the Chicago arts community. She’s appeared in NBC’s Chicago Med, Steve McQueen’s Chicago thriller Widows, and the indie feature Runner, among other shows and films. We’re thrilled to host the North American premiere of her directorial feature debut, the sarcastic, whip-smart horror-comedy Departing Seniors – shot right here in Chicago.
We chatted with Clare about filming during COVID, refreshing the teen slasher genre, what it’s like to screen her film at the Music Box Theatre, and more.[…]
Actor David Dastmalchian may be known for his roles in big-budget films – from The Dark Knight and The Suicide Squad to this summer’s Oppenheimer. But he’s the star of the upcoming indie production Late Night with the Devil, a found footage horror film about a fictional ‘70s talk show host whose personal and professional life are in free fall. In anticipation of the #ChiFilmFest screening of 
Haroula Rose is a Chicago native musician, writer, producer, and filmmaker. We were thrilled to screen her debut feature Once Upon a River at our 55th Festival in 2019, and we’re so excited to welcome Haroula back this year for the World Premiere of her next feature, the delightful family comedy