Industry Days Schedule 2026

10:15 – 11:30am People vs. Money: Valuing Your Crew and Protecting Your Budge

Obsession famously earned over $263 million at the U.S. box office on a budget of under $1 million, sparking debate about how indie crews are paid. New directing “boy wonder” Curry Barker’s future may be set, but what about the people who worked on his first feature? On the other hand, filmmaker Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing paid every crew member the same flat day rate and created a guaranteed profit pool for cast and crew.

While few people are getting rich in independent filmmaking, how can filmmakers budget, produce, and finance their movies in ways that benefit everyone involved? How do you protect workers’ rights and well-being on a low budget? And how do you get investors to agree to these standards?

Presented by

12:00 – 1:00pm Let’s Get Physical (Media)! Is the DVD Comeback Real?

Judging from the headlines (“DVDs are the new vinyl records!”; “Buy to own: the resurgence of physical media!”), you might think it’s 1999 again, when DVD players were declared the fastest-selling consumer electronics product in history. While VHS exchanges are a fun new hobby and 4K/UHD Blu-Ray collectible sales are on the rise (check out this year’s Physical Media Fair), how much is physical media actually making a comeback, and does it really meaningfully change the way independent filmmakers can distribute and monetize their work? Filmmakers, distributors, and collectors discuss the allure of physical media, the economics of its distribution, and whether the resurrection of non-streaming video is real.

1:30 – 2:30pm State of the Industry Game Show!: Your Questions Answered

Do I need a star to make my movie? Is equity financing still a thing? Do film festivals matter anymore? Can I self-distribute? Do I need influencers or celebrity executive producers? Can you really build an audience online? Is YouTube the future? To AI or not to AI? These are just some of the many, many, many questions you might have about our rapidly changing and influx entertainment industry. Join industry experts/contestants in this game-show-style round of questions–supplied by you, our Industry Days attendees–and find the burning answers to everything you want to know. Everyone wins!

Industry Days staff will send out form to collect questions from registrants

Presented by

3:00 – 4:00pm Master Class: Directing the Actor with Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson is most famous for his work as an actor, providing memorable and much-lauded performances, but he is also a celebrated filmmaker. As a writer-director, this year’s Festival selection The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd marks his sixth film, joining The Grey Zone, Eye of God, Leaves of Grass, Anesthesia, and O. His filmography of over 100 on-screen credits includes the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln and Minority Report, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line, and HBO’s Watchmen. He next stars in the feature The Leader and Season 2 of HBO’s Task. As a longtime professional working both in front of and behind the camera, Nelson will offer advice, inspiration, and best practices for creating a productive relationship with a filmmaker and their most valuable collaborator, their actors.

4:30 – 5:30pm Out of This World: International Contenders Roundtable

Meet this year’s top international auteurs! This year’s Chicago International Film Festival continues its tradition of showcasing many of the movies submitted as their country’s official entry in the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film, from Austria to Germany, Palestine to Japan, South Korea to Thailand. As the U.S. becomes more isolated, these touching and beautifully crafted stories feel more important than ever to experience. Take part in this engaging conversation about the current state of world cinema, and how their makers have crafted films that resonate across borders.

This event is open to the public. Get public tickets now…
Industry Days registered badge holders do not need a ticket for this event.

5:30 – 8:30pm Frame Your Future Industry Days Mixer

Join us at the Filmmakers Lounge for an evening of drinks, conversation, and community, co-hosted by SAG-AFTRA and Delta Air Lines.

Your first impression matters! Don’t miss the opportunity to get a free professional headshot with our photographer courtesy of SAG-AFTRA from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. In-person registration will begin at 5:30pm and is required to secure your time slot (on a first-come, first-serve basis).

LocationFilmmakers Lounge, 1538 N Clybourn Ave | Map It >

Co-hosted by

11:00am – 2:00pm The Pitch

The culminating event of the CIX: Lab, the Chicago International Film Festival’s year-long development program, features five filmmaking teams with new narrative projects in active development sharing their pitch presentations in front of a panel of three judges composed of veteran producers in front of a live audience. The pitches will receive feedback and the winning project will receive an awards package of in-kind services, including consultation, production, and post-production, totaling over $200,000. Learn more about The Pitch…

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