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Chicago Industry Exchange

Cinema/Chicago’s year-round film development program, the Chicago Industry Exchange (CIX), has become an important nexus for filmmakers and the industry, and continues to provide vital ways to cultivate and connect the art and business of cinema. During its Industry Days conference, the Chicago International Film Festival also welcomes directors, producers, agents, and distribution and acquisition executives from Chicago, across the U.S., and around the world.

October

Industry Days

Presented during the Chicago International Film Festival, Industry Days is a hub for filmmakers and industry professionals to connect, share ideas, and be inspired.

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Young filmmakers sit behind a pair of camera on a film set.

Year-Round

Chicago Industry Exchange Lab (CIX:Lab)

A year-long creative development program for emerging Illinois filmmakers, focusing on script development, directing, pre-production, and pitching. CIX: Lab culminates each fall in The Pitch, held during Industry Days at the Chicago International Film Festival.

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Master Classes

Throughout the year, Cinema/Chicago offers free masterclasses with working industry professionals. Check back often for the latest offerings. All masterclasses are free to attend.

Upcoming Classes

Fri, Apr 17 @ 6:00pm

Chicago Industry ExchangeWorkshop

Master Class in Directing with Andrew Ahn

Join the Chicago International Film Festival’s Chicago Industry Exchange (CIX) program for a Master Class in directing with award-winning filmmaker Andrew Ahn.

Venue Chicago Cultural Center

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Recent Classes

Fri, Feb 13, 2026

Chicago Industry ExchangeWorkshop

Master Class: Screenwriting with Linda Yvette Chávez

Join us for an in-depth conversation with writer, director, and showrunner Linda Yvette Chávez as we discuss the journey of creating fearless and impactful stories while maintaining personal and cultural [...]

Fri, Oct 3, 2025

Chicago Industry ExchangeWorkshop

Master Class: Pitching Your Project with Monkeypaw’s Dana Gills

Join Dana Gills, Executive Vice President of Development and Production at Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, for a candid conversation about the best ways to connect with producers and production companies [...]

Tue, Aug 5, 2025

Chicago Industry Exchange

CIX: Lab Info Session

Join CIX: Lab Manager Joyy Norris and Senior Programmer Anthony Kaufman for an open discussion about CIX: Lab, the Chicago International Film Festival’s year-long feature film development lab. Come prepared [...]