The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle, an organization I co-founded earlier this year, will be putting on its first annual showcase of films on Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6 at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago and the Wilmette Theatre in downtown Wilmette. Filmmakers will be present for live Q&As following all three screenings. Any of my students who attend these screenings will earn extra credit points (see the extra-credit page of your course website for more info). Detailed information about the films, venues and showtimes can be found below. Hope to see you there!
The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle presents the Chicago premiere of James Redford’s new documentary, RESILIENCE: THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS & THE SCIENCE OF HOPE.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2016 AT 8:00 PM
THE GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER, CHICAGO
In conjunction with the Third Annual International Resilience Summit (Nov. 2-3), the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle is proud to present the Chicago premiere of RESILIENCE: THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS & THE SCIENCE OF HOPE. Director James Redford will appear in person to discuss the film.
RESILIENCE documents the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators and communities who are using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction and disease. RESILIENCE delves into the science, treatment and prevention of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a leading cause of medical diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to substance abuse and depression. For more information about the film and to watch the trailer, please visit: kpjrfilms.co/resilience/
James Redford is a filmmaker and activist whose work includes the HBO documentaries, TOXIC HOT SEAT and THE BIG PICTURE: RETHINKING DYSLEXIA. He is the Chairman of The Redford Center, a non-profit film production company he co-founded with his father, Robert Redford, devoted to making documentaries that inspire positive change.
The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle presents THIRST.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 AT 5:00 PM
1122 Central Avenue, Wilmette, IL
THIRST (SED) is a claustrophobic thriller and an impressive debut for Chicago-based Ecuadorian writer/director Joe Houlberg. “The story concerns a young blind woman who vacations at a country home with her cousin and their two boyfriends. The house, a colonial mansion where the cousins spent summers in their childhood, seems to bring out carnal desires in the foursome and effectively functions as a fifth central character. Featuring ambiguous flashback inserts and an evocative use of image and sound to convey the sensory experiences of the blind heroine, this haunting mood piece establishes Houlberg as a filmmaker to watch” (Michael Smith, Time Out Chicago). In Spanish with English subtitles.
Followed by a live Q&A with Joe Houlberg moderated by CIFCC member Jason Coffman.
The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle presents THE ART OF THE VIDEO ESSAY, curated by Kevin B. Lee.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 AT 8:00 PM
1122 Central Avenue, Wilmette, IL
The New York Times called Chicago-based critic and CIFCC member Kevin B. Lee the “king of the video essay.” He is Chief Video Essayist at Fandor and his award-winning, TRANSFORMERS: THE PREMAKE, was named one of the best documentaries of 2014 by Sight & Sound.
Video essays—a relatively new form of criticism—came to prominence online in the early 2000s and provocatively comment on cinema by using the language of the very medium they analyze. Most video essays consist of clips from films that have been cleverly edited together and accompanied by voice-over narration in order to make points about cinema that writing alone can’t convey. THE ART OF THE VIDEO ESSAY is a 70-minute program curated by Lee, consisting of short video essays made by leading film critics from around the world.
Followed by a live Q&A with Kevin B. Lee moderated by CIFCC member Daniel Nava!
The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to giving voice to independent films and diversity within the film industry. Our CIFCC Showcase series is bringing several new or overlooked movies to area theaters this fall.
For more information about us, please visit: chicagoindiecritics.org
White City Cinema 
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