Chicago Filmmakers presents annual LGBT film festival
Wed. October 20, 2010 3:44 PM
jim carrey in i love you phillip morris
Reeling 2010, the 29th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, Nov. 4-13
Chicago, IL -
Reeling 2010, the second-oldest LGBT film festival in the world, runs for 10 days, November 4th-13th, presenting 54 programs of innovative gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender films from 24 different countries around the world.
Reeling will take place at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark; Film Row Cinema, Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash; and the Festival's home base at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark. For the first time, Reeling will present its opening night film at the new ShowPlace ICON Theatre, 150 W. Roosevelt Rd., and will present select screenings of Latin American films at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St.
Reeling is a production of Chicago Filmmakers, a 36 year-old not-for-profit media arts organization. Presenting Sponsors for this year's festival are RCN and Sundance Channel.
This year's festival opens and closes with two emotionally powerful films that are linked by a common theme of water as a metaphor for emotional and spiritual transformation and redemption. From the sun-drenched beaches of the Caribbean island of Eleuthera to a small fishing village in Peru, both films tell stories of seaside love affairs between men whose homosexuality goes against the tide of the cultural forces in their small towns.
The Opening Night Film, Children of God (showing Thursday, November 4th, 7:00 p.m. at ShowPlace ICON Theatre, 150 W. Roosevelt Rd.), by first-time feature director Kareem Mortimer, was inspired by the murders of several gay men in the Bahamas, including two men whom Mortimer knew personally. Setting out to reveal the dark side as well as the sunny side of paradise, Mortimer gives us a story of a beautiful romance unfolding under the warm Bahamian sun against the backdrop of a nation grappling with violent homophobia. Johnny -- a sensitive but creatively blocked painter -- travels to the picturesque island of Eleuthera to reconnect with his artistic passion. While there, he reunites with Romeo, an old classmate whose hidden sexual identity creates a rift between himself and his family. Both men cross paths with Lena, the conservative wife of a homophobic pastor who is crusading to rid the Bahamas of homosexuals. One by one, they are each forced to face their demons and find the courage to live their lives as their hearts dictate.
Immediately after the screening, director Kareem Mortimer will join Reeling for the Opening Night Gala in ShowPlace ICON Theatre's sophisticated Lobby Lounge.
To highlight the prominence of Latin American films in Reeling this year, the festival closes with the critically-acclaimed Peruvian film Undertow, directed by Javier Fuentes-León, screening on Closing Night, Saturday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio. Undertow is the "magical realist" story of Miguel, a young fisherman in a small village in Peru. He is married to the beautiful Mariela, who is 7-months pregnant, but Miguel harbors a secret: he is in love with Santiago, a painter who is ostracized by the townsfolk for being agnostic and open about his sexuality. When Santiago drowns in the ocean's undertow, he cannot pass peacefully to the other side. He returns after his death to ask Miguel to bury his body according to local ritual. Miguel must choose between sentencing Santiago to eternal torment or doing right and, in turn, revealing their relationship to Mariela and the entire village. Undertow was the winner of the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and is Peru's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Award for the 2011 Academy Awards.
After the screening of Undertow, Reeling will wrap up with the Closing Night Reception at the elegantly contemporary Instituto Cervantes.
This year, Reeling presents three Centerpiece films at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. In the highly anticipated, much-talked about I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey plays a charismatic conman who repeatedly escapes from prison for the love of his life and cellmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). This true and incredible story premiered at Sundance to rave reviews, and Reeling is thrilled to screen the film on Wednesday, November 10th at 9:00 p.m. before its winter release.
With "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" being such a hot button issue, nothing could be more fitting than this year's Centerpiece, A Marine Story, winner of two Grand Jury Awards at 2010's Outfest. Honorably discharged from the military, Alexandra (played by The Gymnast's amazing Dreya Weber) returns to her rural home to rebuild her life and come to grips with her sexuality. Director Ned Farr and producer/actor Dreya Weber will be attending the screening on Tuesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m.
In Robert Gaston's thriller, Flight of the Cardinal, a group of New Yorkers travel to the Appalachian Mountains to stay at their friend's inn, but the weekend takes a dangerous turn when a local man with a hidden agenda exposes each of their secrets. Director Robert Gaston will be attending the screening on Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m.
Advance ticket sales are available until the day before the show. After that, tickets must be purchased at the theater box office on the day of the screening.
For more information, call (773) 293-1447, or visit www.reelingfilmfestival.org.
Related: View the complete Reeling 2010 film schedule
Reeling will take place at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark; Film Row Cinema, Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash; and the Festival's home base at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark. For the first time, Reeling will present its opening night film at the new ShowPlace ICON Theatre, 150 W. Roosevelt Rd., and will present select screenings of Latin American films at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St.
Reeling is a production of Chicago Filmmakers, a 36 year-old not-for-profit media arts organization. Presenting Sponsors for this year's festival are RCN and Sundance Channel.
This year's festival opens and closes with two emotionally powerful films that are linked by a common theme of water as a metaphor for emotional and spiritual transformation and redemption. From the sun-drenched beaches of the Caribbean island of Eleuthera to a small fishing village in Peru, both films tell stories of seaside love affairs between men whose homosexuality goes against the tide of the cultural forces in their small towns.
The Opening Night Film, Children of God (showing Thursday, November 4th, 7:00 p.m. at ShowPlace ICON Theatre, 150 W. Roosevelt Rd.), by first-time feature director Kareem Mortimer, was inspired by the murders of several gay men in the Bahamas, including two men whom Mortimer knew personally. Setting out to reveal the dark side as well as the sunny side of paradise, Mortimer gives us a story of a beautiful romance unfolding under the warm Bahamian sun against the backdrop of a nation grappling with violent homophobia. Johnny -- a sensitive but creatively blocked painter -- travels to the picturesque island of Eleuthera to reconnect with his artistic passion. While there, he reunites with Romeo, an old classmate whose hidden sexual identity creates a rift between himself and his family. Both men cross paths with Lena, the conservative wife of a homophobic pastor who is crusading to rid the Bahamas of homosexuals. One by one, they are each forced to face their demons and find the courage to live their lives as their hearts dictate.
Immediately after the screening, director Kareem Mortimer will join Reeling for the Opening Night Gala in ShowPlace ICON Theatre's sophisticated Lobby Lounge.
To highlight the prominence of Latin American films in Reeling this year, the festival closes with the critically-acclaimed Peruvian film Undertow, directed by Javier Fuentes-León, screening on Closing Night, Saturday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio. Undertow is the "magical realist" story of Miguel, a young fisherman in a small village in Peru. He is married to the beautiful Mariela, who is 7-months pregnant, but Miguel harbors a secret: he is in love with Santiago, a painter who is ostracized by the townsfolk for being agnostic and open about his sexuality. When Santiago drowns in the ocean's undertow, he cannot pass peacefully to the other side. He returns after his death to ask Miguel to bury his body according to local ritual. Miguel must choose between sentencing Santiago to eternal torment or doing right and, in turn, revealing their relationship to Mariela and the entire village. Undertow was the winner of the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and is Peru's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Award for the 2011 Academy Awards.
After the screening of Undertow, Reeling will wrap up with the Closing Night Reception at the elegantly contemporary Instituto Cervantes.
This year, Reeling presents three Centerpiece films at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. In the highly anticipated, much-talked about I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey plays a charismatic conman who repeatedly escapes from prison for the love of his life and cellmate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). This true and incredible story premiered at Sundance to rave reviews, and Reeling is thrilled to screen the film on Wednesday, November 10th at 9:00 p.m. before its winter release.
With "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" being such a hot button issue, nothing could be more fitting than this year's Centerpiece, A Marine Story, winner of two Grand Jury Awards at 2010's Outfest. Honorably discharged from the military, Alexandra (played by The Gymnast's amazing Dreya Weber) returns to her rural home to rebuild her life and come to grips with her sexuality. Director Ned Farr and producer/actor Dreya Weber will be attending the screening on Tuesday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m.
In Robert Gaston's thriller, Flight of the Cardinal, a group of New Yorkers travel to the Appalachian Mountains to stay at their friend's inn, but the weekend takes a dangerous turn when a local man with a hidden agenda exposes each of their secrets. Director Robert Gaston will be attending the screening on Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m.
Advance ticket sales are available until the day before the show. After that, tickets must be purchased at the theater box office on the day of the screening.
For more information, call (773) 293-1447, or visit www.reelingfilmfestival.org.
Related: View the complete Reeling 2010 film schedule