Archive for the 'Business Matters' Category

Footage finds way into POV redux

Friday, November 19th, 2021

A made-in-southern Illinois micro-budget indie, UNLISTED OWNER, has come back on the market as DIRECTORS CUT. We chat with its realtor, young and upcoming genre filmmaker Jed Brian.

New is NFTy for OWNER director

Monday, November 15th, 2021

The creators of UNLISTED OWNER strike again! This time, they stake out real estate in blockchain territory with their original made-for-NFT short film, TRICK NOT TREAT. Purchase the key today!

Rural fiends take root on Amazon

Tuesday, October 12th, 2021

A new crop of American horror stories from the Prairie State are coming soon to C-U Blogfidential, and here we preview two: C.O.R.N: A FIELD OF SCREAMS and UNLISTED OWNER. Aw, shuck!

SUMMER of Swede seeks final $4K

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

Swede Films of Urbana, Illinois, is about to embark on making the horror feature FINAL SUMMER. Their Kickstarter campaign needs an infusion of support in its final days. Can you contribute, dearest C-U?

ISU video crew high on ‘Mother’

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

As an aside to a tangent, we vicariously saunter about Mother Murphy’s of Normal, IL, thanks to another student project born at Illinois State University, ANYTHING BUT NORMAL. Take a trip with us!

August and everything NAFFter

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

Ye Ed is rooting for the film culture of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to rebound from the turbulence of recent years. Not everything will survive, such as the theaters he recently photographed.

Student art doc wins BEA award

Monday, August 3rd, 2020

What is reasonable give-and-take when a city is attempting to improve its central hub? The student project MAKING A MURAL illustrates the issue with an artistic conundrum in Normal, Illinois.

Virus fells Orpheum, shorts Avon

Friday, July 3rd, 2020

Nationwide consensus is that small businesses and organizations will get raked over the coals before the pandemic is over. We look at how a first-run, mixed-use, and former movie theater are doing.

NAFF website indefinitely closed

Monday, May 11th, 2020

Our first post today is to announce the website for the New Art Film Festival has been retired. What transpires in the future for the NAFF will dictate whether it will be of service to the C-U as before.

Help fundraise for riot, rock docs

Monday, April 6th, 2020

A pair of documentaries with downstate Illinois ties, WHITE HEAT/BLACK ASHES and WHERE ARE YOU, JAY BENNETT?, are close to completion. If interested and able, why not nudge them along?

C-U cinema hits a slippery slope

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

The scenes from a film culture that we have been watching mostly from afar fill us with mild disenchantment instead of wonder. And then we were ordered to self-shelter and keep personal spaces to ourselves. Joy.

Collective hones film skills weekly

Wednesday, February 26th, 2020

The Workshop Films Collective, a newer group devoted to developing technical skills and honing storytelling concepts, is led by John Isberg and gathers weekly at Shatterglass Studios in Champaign, IL.

Casting underway for feature films

Friday, May 10th, 2019

Three upcoming film productions between Dreamscape Cinema of Champaign, IL, and Swede Films of Urbana, IL, are in need of acting talent to fill roles. Ready to submit the right stuff, thespians of the C-U?

Art Theater seeks $25K, film at 11

Thursday, February 28th, 2019

We are happy to see Champaign-Urbana, IL, once again vote with their wallets to help keep the Art Theater afloat, despite the imposition. Also, anybody ever hear of a flick called 100 BUCK HUSTLE?

AFM biz relies on solid genre films

Thursday, February 7th, 2019

It is sometimes important to take a few steps back and reevaluate your purpose for producing films independently of the studio system. Robin Christian reminds us the American Film Market is here to help.