C-U Biz-en-scène: 05.27.2011
“C-U Biz-en-scène” appears every Thursday/Friday on C-U Blogfidential to give our readers a succinct snapshot of the cinema activity in and near Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. Please support the artists and their work, attend screenings and events, and otherwise become active in our esoteric little world!
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MFHQ & YOU:
A Totally Authorized Shout to Our Sponsors
We’d like to thank the folks who felt it worthwhile to place their advertising messages in the latest issue of C-U Confidential digest, which you can snag for free at numerous locations in Champaign, Urbana, Bloomington, and Normal while supplies last! (Look for smallish stashes to drop in Decatur, Danville, Chicago, and select film festivals later this summer.) Because the Art Theater, Axis of Mischief, Bachelor Pad Magazine, Champaign Movie Makers, Cinema Gallery, Freeky Creek Short Film Festival, Groundwork Global Media, the Holze family, Jason Lindsey Photography, Kill Vampire Lincoln Productions, Midwest Zine Fest, Premier Print Group, Psychic Joker Entertainment, R.A.Z. Films, Red Herring Coffee House, Railsplitter Media, Route 66 International Film Festival, Shatterglass Studios, Shut Up and Do It Productions, Stones in His Pockets, and Syndicate Product did what they did, we can go light on the grimacing when we receive our print bill. Make sure to check out their respective goods and services on-line while setting aside some hard-earned pennies for CUZine’s return in the fall! (Yes, next time is the first time your hard-won independent press for local independent cinema won’t be made available gratis, dearest readers. We’ll discuss eventually.) Until then and afterwards, we otherwise have no plans to charge you one red cent to read all the interrelated news fit to post, such as the following:
- It’s a good thing we took a peek at the Web site of Route 66 FF, as the next-to-last deadline for entry in their 10th annual showcase is (inexplicably) next Monday, May 30. Afterwards, hopefuls have until Wednesday, June 15, to submit exclusively through Withoutabox;
- Horror, hooch, and skull heads provide common ground for two other Illinois fests with deadlines on the horizon! First is the geographically closer of the duo, Joe Taylor’s Freeky Creek Short FF, which is accepting entries until Wednesday, August 31, for their second annual Halloween weekend event at Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Fairmount. You can read our 2010 recap right here;
- Setting their submission due date one day earlier on Tuesday, August 30, is the third Drunken Zombie Film Festival, all riled up to terrorize (if not simply gross out) Peoria Theater patrons one week later on November 4-5. We might be tempted to road trip for this one if everything aligns perfectly post-Freeky;
- Last but not least on the film forwarding front, the University of Illinois’ Illini Film & Video club is seeking to curate multiple compilations of shorts made by IFV members during the past decade for potential broadcast on local cable stations and/or the student channel available exclusively in campus dormers. Write illinifilmandvideo [at] gmail [dot] com with your film’s title, run time, synopsis, and main credits to have it considered; IFV will contact you to talk over delivery options;
- We switch from movie viewing to movie making options for our last bullets this week, describing two of at least four feature-length projects CUBlog believes will shoot in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond between now and the end of 2011! First up are Mike Boedicker and Roselawn Productions, whose previous romp REVOLTING we just found in the “American Independent” section of That’s Rentertainment last weekend. (Hint: Rent it!) Boedicker tells CUBlog that he is in the scripting phase of a new psychological drama heading for production this fall in Danville with returning REVOLTING actors Bill Kephart and Julia Megan Sullivan, although some roles need to be filled. Write mboedicker [at] hotmail [dot] com if interested in auditioning or offering other services to the show;
- And then, we remind you about the C-U-by-Indianapolis dramatic indie set to begin production locally in mid-June. Champaign native, IUPUI student, and fledgling producer Eric Isenhart informs CUBlog that the Mother’s Day audition held at the Illini Union went well but he plans to stage further casting calls to fill out the cast. A follow-up in Indy is coming up shortly, so give filmfirmcasting [at] gmail [dot] com a shout and ask what opportunities remain on their show for cast and crew before they dig in their heels and call “action!” We’ll drop a cliffhanger right here and highly suggest you read CUBiz next week to learn about even more opportunities right in our backyard!
- p.s. to Jennie Garth, we didn’t forget about you! CUBlog hopes you had fun visiting your native Champaign County yesterday and trusts you imparted empowering words during the 2011 Go Red for Women Luncheon at the i-Hotel & Conference Center, organized through the American Heart Association.
Returning to exhibition for a moment, we’ve added a bunch of Midwest festivals and media events below that all the perspiring filmmakers out there should Google research as self-marketing opportunities!
PLAYING THIS WEEK
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: I AM (5/27 on), THE ROOM (5/27-5/29, 6/2, 10 p.m.), As You Like It (5/28-5/29, 12 p.m., Shakespeare)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: THE HANGOVER PART II, KUNG FU PANDA 2, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (5/27 on), THE UNINVITED (5/27, 10 p.m., free, w/Troy Taylor)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: BIUTIFUL (5/26-5/29)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: KUNG FU PANDA 2, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (5/27 on)
@ Gemini Cinemas, Villa Grove, IL: KUNG FU PANDA 2, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (5/27 on)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (5/27-5/30)
@ Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: THOR (5/27-5/29)
@ Harvest Moon Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: THE HANGOVER PART II, FAST FIVE, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, THOR (5/27-5/29)
@ Route 66 Drive-In, Springfield, IL: KUNG FU PANDA 2, THOR, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, FAST FIVE (5/27 on)
@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: A SMALL ACT, GNOMEO & JULIET, I AM NUMBER FOUR, GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH, THE GREAT DICTATOR (Criterion), more! (5/24 on)
@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, THOR (5/27-5/29), I AM NUMBER FOUR (5/28-5/29)
@ Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL: Chicago Underground Film Festival (6/2-6/9)
@ Hi-Pointe Theatre, etc., St. Louis, MO: “Vincentennial” (Vincent Price celebration, through 5/28)
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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Go see ‘em!
COMING SOON
UPDATE! 6/18: PARANOIA* local movie premiere w/filmmakers
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL, 8 p.m.
6/23-6/26: Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 7/14-7/24: Indianapolis International Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN
NEW! 7/15-7/17: G-Fest XVIII (Japanese pop culture), Rosemont, IL
7/19-7/24: Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, Palatine, IL
NEW! 8/4-8/7: Gen Con (Gaming), Indianapolis, IN
NEW! 8/11-8/14: Wizard World Chicago (Comics & entertainment), Rosemont, IL
9/16-9/18: Route 66 International Film Festival
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
NEW! 9/23-9/25: B Movie Celebration, Franklin, IN
10/6-10/20: Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 10/13-10/22: Heartland Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN
10/28-10/30: Freeky Creek Short Film Festival
@ Sleepy Creek Vineyards, Fairmount, IL
11/3-11/12: Reeling Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 11/4-11/5: Drunken Zombie Film Festival
@ Peoria Theater, Peoria, IL
11/10-11/12: Embarras Valley Film Festival
@ EIU campus/Will Rogers Theater/etc., Charleston, IL
NEW! 11/11-11/13: HorrorHound Weekend (Horror culture), Cincinnati, OH
11/10-11/20: St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, MO
COMMUNITY FILM SERIES
The New Classics: Great Books to Great Films from the Past 50 Years
@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.
6/13: FIELD OF DREAMS; 7/11: THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK; 8/8: INTO THE WILD; 9/12: TRUE GRIT (2010); 10/10: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; 11/14: ORDINARY PEOPLE; 12/12: FAIL SAFE 1964); 1/9/12: NEVER CRY WOLF; 2/13/12: AWAKENINGS; 3/12/12: ADAPTATION; 4/9/12: UP IN THE AIR
The News-Gazette Film Series 2011
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
6/4: MOULIN ROUGE!; 7/23: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S; 8/6: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE; 9/10: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT; 10/8: THE EXORCIST; 11/5: THE GODFATHER; 12/3: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
WILL-TV/Independent Lens “Community Cinema” series
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL, Time TBA
6/11: TWO SPIRITS
UNIVERSITY FILM SERIES
Global Lens 2011: International Films
@ Latzer Hall, University YMCA, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 5:30 p.m.
6/16: THE LIGHT THIEF, Kyrgyzstan; 7/21: SOUL OF SAND, India; 8/18: STREET DAYS, Georgia; 9/15: THE TENANTS, Brazil; 10/20: A USEFUL LIFE, Uruguay; 11/17: WHITE MEADOWS, Iran
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That’s it for the “business of our scene” this week!
If you have relevant news, opportunities, dates, or promotions that you would like included in CUBiz, please forward the who, what, where, when, and how much to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.
Compiled by Jason Pankoke
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“C-U Biz-en-scène” no.44 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.