BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//B-Side Presents: Chicago Underground Film Festival and Filmmake rs Summit 2008//iCal4j 1.0//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081029T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081029T213300 SUMMARY:Anywhere USA DESCRIPTION:"Anywhere U.S.A. reduces every audience that sees it into a d elighted\, giggling mob. The talented cast of non-professionals reminds one of what the word "amateur" really means: to love. As silly\, provoca tive\, risky and downright loose-screwed as Mr. Haney-Jardine and his ca st are\, the sense that they did this movie out of love—love for the wei rd\, love for the unsayable idea\, love for the privilege of movie makin g—proved to be one of the most moving experiences at the Sundance Film F estival. It reminds one of the joy of sitting in an audience of stranger s while everyone laughs hysterically." — Quentin Tarantino\, Head of Su ndance Jury\n \nTrailer parks\, terrorists\, the tooth fairy and a rich man in search of a black friend. Just another day in Anywhere USA.\n \ nThe Chicago Underground Film Festival is proud to present the Midwest P remiere of Anywhere U.S.A. winner of a Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Anywhere USA is a high-energy and big-hearted romp through the hysteria-fueled landscape of modern Am erica. Told in three loosely connected segments (Penance\, Loss\, and Ig norance)\, the film is a dizzying portrait of America inspired by the di rector's own experiences as both foreigner and citizen of these United S tates. \n \nFeaturing a cast of mostly non-professionals\, this deeply personal film manages to tread the lines between vulgar and humane\, bet ween absurd and tender. CATEGORIES:Feature, Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/anywhereusa_chicagound erground2008 UID:169660233-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081029T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081029T223000 SUMMARY:Opening Party DESCRIPTION:Following the Midwest Premiere of Anywhere USA. Allá \nT he core trio behind Chicago's Allá (pronounced "ayê-ya) Jorge and Angel Ledezma\, and chanteuse Lupe Martinez previously played together in the krautrock-influenced instrumental group Defender. Taking the motorik rhy thms of that band and infusing elements of traditional Mexican music\, p sychedelic tropicalia’ and lush production reminiscent of Phil Spector a nd Brian Wilson. Their self-financed debut album Es Tiempo\, recorded ov er a four-year period in studios across the globe\, melds these influenc es into something new and original\, a perfect soundtrack for the multic ultural world we live in.\n \n"Allá updates Brazilian tropicalia for th e bilingual post-rock set. Allá makes swinging\, sun-kissed\, galactic\, Latin-inflected pop music" -Time Out Chicago\n \n"The combination of s unny melodies and seductive beats recalls both the delicacy of bossa nov a and the retro-futurism of Stereolab" - Chicago Reader\n \n Judson Cl aiborne \n \n“Judson Claiborne\, aka Low Skies front man Chris Salveter\ , deals with some heavy subjects on his new album\, which shares its tit le with a 17th-century Chinese erotic novel—old standbys Love and Loss p lay leading roles—but the melancholy never gets thick enough to wallow i n. He and a crack gang of backing musicians\, including bassist Ryan Boy les of the late\, great High Hawk\, make a point of opening the curtains and cracking a window every so often: breezily twangy\, countrified dit ties like “Electrify” and “Ring the Bells” offset more bummed-out tracks like the soulful “Bloody Holiday.” - Chicago Reader CATEGORIES:Party LOCATION:Beat Kitchen URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/openingparty_chicagoun derground2008 UID:173618723-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T173000 SUMMARY:ECU (Extreme Chicago Underground) DESCRIPTION:A chance to meet with and talk to friends and filmmakers each day at 5:00 pm in the comfy expanses of the Viaduct bar\, moderated by Ray Pride. Ray is film editor of Newcity\, headlines editor of Movie Cit y News\, and he compiles the Movie City Indie blog. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine and is a festival photographer for Variety . Links to his work are at raypride.com \, including the 2005 CUFF trai lers\, which he co-produced. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Bar URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/ecuextremechicagounder ground_chicagounderground2008 UID:173733624-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T185200 SUMMARY:An Alternative to Slitting Your Wrist DESCRIPTION:What if every single person in the world took a year out of t heir life to do all the things they've always thought about doing? Start and finish a movie\, make someone's dream or wish come true\, spray-pai nt an inspirational message on city property\, burn their regrets to the ground. And with this thought I began compiling a list of 52 things whi ch I would complete\, one a week for the next year of my life. But as wi th any great challenge\, it became far different than I could have ever expected. CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/analternativetoslittin gyourwrist_chicagounderground2008 UID:169660354-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T190500 SUMMARY:Mermaid Island DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogrami_chicago underground2008 UID:169661261-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T202500 SUMMARY:How To Cross A Border DESCRIPTION:The documentary tells the story of two very different men - a well-heeled American expatriate living in Mexico City and a Mexican hor se groom who is intent on entering the U.S. to work\, despite his lack o f a visa. What begins as a chronicle of the expatriate sub-culture in Me xico City evolves into a fast-paced road movie as the American (who has decided to leave Mexico) attempts to locate the Mexican (who wants to co ntinue working for the American) and convince him not to set out on the dangerous trek across the Sonora desert. How To Cross A Border is a viv id illustration of the market forces\, dangers and moral reckoning that surround undocumented immigration from Mexico to the U.S. Through the ev olution of the relationship between the Mexican and the American\, the f ilm also demonstrates how the cultural gulf that separates even the most disparate of men can be crossed if each decides to understand and help the other. CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/howtocrossaborder_chic agounderground2008 UID:169662260-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T205000 SUMMARY:Reel Moments DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/reelmoments_chicagound erground2008 UID:169662458-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T222000 SUMMARY:The Auteur DESCRIPTION:From the creators of Film Geek comes THE AUTEUR - a melange o f sweet romantic comedy and raunchy\, riotous satire. Formerly renowned porn director Arturo Domingo (Melik Malkasian) - the creative genius be hind classics like Five Easy Nieces and Requiem for a Wet Dream-- has ar rived in Portland\, Oregon to receive a Lifetime Achievement award at a film festival. Arturo is delighted at the prospect of reviving his sagg ing career\, yet troubled that fate would lead him to the hometown of hi s only true love\, Fiona (Katherine Flynn). With the reassuring voice o f his attentive secretary Doris (Cara Seymour) over his cell phone\, he navigates the chaos of a madcap weekend.Encountering crazed fans\, forme r collaborators\, bitter enemies\, and free-loving hippies\, we follow A rturo as he frantically attempts to raise money for the film that could put him back on top: Gang Bangs of New York.Through flashbacks we see hi s love for Fiona and their tragic breakup on the set of Domingo's ill-fa ted Vietnam epic\, Full Metal Jackoff. We meet Frank E. Normo (John Br een) - Arturo's former Bobby DeNiro - who now has a wildly successful pa y-per-view porn show. And\, most importantly\, we learn the about the dangers of Oregon weed. With a lot of heart\, soul\, and naked penises\, THE AUTEUR is a seriously sexy comedy with a climax that absolutely mu st be seen to be believed. CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/theauteur_chicagounder ground2008 UID:169665099-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T211500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T222500 SUMMARY:Urban Artifacts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogram_chicagou nderground2008 UID:169667514-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T020000 SUMMARY:Thursday Night Party DESCRIPTION: Sally Timms (Mekons) \nJanet Bean (Eleventh Dream Day\, Fr eakwater) \nJim Elkington (The Zincs) CATEGORIES:Party LOCATION:The Hungry Brain URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/thursdaynightparty_chi cagounderground2008 UID:173619003-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T223000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081030T234900 SUMMARY:Hoopeston DESCRIPTION:Two and a half hours south of Chicago near the Illinois-India na border\, Hoopeston\, Illinois was once the global capital of sweet co rn production. Church. Meth. Republicans. That's about what's left when Hoopeston officials\, hoping to create jobs\, start offering to give awa y prominent downtown buildings to anyone with a business plan. Guess who 's coming to dinner but—whoops—a displaced Wiccan sect shopping down-mar ket for a good spot to open the "nation's first witch school."\n \nTold in four parts\, this rough-around-the-edges documentary is "part poigna nt portrait of heartland America\, part real-life Christopher Guest on t oad's milk." As the Witches battle Christian opposition\, Hoopeston's re sidents struggle to cope with decline and change: a young entrepreneur b uys the only motel in town\, the police chief fights a meth epidemic\, a nd the Witch Chancellor lays plans for a vast Crystal Web. CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/hoopeston_chicagounder ground2008 UID:169673590-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T123000 SUMMARY:TUG: Anatomy of a Red Camera Project DESCRIPTION:Steven Soderbergh calls it the camera he has been waiting for his whole career. Fresh from the recently wrapped production of the lo w budget feature film Tug\, which was filmed in Holland\, Michigan using the Red Camera\, cinematographer Adam Stone\, producers Hopwood Dupree and Christina Varotsis\, and Tom Fletcher from Fletcher Camera will exam ine the practical considerations involved in using the camera touted by Wired Magazine to be the first digital camera that matches the detail an d richness of analog film. CATEGORIES:Panel, Production and Technology LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/tuganatomyofaredcamera project_chicagounderground2008 UID:170713596-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T124500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T141500 SUMMARY:The Digital Intermediate Workflow DESCRIPTION:Digital intermediate (DI) technology is evolving as an exciti ng creative tool for filmmakers in both the independent and big-budget a renas. Learn from the front lines of the DI process how to push the enve lope and get all the benefits of digital tools for designing the visual palette of your film\, while reducing costs and enhancing the quality of the viewing experience. Industry experts show how the digital intermedi ate process can empower filmmakers at all budget levels\, both creativel y and financially. CATEGORIES:Panel, Production and Technology LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/thedigitalintermediate workflow_chicagounderground2008 UID:170713800-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T154500 SUMMARY:Music and Sound Design DESCRIPTION:Low budget filmmakers cannot underestimate the importance of music and sound design in enhancing the movie going experience. In this discussion music supervisors\, sound designers and composers will treat us to some of their tricks and secrets that can help overcome the limit ations of budget and will look at some of the rights and licensing issue s involved in the use of music in movies. CATEGORIES:Panel, Production and Technology LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/musicandsounddesign_ch icagounderground2008 UID:170714435-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T153000 SUMMARY:Break-out Session: Kodak DESCRIPTION:A mini session with Ericka Frederick and Scott Stevens of Kodak who will discuss the latest developments in Kodak film stock with emphasis on the low budget and experimental filmmaker. CATEGORIES:Panel, Production and Technology LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/breakoutsessionkodak_c hicagounderground2008 UID:170715157-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T171500 SUMMARY:“Night Tide” Case Study DESCRIPTION:This panel will examine the adventuresome\, macabre and quirk y filmography of filmmaker Curtis Harrington. It will also look at the process involved in the restoration of “Night Tide\,” Harrington’s fiend ishly cultish 1961 tale starring Dennis Hopper in his first film role as sailor Johnny Drake about a dark romance between a sailor and a sidesho w performer\, who just may be a murderous mermaid. CATEGORIES:Panel, Production and Technology LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/nighttidecasestud_chic agounderground2008 UID:170714773-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T173000 SUMMARY:ECU (Extreme Chicago Underground) DESCRIPTION:A chance to meet with and talk to friends and filmmakers each day at 5:00 pm in the comfy expanses of the Viaduct bar\, moderated by Ray Pride. Ray is film editor of Newcity\, headlines editor of Movie Cit y News\, and he compiles the Movie City Indie blog. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine and is a festival photographer for Variety . Links to his work are at raypride.com \, including the 2005 CUFF trai lers\, which he co-produced. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Bar URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/ecuextremechicagounder ground_chicagounderground2008 UID:173733645-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T184000 SUMMARY:The Golden Age of Fish DESCRIPTION:“The Golden Age Of Fish is an experimental feature film weavi ng various fragmentary narratives concerning Cleveland\, Ohio’s landscap e from its prehistoric past to late twentieth century visual representat ion. Through a series of motifs\, an African American woman geologist is the catalyst narrating Cleveland’s past.” – K. E. \n \n“Everson is a m aster in making short or even very short essays. Sometimes he needs no m ore than a minute and a few shots to clarify a standpoint or a feeling. He tells without frills\, but you can't call it minimal. The images\, oc casionally no more than fragments\, are too poetic and atmospheric for t hat. He also has a theme all of his own. To put it simply: the life and survival of the black population of America.” – International Film Festi val Rotterdam CATEGORIES:Experimental Feature, Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/thegoldenageoffish_chi cagounderground2008 UID:169673947-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T192600 SUMMARY:Hard Work DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramii_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169674245-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T202500 SUMMARY:She’s A Boy I Knew DESCRIPTION:They say that when someone comes out of the closet\, they can 't stop talking about it. Vancouver filmmaker Gwen Haworth not only talk ed... she made a movie. \nUsing archival family footage\, interviews\, phone messages\, and animation\, She's a Boy I Knew begins in 2000 with Steven Haworth's decision to come out to his family about his life-long female gender identity. \n \nAt turns painful\, funny\, and awkward\, She's A Boy I Knew explores the frustrations\, fears\, questions\, and h opes experienced by Gwen and her family as they struggle to understand a nd embrace her newly revealed identity. \n \n"Witty\, brave\, and vulne rable\, Haworth gave us the most affecting and memorable documentary of the year." - Vancouver Magazine CATEGORIES:Documentary LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shesaboyiknew_chicagou nderground2008 UID:169675731-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T194500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T210000 SUMMARY:Travel Guide DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramiii_chica gounderground2008 UID:169675947-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T212500 SUMMARY:Night Tide DESCRIPTION:With Night Tide\, Filmmaker Curtis Harrington creates a fiend ishly cultish tale about a dark romance between a sailor and a sideshow performer\, who just maybe a murderous mermaid. Starring Dennis Hopper i n his first leading film role as sailor Johnny Drake\, who discovers tha t his love\, Mora\, believes that she is a descendent of the Sirens\, my thic sea creatures that lured sailors to their death. The thing is\, she might just be. As the full moon appears\, so does her urge to kill – pu tting Johnny in a bad place to be if you’re a sailor. \nThis screening features a new 35mm print restored by the Academy Film Archive\, with f unding provided by The Film Foundation. Courtesy of Milestone Film and V ideo and the estate of Curtis Harrington. \n \n\nFilm Archivist Mark T oscano will introduce the film. CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Gene Siskel Film Center URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/nighttide_chicagounder ground2008 UID:169678313-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T204500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T222300 SUMMARY:A Necessary Death DESCRIPTION:”Documentary Filmmaker looking for suicidal individual to fol low from first preparation to final act."\nWith that statement begins a very provocative and disturbing film that will make you question everyth ing you ‘think’ a documentary film can – or should – do.\n \nGilbert\, a film student\, puts an ad on the internet: "Documentary Filmmaker look ing for suicidal individual to follow from first preparations to final a ct." He settles on Matt\, 24-years-old\, who is suffering from an incura ble brain tumor and is determined to end his life before the agonizing p ain that awaits him.\n \nGilbert convinces his ex-girlfriend Valerie in to coming on board to do the sound\, and together they follow Matt throu gh his final weeks. The more time they spend together\, the closer they get. But when they meet Matt's mother who doesn't know about her son's t umor nor his suicide plans\, Valerie not only decides to leave the proje ct but also tries to change Matt's mind about ending his life. This sets her on a direct collision course with Gilbert who needs the suicide for his documentary. The battle over Matt's life begins.\n \n \n“This is o ne of those little wonders that I always hope for at every film festival that I attend\, and until it gets released somewhere by someone\, I'm g oing to be talking about A Necessary Death a whole lot."- Ain’t It Cool News\n \n“The performances and real-life look of the film are both spot on\, but real kudos have to go to the writing. As much as it doesn't se em like you're watching an intricate plot unfold\, there's actually so m uch going on -- all of it layered\; structured brilliantly."- Cinematica l CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/anecessarydeath_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169678384-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T211500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T222800 SUMMARY:Research Methods DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/researchmethods_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169678587-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T020000 SUMMARY:The Chicago Underground Film Festival presents the 9th Annual Juk ebox of the Dead DESCRIPTION:Featuring\n \n Detholz! \n Aleks & The Drummer \n The Hoo d Internet \n \nJoin us for the ninth annual Jukebox of the Dead Hallow een party\, hosted by Detholz!. Started at and expelled from a bible sch ool in 1996\, Detholz! have long been a Chicago standby\, and their annu al Jukebox parties are among the year's very best outings and have been so for nearly a decade now! This year\, the ‘Holz! will be joined by ele ctropop duo Aleks & THE Drummer\, and then indie mash up masters The Hoo d Internet will spin throughout. CATEGORIES:Party LOCATION:The Empty Bottle URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/thechicagoundergroundf ilmfestivalpresentsthe9thannualjukeboxofthedead_chicagounderground2008 UID:173619457-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T223000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T235100 SUMMARY:Such Hawks\, Such Hounds: Scenes From The American Hard Rock Unde rground DESCRIPTION:'Such Hawks\, Such Hounds' traces the history of American und erground hard rock through interviews\, performances\, archival content\ , and animation. A detailed oral history is established--one that both c onnects and contrasts the artists of the underground with those of the c ommercial mainstream. Music and associated visual art join with testimon y to create a portrait of a vital creative community.The approach to the film is documentary in style\, also incorporating creative elements and post-production techniques reflective of the art and culture depicted. The tone is playful but not mocking\, thoughtful but not academic. The f ilmmakers have worked with musicians in their own environments\, recordi ng their activities at home\, work\, rehearsal\, and in a variety of set tings. Interviews feature musicians as well as producers\, label heads\, journalists\, writers\, and visual artists forming the extended creativ e community. Live performances have been filmed and recorded for maximum audio and visual impact.Bands featured and/or discussed include\, from the 1970s: Atomic Rooster\, Black Sabbath\, Captain Beyond\, Hawkwind\, Pentagram\, Sir Lord Baltimore\; from the 1980s: Corrosion of Conformity \, D.R.I.\, Melvins\, The Obsessed\, Saint Vitus\; from the 1990s and 20 00s: Acid King\, Bardo Pond\, Comets on Fire\, Dead Meadow\, Earth\, Ear thless\, Fatso Jetson\, Fu Manchu\, High on Fire\, Kyuss\, Mammatus\, Ne bula\, Neurosis\, Om\, Pearls and Brass\, Sleep\, Sunn O))). CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/suchhawkssuchhoundssce nesfromtheamericanhardrockunderground_chicagounderground2008 UID:169716849-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T110000 SUMMARY:Working the Festival Circuit DESCRIPTION:For filmmakers and audiences film festivals are a vital point of entry into the international film culture. Learn from festival prog rammers about the unique aspects of their festivals\, does and don’t for festival submissions\, and how to relax and enjoy the festival experien ce. CATEGORIES:Getting Your Movie Seen, Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/workingthefestivalcirc uit_chicagounderground2008 UID:170715341-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T111500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T121500 SUMMARY:Gallery and Art Film Exhibition DESCRIPTION:For certain films art galleries and museums may be the best venue in getting a film seen. This discussion will take a tru ly fresh approach to getting your movie seen as filmmakers\, gall ery owners and art world representatives explore the world of gall ery and art film exhibition. CATEGORIES:Getting Your Movie Seen, Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/galleryandartfilmexhib ition_chicagounderground2008 UID:170715625-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T133000 SUMMARY:New Media Exploitation DESCRIPTION:As Hollywood’s corporations and creative talent have squared off over the emerging world of new media\, the past year has seen a stea dy migration of content to the internet as companies and filmmakers alik e struggle to adapt to the emerging world of New Media. This panel of N ew Media experts will examine the challenges and opportunities presented by new media and will address the question of whether filmmakers will b e the exploiters or exploited in the Brave New World of New Media. CATEGORIES:Getting Your Movie Seen, Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/newmediaexploitation_c hicagounderground2008 UID:170715937-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T142100 SUMMARY:The Atom Smashers DESCRIPTION:The Atom Smashers chronicles two gripping races: a forty-year international scientific competition to find the universe's most import ant subatomic particle and the effort of a massive machine built to find it. Top American physicists search for the tiny 'god particle' using t he Tevatron\, a four-mile tunnel buried beneath the Illinois prairie. I t stumbles\, breaks\, is repaired\, and surges ahead in attempts to find the particle\, beat the competition\, and claim a Nobel Prize. A new E uropean machine is poised to come online in 2008. The tension is palpab le.Meanwhile\, scientists protest the Bush Administration's handling of science in all fields. When science budgets are slashed across the boar d\, Fermilab scientists - stunned -learn that the Tevatron will close ju st as Europe's machine is schedule to activate. Fermilab's scientists w arn: 'We're entering into a fantastic era of learning\, full of windows of opportunity for understanding the universe. This is not the time to be getting out of the game.'A dramatic exploration of the beautiful trut hs and frustrating difficulties of high energy particle physics\, The At om Smashers watches its characters work and live in and out of the lab\, examining the curious intersection between science\, politics\, and cul ture on a national scale. Where will the balance of scientific power sh ift? Can the United States reverse its course and undo the damage to it s scientific community? Two continents\, two accelerators\, one particle . Who will find it? CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/theatomsmashers_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169717025-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T134500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T144500 SUMMARY:CUFF Directors Panel DESCRIPTION:The Summit will close with this lively discussion about the creative process\, CUFF and everything else featuring an ecle ctic mix of directors with films in CUFF 2008. CATEGORIES:Getting Your Movie Seen, Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/cuffdirectorspanel_chi cagounderground2008 UID:170716330-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T144500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T161500 SUMMARY:Wellness DESCRIPTION:Thomas Lindsey (Jeff Clark) is a middle-aged salesman who col lects abandoned insect nests when he isn't on the road trying to drum up sales of a new product called Wellness\, a health supplement that claim s to cure nearly all physical and emotional ailments. Lindsey's overseer is Paul Stubbs (Paul Mahaffy)\, who bullies his charges into bigger sal es and treats Lindsey with barely disguised contempt. \n \nOnly in the course of his arduous\, ongoing pitch\, as he gets deeper into debt and the Wellness company’s promises fail to materialize\, does he realize he has been scammed. What should he do now—sin or be saved?\n \n“Jake Mah affy’s second feature ensures his stature as a unique American filmmaker . Combining the uncomfortable world of door-to-door sales with realistic acting\, he transcends all notions of documentary and narrative to make you squirm like you are with the characters\, until your conscience can ’t handle it. Once you climb into the tree\, pulling on a hornet’s nest\ , you are already deep into an ode to a broken society.” – Mike Plante\, Cinematexas\n \n“Virtual one-man band Jake Mahaffy follows up his 2004 film “War” with an astute effort that is both razor-sharp and genuinely sensitive\, with a flawlessly authentic\, heartbreaking performance by central thesp Jeff Clark.” - Russell Edwards\, Variety CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/wellness_chicagounderg round2008 UID:169718365-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T151500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T155300 SUMMARY:Rays of Light DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramv_chicago underground2008 UID:169719019-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T181500 SUMMARY:Between Something & Nothing DESCRIPTION:Between Something & Nothing is based on filmmaker Todd Verow' s experiences at Rhode Island School of Design. After being accepted int o a prestigious New England art school\, sexy small-town Joe and townie mastermind Jennifer quickly join forces. When Joe eventually falls for e nigmatic hustler Ramon\, and Jennifer gets mistakenly caught up in a bad drug deal- their little world starts to spin too fast for them to conti nue to control. The gritty education they are receiving on the city stre ets is just as important as the intensely focused\, competitive training in their classrooms.\n \n“Sex\, drugs\, rich kids\, music\, sketching\ , nude models and queer discovery -- this is one true art school confide ntial. In crafting Between Something & Nothing\, Verow drew from his own experiences as student -- and yes\, rent boy -- at Rhode Island School of Design.” \n-- Lawrence Ferber\, TLA Video CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/betweensomethingnothin g_chicagounderground2008 UID:169720106-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T182200 SUMMARY:Look Out There DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramvi_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169720287-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T173000 SUMMARY:ECU (Extreme Chicago Underground) DESCRIPTION:A chance to meet with and talk to friends and filmmakers each day at 5:00 pm in the comfy expanses of the Viaduct bar\, moderated by Ray Pride. Ray is film editor of Newcity\, headlines editor of Movie Cit y News\, and he compiles the Movie City Indie blog. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine and is a festival photographer for Variety . Links to his work are at raypride.com \, including the 2005 CUFF trai lers\, which he co-produced. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Bar URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/ecuextremechicagounder ground_chicagounderground2008 UID:173733665-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T193200 SUMMARY:The Juche Idea DESCRIPTION:In the late 1960s Kim Jong-Il guaranteed his succession as De ar Leader of North Korea by adapting his father's Juche (pronounced choo -CHAY) philosophy to propaganda\, film and art. Translated as "self-reli ance\," Juche is a hybrid of Confucian and authoritarian Stalinist pseud o-socialism. The film is about a South Korean video artist who comes to a North Korean art residency to help bring Juche cinema into the 21st ce ntury. Inspired by the real-life story of a South Korean director kidnap ped in the 1970s to invigorate the North Korean film industry\, the film follows Yoon Jung Lee\, a young video artist invited to work at a Juche art residency on a North Korean collective farm. The story is told thro ugh the films she made at the residency as well as interviews with a Bul garian filmmaker and even a brief sci-fi movie.\n \n'The evidence that current filmmaking is brimming with original\, standard-breaking creatio ns has to include the work of Jim Finn\, whose brilliant The Juche Idea is the latest in a growing filmography without precedent or category... The Juche Idea effectively completes a trilogy of ultra-compact features that boldly upturn notions of documentary and fiction\, propaganda thou ght\, reality and restaging\, and even what an 'experimental film' actua lly is. To say that these films open up new possibilities for satire\, i deas and language isn't an overstatement." – Robert Koehler\, Variety CATEGORIES:Experimental Feature, Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/thejucheidea_chicagoun derground2008 UID:169721534-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T184500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T200300 SUMMARY:We Are Wizards DESCRIPTION:In 1997\, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone exploded onto the literary scene\, captivating readers all over the world\, and quick ly spawning cinematic versions. We Are Wizards tracks the influential fi gures leading the creative subculture surrounding the popular series. Th e film follows a set of individuals ranging from web journalists\, autho rs\, artists\, filmmakers and musicians\, as they enhance and expand the Harry Potter story\, often in unexpected ways. We Are Wizards is a port rayal of creative fans with a common goal: to make their voices heard.\n \n"A tremendous film about the intriguing world of Harry Potter fandom . Alternatively funny and moving this is probably one of the best films I’ll see in 2008.”\n--Laremy Legel\, Film.com\n \n"... a highly enjoyab le illustration of how\, even in the limited universe of pop culture\, p eople create\, refract and remix their own stories." --Andrew O'Hehir\, Salon.com CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/wearewizards_chicagoun derground2008 UID:169721802-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T201500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T204500 SUMMARY:Curtis Harrington Shorts DESCRIPTION:“Marginalized by film historians and largely overlooked durin g his lifetime\, the late Curtis Harrington (1928-2007) was a key figure in the West Coast experimental film scene and among the most wholly ori ginal directors to work in the Hollywood studio system. An ardent cineph ile since his earliest years\, Harrington began his film career as an er rand boy at Paramount and eventually became a successful A-list director at Universal in the 1960s. An early protégé of Maya Deren and a close f riend of Kenneth Anger and Gregory Markopoulos\, Harrington’s first work s were poetic trance films that revealed his careful eye and distinctive style. This series pays tribute to an artist who never lost sight of hi s youthful ideals and produced a dazzling body of work ripe for rediscov ery.” – Harvard Film Archives \n \nCourtesy of the estate of Curtis Har rington. These films have been preserved by and come from the collection of the Academy Film Archive. CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/curtisharringtonshorts _chicagounderground2008 UID:169721919-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T221100 SUMMARY:Accidents At Home And How They Happen DESCRIPTION:This story begins with an ending. A woman is dead. Susana Vi lla-SeÒor\, a 29-year-old single scientist living in a central Ohio subu rb has killed herself. Susana had suicidal tendencies\; this last succes sful act is one in a series of desperate attempts. Susana's lab work imp roved the design of artificial limbs. Her research was extensive and per sonal. Stella\, Susana's twin sister\, is a very successful corporate pr ofessional working in the city. She is utterly in control of her enviro nment and aspiring upward although emotionally stunted and vacant. Stell a is trying to function as an adult in spite of a lingering and unresolv ed child-hood trauma\; she was kidnapped as a young girl and held by her captor for four years. As Stella's corporate professionalism begins to weaken under the pressure of her grief\, she slowly and compulsively tak es up where Susana left off. Stella eventually begins attending meeting s for people who have survived multiple suicide attempts--an array of br oken and comic individuals who unknowingly help her confront her loss an d sorrow. For Stella\, her sister is lost. She is loss and history. Her recovery is handicapped. She is surrounded by trauma\, drifting fro m no sympathy to pure empathy. Stella accidentally crashes her car into a tree which to on-lookers\, seems like a failed suicide attempt. In the end\, Stella remains a bad driver\, though now she feels the company of those who reflect and share her emotion. Can she be healed? Can Anyone? CATEGORIES:Experimental Feature, Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/accidentsathomeandhowt heyhappen_chicagounderground2008 UID:169725932-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T232100 SUMMARY:Sleep Weep (The Zookeeper) DESCRIPTION:After his wife is raped and brutally murdered the Zookeeper i s left alone\, completely devastated. He drinks. He works. Through his e ncounters with various creatures\, he befriends The Boy: a connoisseur o f pornographic videos and graphic terrorism footage. The Zookeeper and T he Boy embark upon a dark journey through drugs\, violence\, and sex\, i n the search of faith held together with colorful illustrations\, early Edison films\, and graphic news footage.\n \nThe work of James Fotopoul os has shown internationally at many festivals and sites including Inter national Film Festival Rotterdam\, New York Underground Film Festival\, Sundance Film Festival\, Walker Art Center\, and the Andy Warhol Museum\ , among others. In 2002 he had a retrospective at Anthology Film Archive s and was exhibited in the 2004 Whitney Biennial. In 2005 he received a Creative Capital Grant for his video on the life of Richard Nixon\, publ ished a book of drawings\, The Lime Book and completed an installation f or the 2005 Contour Biennial for Video Art. The Hard- Boiled\nEgg\, prod uced from an unpublished screenplay by Eugene Ionesco\, premiered at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2006. CATEGORIES:Experimental Feature, featured LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/sleepweepthezookeeper_ chicagounderground2008 UID:169726285-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081101T221500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T000300 SUMMARY:Mock Up On Mu DESCRIPTION:Notorious Bay Area kino-renegade Craig Baldwin tops his earli er found-footage operas Spectres of the Spectrum and Sonic Outlaws with this much-anticipated work\, a rapid-fire pulp serial–cum–political trac t piss take on California’s major military\, entertainment and religious industries. Hitting upon everything from Satanism to Scientology\, the Beats to the jets (propulsion\, that is)\, Baldwin revs up his character istic stock footage re-appropriations with some live-action scenes\, add ing an over-the-top pulp flair to the proceedings. The film focuses on t hree seemingly disparate characters to fuel this secret history of Calif ornia: Jack Parsons\, inventor of solid rocket fuel\, founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Aleister Crowley acolyte\; Marjorie Cameron\, artist\, beatnik and occultist\; and L. Ron Hubbard\, the science ficti on writer turned Scientology founder. Arising with demonic force from th e 20th century’s accumulated detritus\, the film surveys “the repurposin g of the popular imagination in postwar California\,” according to Baldw in\, tracing the “simultaneous rise and convergence of New Age religious cults\, the military/aerospace industrial complex and modern-day myths from Disney to certain sci-fi overlords.” CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/mockuponmu_chicagounde rground2008 UID:169726458-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T003000 SUMMARY:I <3 Presets DESCRIPTION:As I LOVE PRESETS/A>\, Chicago-based sound and new media art ists Rob Ray\, Jon Satrom\, and Jason Soliday do everything wrong the ri ght way. The trio manipulates found sounds and animated GIFs on home-bre wed equipment in spectacular live audio/video performances\, breaking do wn\, complicating\, and glorifying instrument settings\, tool presets\, and art-making interfaces normally accepted as fixed and stable. From Ex cel spreadsheets and video games to hacked Casios and discarded drum mac hines\, any and everything electronic is fair game. CATEGORIES:Party, Performance LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/i3presets_chicagounder ground2008 UID:169726912-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T103000 SUMMARY:Chic-A-Go-Go Film & Dance Party DESCRIPTION:Introduce the next generation of CUFF Fans\, at this family f riendly film screening and dance party courtesy of our friends at Chic-A -Go-Go. CATEGORIES:Party, Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/chicagogofilmdancepart y_chicagounderground2008 UID:169727021-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T143000 SUMMARY:Silhouette City DESCRIPTION:A feature-length cinematic essay that investigates a growing Christian fundamentalist movement through an historical lens. The film begins with the story of an obscure Christian survivalist group active i n the 1980's\, as recounted by one of it's former members\, and then mov es forward to the current post 9 -11 era - where startling ideological e choes are revealed and examined.In a period largely defined by religious violence\, SILHOUETTE CITY contemplates the motivations for adopting ap ocalyptic worldviews by providing a unique window into the foundational ideas\, organizational structure and psychological dynamics of one of th e most powerful movements taking root in America today. The film bears w itness to the long\, dark shadows of fear and intolerance being cast in the familiar landscapes of the homeland. CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/silhouettecity_chicago underground2008 UID:169728263-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T144500 SUMMARY:Restless Mind DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramvii_chica gounderground2008 UID:169728502-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T162300 SUMMARY:It's In The Game DESCRIPTION:This first-time feature filmmaker takes an up-close and perso nal look at the multi-billion-dollar videogame industry\, beginning with its history. This film exposes the questionable marketing tactics\, qua lity of life issues and class action lawsuits filed against the world's leading video game publisher\, Electronic Arts.\n \n“Video games have b ecome multi-billion dollar profit machines in the 21st century. A recen t study by the Entertainment Software Association found that $73 million in high definition television sales can be directly attributed to sales of the Xbox 360. The film ‚ Spiderman 2‚ grossed $115 million dollars a t the box office on its opening weekend in 2004. In comparison\, the vi deogame Halo 2 made $120 million dollars on its first day in stores\, an d Halo 3 pre sold over a million copies before the game was even release d. Moreover\, with the average ‚gamer‚ being 33 years old\, it is safe to say that the video game industry is no longer “child‚’s play” However \, there comes a price with such a rapidly growing industry. Game devel opers are facing many hurdles to get these games out on the shelves\, an d quality of life issues for employees have begun to come under fire. 80 hour work weeks\, forced overtime with no compensation\, and being fire d without cause\, are just some of the problems being faced by the indus try. This breakthrough documentary will take you behind the scenes\, to explore the history\, production and labor issues at stake in this next generation of entertainment.” – D.G. CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/itsinthegame_chicagoun derground2008 UID:169732794-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T151500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T163100 SUMMARY:Opera Calling DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramviii_chic agounderground2008 UID:169845268-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T181000 SUMMARY:Deliver DESCRIPTION:In this all-female video remake of Deliverance\, based both o n Boorman's film and Dickey's novel\, a cast of experimental filmmakers- academics (Peggy Ahwesh\, Su Friedrich\, Jacqueline Goss\, Meredith Root and the director) play characters that are both faithful to their respe ctive male counterparts and also barely fictionalized versions of themse lves—urban artists looking to unplug in the unspoiled wilderness. The fi lmmakers follow John Boorman's original closely as the gender inversion examines the differing role of women in relation to nature and violence\ , comments upon the extreme sport of filmmaking itself and the industry' s endless demand for product\, and to call attention to the fact that it is\, after all\, only women who can\, biologically\, truly deliver\, al l on a stretch of river coincidentally called Beaverkill.\n \n"Like a g eneration of viewers\, I was profoundly affected by Deliverance. But I h ave always been troubled by the hegemonic structures of gender proposed by Boorman and Dickey. Hence\, my version is played by women: myself\, P eggy Ahwesh\, Jackie Goss\, Su Friedrich\, and Meredith Root\, all exper imental filmmakers who work as academics. While faithful to our respecti ve male characters\, we also play ourselves. Provocative questions arise through these filters of similarity and difference. My film's title\, D eliver\, refers to the re-birthing experience of surviving extreme physi cal challenges\, the product-obsessed nature of the film industry\, and\ , of course\, the fact that it is only women who can\, biologically\, tr uly deliver. Unlike the Deep South setting of Deliverance\, Deliver tak es place in the Catskill Mountains. The group goes canoeing down a river \, which is\, believe it or not\, called the Beaverkill. We are confront ed by two local women armed with a shotgun\, and one of us is sodomized. This is the moment when a seemingly simple exercise in gender inversion becomes complicated. In the original\, the iconic male hillbillies' hos tility toward bourgeois men is based largely on land entitlement. Few wo men can claim that history of entitlement\, and the Catskills are not hi llbilly country. Most importantly\, there is the false notion that women do not pose a sexual threat to one another. What\, then\, motivates thi s rape? At what point do we read it as an unconvincing imitation of a 'r eal' rape? The lines between bathos and pathos become dangerously blurre d. It is the aim of this film to pose critical questions about the gende ring of nature\, homosocial sexual violence\, and the act of filmmaking itself." - J.M. CATEGORIES:Narrative Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/deliver_chicagoundergr ound2008 UID:169845963-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T164500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T175000 SUMMARY:Short Social Sing-alongs DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramix_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169846260-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T173000 SUMMARY:ECU (Extreme Chicago Underground) DESCRIPTION:A chance to meet with and talk to friends and filmmakers each day at 5:00 pm in the comfy expanses of the Viaduct bar\, moderated by Ray Pride. Ray is film editor of Newcity\, headlines editor of Movie Cit y News\, and he compiles the Movie City Indie blog. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine and is a festival photographer for Variety . Links to his work are at raypride.com \, including the 2005 CUFF trai lers\, which he co-produced. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:Viaduct Bar URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/ecuextremechicagounder ground_chicagounderground2008 UID:173733686-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T194500 SUMMARY:Essential Information DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramiv_chicag ounderground2008 UID:169717301-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T184500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T195600 SUMMARY:The Eternal Internal DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 2 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/shortsprogramx_chicago underground2008 UID:169847290-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T215700 SUMMARY:Song Sung Blue DESCRIPTION:Song Sung Blue tells the alternately inspiring and tragic lov e story of Lightning & Thunder\, a homegrown Milwaukee husband and wife singing duo that pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. Filmmaker Gre g Kohs goes backstage into the personal lives with this brave couple\, f rom their humble beginnings over 20 years ago\, to the threshold of fame \, from disaster to rebirth through to the most dramatic chapters in the lives of these authentic American dreamers. Song Sung Blue is about the uniquely American ability to invent one's self and strive for a seeming ly impossible goal. It's about fleeting celebrity and love and about a c ouple who manages to maintain their passion for one another amid the vic issitudes of life. Song Sung Blue … everybody knows one.\n \n"The true and truly unforgettable story of Lightning (Neil Diamond impersonator Mi ke Sardina) and his wife Thunder (aka Claire\, who can belt out a Patsy Cline tune with the best of 'em). Based in Milwaukee and decked out in s equins\, Lightning and Thunder were a local Midwest phenomenon. Heartfel t\, honest and in love with the stage and each other\, they make you wan t to quit your day job and run to the karaoke bar where you can be a thr ee-minute crooner yourself. Before our eyes their careers bloom\, their fan base grows and they rock out in front of 30\,000 happily pickled fan s. Then a freak accident changes everything and thus begins the emotiona l rollercoaster of the film. With intimate footage thoughtfully and resp ectfully shot by the filmmakers\, as well as personal home movies from L ightning and Thunder\, the filmmakers paint a horrifying\, tragic and he artbreaking portrait of a family dealing with disappointment\, addiction and pain. The filmmakers" use of Lightning's confessional video journal s\, as well as their unbelievable access\, result in some of the most ra w\, candid\, truthful in-the-moment moments you'll ever see in a documen tary. Song Sung Blue is a riveting\, sometimes happy\, sometimes hilario us\, oftentimes difficult watch. And though it doesn't have your typical Hollywood ending\, the film circles around in a very satisfying\, bitte rsweet manner. As in\, don't forget to bring your Kleenex. " — Casey Suc han\, Slamdance Programmer CATEGORIES:Documentary Feature LOCATION:Viaduct Theater 1 URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/songsungblue_chicagoun derground2008 UID:169848870-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091123T100558Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081102T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081103T020000 SUMMARY:Closing Party and Festival Awards DESCRIPTION: Big Buildings \nThe foundations for the gritty lo-fi Chica go rock quintet Big Buildings began back in the late ‘90’s when childhoo d friends Matt Maloney (vocals\, guitar) and Michael Wood (vocals\, guit ar) furiously exchanged four-track cassette tapes via post. In early 200 1\, Maloney\, then playing in a variety of San Francisco bands\, paid Wo od a visit in Chicago to bash out an eight-song demo. Maloney relocated to Chicago in early 2002 and the initial trio of Big Buildings began pla ying the club circuit. 2007 found Big Buildings transitioning to a five- man line-up\, and the band recorded its fourth release Wampum (2008\, St ars/No Stars)\, an increasingly catchy slice of murky psychedelic rock\, recorded almost entirely by the band to 4-track cassette.\n \n“Like a hippified Loaded-era Velvets (say\, if Lou Reed had left and Sterling Mo rrison had taken the reins)\, and a puppyish R.E.M. around the time of t heir 1981 Athens bootlegs. They have an absolutely joyous infatuation wi th their own grainy lo-fi ululations.” -Monica Kendrick\, Chicago Reader \n \n“Lovely and melodious\, never reaching any moment of indulgence or overkill... Everything you could possibly want from a rock band” -Tom L ynch\, New City CATEGORIES:Party LOCATION:The Bottom Lounge URL:http://chicagounderground.bside.com/2008/films/closingpartyandfestiva lawards_chicagounderground2008 UID:173619837-chicagounderground.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR