Chicago-based film production company Full Spectrum Features today announced the films included in volume one of Chicagoland Shorts, a new, specially curated collection of short films by Chicago filmmakers. The series highlights the incredible diversity of The Windy City and its surrounding communities, celebrating the vastness of the Chicagoland experience, and providing an outlet for cinematic voices that sometimes go unheard. The curators of volume one are Eugene Sun Park ( Newcity's top 50 Chicago filmmakers of 2014; winner of the 2014 AAIFF screenplay award ), Beckie Stocchetti of Kartemquin Films, and Full Spectrum Features' Associate Producer Kayla Ginsburg.
The 11 filmmakers in this first volume include a finalist for the 2014 Student Academy Award, one of Indie Wire's "Top 10 Creatives" for 2015, and the recipient of the Human Rights Award from Nielsen Reviews, among others. Collectively, the films comprising Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 have screened at over 100 national and international film festivals. The films encompass diverse genres including documentary, animation, comedy, drama, and experimental.
Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 creator and principal of Full Spectrum Features, Eugene Park, says Chicago's rich and diverse film scene inspired him to start the series: "A lot of local filmmakers create content with an eye towards moving to LA or New York, but we have the resources and talent right here in Chicago to build a strong and thriving independent film industry. Part of that process is recognizing and celebrating the great work that's being made by local filmmakers." As to the focus on shorts, Park says: "The market for short-form content is growing, and the demand is definitely there. Most of the video content people watch online these days is less than 5 minutes long. People clearly enjoy short films, and the communal experience of watching a curated program of shorts in a theater with a bunch of other people is something special that simply can't be replicated online."
The films from Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 will have a premiere screening at Facets Cinematheque April 25-27, 2015, with filmmakers in attendance. The films will also screen as part of the New Filmmakers series at Anthology Film Archives in NYC in April. Other national screenings are in the works.
The filmmakers included in Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 are:
Fawzia Mirza and Ryan Logan ( Queen of My Dreams )
Robert-Carnilius ( Jaspa' Jenkins; Western Candyland )
Lydia Fu ( Permute )
Fred Frederiksen & Dylan Jones ( Moms and Dads )
Amanda Taves ( The Carousel, 1952-1987 )
Amir George ( Mae's Journal )
Michael Paulucci ( Shirley's Kids )
Valia O'Donnell ( Train )
Eugene Sun Park ( Self-Deportation: The Untold Tale of a Marginal Woman )
WHO: Full Spectrum Features
WHAT: Full Spectrum Features Announces 11 Filmmakers Included in Chicagoland Shorts, Vol. I Compilation
DATE: March 30, 2015
MORE INFORMATION: Email Media Coordinator: Cynthia.delay.bond@gmail.com
To find out more about the filmmakers and films, visit the Full Spectrum Features website, fullspectrumfeatures.com .
