CHICAGO, Illinois — Tonight, the 39th annual Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival invites audiences to enjoy an in-person pre-party and theater screening of 'Firebird' for Opening Night at the Music Box Theater.
Director Peeter Rebane will be on hand for the opening night feature, 'Firebird,' an epic story of forbidden queer love set against the backdrop of the 1970s Cold War in Estonia when two military men in the Soviet Air Force find their clandestine, illegal affair threatens their careers and their lives.
Emceeing the evening's festivities is comedian, actor and activist, Scott Duff, who is also Co-Host of WCPT 820's OUT CHICAGO, the only dedicated LGBTQ radio show in Chicago.
For in-theater screenings, tickets may be purchased online in advance at www.reelingfilmfestival.org/2021 or at the theater's box office on the day of the screening. Ticket prices are $13 for regular screenings at the Landmark Theater. Special admission programs include the Opening Night Film, 'Firebird.' $18 for the film only and $40 for the film and pre-party at the Music Box Theater. For virtual screenings, Single Streaming Tickets are available at $12 and an All-Access Streaming Pass is available for $125.
Attendees are required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test result to attend all screenings and events at the Music Box or Landmark Theater. Full vaccination means two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson. Regardless of vaccination status, masks will be required to enter festival theaters and must remain on except when actively eating or drinking.
About Reeling Film Festival
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, and prides itself on showcasing the best LGBTQ+ films and videos each year. From award-winning international feature films to social documentaries to experimental shorts, Reeling has always presented a range of genres that demonstrate the rich diversity of work being produced. Not only has Reeling become one of the most important cultural events for Chicagoans, it also attracts LGBTQ+ people from throughout the Midwest who consider the festival to be the highlight of their cinematic year.
Sponsors
Reeling39: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival is presented by AARP and Gilead, and produced by Chicago Filmmakers. Premiere sponsors include ChicagoPride.com and HereTV; Grand sponsors include Nexus, EdgeMedia Network, and Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace, with WBEZ as a Major sponsor.
About Chicago Filmmakers
Chicago Filmmakers is a not-for-profit media arts organization that fosters the creation, appreciation, and understanding of film and video as media for artistic and personal expression, as well as media of important social and community impact. Chicago Filmmakers' twofold mission is to serve independent film and digital video artists by supporting the creation and dissemination of new media artworks and to serve Chicago audiences by screening artistically innovative, socially relevant, and diverse films and videos.
Chicago Filmmakers nurtures the development of aspiring filmmakers of all ages by offering classes, workshops, and summer camps; empowers artists to create new work through production grants, equipment access, fiscal sponsorship, and other services and resources; and encourages the professional advancement of media artists through seminars, panel discussions, lectures, rough-cut and open screenings, as well as networking events and other opportunities for artistic exchange. Chicago Filmmakers develops diverse audiences through its year-round weekly film and video exhibition programs and its two annual film festivals, Reeling the Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival and The Onion City Experimental Film + Video Festival.
