Chicago Onscreen 2023
Being a filmmaker takes incredible vision. Whether you're exploring the past, pondering the future, or inventing whole new worlds to explore, a filmmaker's vision is their guiding light down the path of imagination. In our 15 2023 Official Selections, filmmakers of all stripes, from all over the city, share their visions and take us along on journeys of self-exploration, romance, hard work, coming danger, and more.
2023 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
Documenting Our Story Vol. 1, TRQPiTECA
Rejecting the heteronormative and male-dominated culture of mainstream nightlife, music, and art spaces, two queer women artists create an underground paradise that serves as a political and cultural engine on the Lower West Side of Chicago - TRQPITECA.
Directed by Sandra Vanessa Oviedo
Produced by Sandra Vanessa Oviedo, ColectivoMultipolar, TRQPiTECA, Angelica V Oviedo Oviedo
i-3:BLACKOUT
i-3:BLACKOUT explores the intersectionality of identity being Black, a Black man and a Black gay man in America. Identifying the parallel experience one has while inhabiting intersecting identities, i-3:BLACKOUT takes on the journey of self-discovery and how one navigates the influences of family, race, the black community and religion.
Directed and Produced by Ladu Pearson and Eugene Robinson
Marias
On the hottest summer day, a group of cousins boil on their grandmother's plastic-covered couch. Kicked outside to play in the fire hydrant during her work break, one of the kids accidentally wets the meanest Doña on the block's infant grandchild. Now it is up to the oldest granddaughter to see if she has the courage to interrupt her grandmother's novelas.
Directed by Salvador Salazar and Andres Aurelio
Produced by OPEN Center for the Arts, Salvador Salazar, Andres Aurelio
Masterpieces
A dedicated team of roofers, consisting of three men and three women, fight to keep the historic yet rare art of slate roofing alive, while also navigating the challenges of the trade through intense labor and safety.
Directed by Ronan Morrissey and Bridget Johnson
Produced by Katie Hamilton
Mr. Bulloch: Chicago's Donut King
This short film celebrates Buritt Bulloch, the owner of Old Fashioned Donuts Incorporated. He and his family have made delicious donuts for 50 years in Chicago's Roseland Neighborhood.
Directed and Produced by Claude Edward Fethiere
Nuestra Herencia
Nuestra Herencia: Legacy Film Project brings together a series of short documentary films exploring histories, gardens, and legacies through the lives of 10 senior gardeners of El Paseo Community Garden in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
Directed by Erin Babbin
Cinematography and Postproduction by Michael Sullivan
Produced by Tamara Becerra Valdez, Yaritza Guillen, Paula Acevedo, Erin Babbin
Roadkill
Two highway cleaning personnel disagree on whether or not to disturb a strand of roadside memorials. They learn the hard way that these pieces are more than clusters of roadside junk.
Directed and Produced by William Angelico
SymBionic
After clipping her wing on a robotic facility antenna, a Songbird forms an unlikely symbiotic relationship with the robot she inadvertently creates.
Directed and Produced by Jack Tenbusch
The Front Lines
A group of young professional skiers and snowboarders explore their concerns surrounding climate change and investigate how the ski industry is responding to protect their future. In conversation with climate scientists, global brands, and leaders in snowsports, these young athletes must find ways to enjoy the mountains sustainably to ensure their winters aren't lost forever.
Directed by Ethan Herman
Produced by Noah Schneider, Daniel Stephenson, Ethan Herman
