C-U Blogfidential

At one time, four indie television shows were being worked on simultaneously in downstate Illinois. Only PEORIA has persisted with little interruption. What happened to the rest? These are their stories.

Get outside this summer and enjoy the pleasures of the drive-in theater, whether on National Drive-in Day or any other time they’re showing movies, serving up goodies, and bringing folks together.

Carl W. Pellow, Jr., your humble editor’s stepfather, passed away a year ago at age 74. Here are a few belated words in his memory.

Many artists and creators in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond are stepping up post-pandemic. Good for them! Where does that leave C-U Blogfidential, though? We’re not sure, and that’s not good.

The late musician and Urbana resident Jay Bennett is the subject of new documentary and record releases, WHERE ARE YOU, JAY BENNETT?, now available nationwide through MVD Entertainment Group.

Burning Bulb Publishing has released Champaign filmmaker Jeff Kacmarynski’s long-unseen first feature, DISSOLUTION. We speak with the writer/director about it and upcoming projects.

Recent life necessities have forced me to sort out a lot of things. At least I get to keep the can.

There might as well be something soothing about this and, surprise, it doesn’t come from the cinema.

What is reasonable give-and-take when a city is attempting to improve its central hub? The student project MAKING A MURAL illustrates the issue with an artistic conundrum in Normal, Illinois.

Once again, the archives at MFHQ trigger your humble editor into remembering times of a different creative energy. Herein we have evidence of his stab at fashioning attire for a lost short film project.

Our second post today is to field the idea of publishing the next issue of C-U Confidential this year. For the interim, we will need to handle it different since it began in 2007. Are you on board?

Our first post today is to announce the website for the New Art Film Festival has been retired. What transpires in the future for the NAFF will dictate whether it will be of service to the C-U as before.

A pair of documentaries with downstate Illinois ties, WHITE HEAT/BLACK ASHES and WHERE ARE YOU, JAY BENNETT?, are close to completion. If interested and able, why not nudge them along?

We’re not sure what to tell you. Chances are good our reel life will give way to real life. It may mean the end, a new beginning, a suspended animation, a salvage mission. Choosing your own misadventure sucks.

There’s really not much more to say on behalf of the New Art Film Festival. We need a short break from it publicly, starting now, even though we won’t get a break from it privately until further notice.