Lights go down for more Lumière
~~~~~
Is it bad form to post about a major local event several days after its launch? Probably. Is it worth the effort to keep pushing its story while it is still in progress and attract as much attention for it as possible? Absolutely. Therefore, two weeks after the concluding Roger Ebert’s Film Festival in Champaign and a month after the wrap of Nat Dykeman’s durable Lake County Film Festival up in the far north Chicago suburbs, we now have the second iteration of the film impresario’s made-for-Champaign County creation, the Savoy Lumière. Expanded from its modest scope in 2025 and with just as much importance placed on selection quality, variety, artistry, and topicality, the event is taking place at the Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX all the way through the end of next week thanks to a few last-minute add-ons by Dykeman, who is always looking to improve on the overall experience for his growing audience.
This round, we’ve simplified the general schedule for your use below. It includes the play dates that have already passed – flog us after class, folks – such as the opening night block of short subjects made by local talents – well, hrm, go on and flog us already – that are colored in blue. The remaining programs are still in the immediate future as we post this article, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, with an overall favorite, 25 CATS FROM QATAR, the documentary about a Wisconsin woman who takes in the title felines from the title country in the hopes of finding adoptive families. Its booking and ballyhoo at events across the United States has been one of Dykeman’s not-well-known sidelines, done in parallel with what he’s accomplished over the last two years with the events devised under the aegis of Chambana Film Society. He’s devoted to the cause and finds ways to flourish with his ideas.
~~~~~
~~~~~
What is ahead, then? Today, we have a collection of shorts by Asian-American filmmakers at 12:30 p.m., documentaries about how the Chicago River feeds into the mighty Mississippi in all the senses at 3 p.m. and how the histories of indie cinema and video stores in America are entwined at 8 p.m., and a dark comedy about a man who seemingly scores big in crypto at 5 p.m. Two more documentaries play at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday nights, the first one about a man who crosses Indiana in his wheelchair to raise awareness and money for social causes and the second one about the ramifications of mankind encroaching a little too much on nature and wildlife. Then, two well-reviewed features in limited release play the C-U for the first time on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7 p.m., the first being THE CHRISTOPHERS, starring Michaela Coel and Sir Ian McKellen under the direction of Steven Soderbergh and the second being EXIT 8, an apparently striking videogame adaptation that was directed by Genki Kawamura. After all this, we’re gifted three straight Fridays of additional cinema that includes blocks of Jewish-American and Black-themed shorts and a “nerdlesque” documentary preceded by a locally-produced pole studio documentary and followed with a live “draglesque” affair. Whew.
Every single facet of the Savoy Lumière is finely detailed on the official website where you can read more in-depth about the selections, watch previews, pre-order tickets for the remaining shows, and bookmark for future reference as the Chambana Film Society continues forth with seeking out the most compelling and interesting not-Hollywood films that it can secure and bring to the Savoy 16. It is exciting to see film culture take on new shapes and colors in the C-U, especially when it’s built from the ground up by our friends and neighbors and maybe even ourselves. Go enjoy and support this grand effort, friends.
~ Jason Pankoke
~~~~~
~~~~~
Savoy Lumière 2026 schedule
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, 232 Burwash Ave., Savoy, IL
Tuesday, April 7
7:00 p.m. HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS (2022, 108 min., comedy)
Friday, April 10
7:00 p.m. RELATIVE* (2022, 97 min., comedy/drama)
Tuesday, April 24
7:00 p.m. BRIM* (2025, 105 min., drama)
Wednesday, April 29
7:00 p.m. “Home-Grown Shorts”* (2023-25, appx. 105 min.)
Thursday, April 30
7:00 p.m. LUMIÈRE, LE CINEMA! (2025, 106 min., doc.)
Friday, May 1
6:30 p.m. “Comedy Shorts” (2023-25, appx. 85 min.)
8:30 p.m. HEKLA* (2025, 89 min., comedy/drama)
Saturday, May 2
10:30 a.m. “Animated Shorts” (2024-26, appx. 85 min.)
12:30 p.m. UNDER THE LIGHTS (2025, 108 min., drama)
2:30 p.m. “Is This Therapy?” shorts (2024-26, appx. 100 min.)
4:30 p.m. ANYWHERE (2025, 102 min., drama/crime)
7:00 p.m. “Thriller/Horror Shorts” (2025, appx. 100 min.)
9:30 p.m. WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS* (2026, 86 min., thriller)
~~~~~
~~~~~
Sunday, May 3
10:30 a.m. 25 CATS FROM QATAR (2025, 95 min., doc.)
12:30 p.m. “Identities: Asian-American Shorts” (2025, appx. 95 min.)
3:00 p.m. AMERICAN DENDRITE (2025, 78 min., doc.)
5:15 p.m. $POSITIONS (2025, 97 min., comedy/thriller)
8:00 p.m. VIDEO DREAMS: A VHS MASSACRE STORY (2025, 82 min., doc.)
Monday, May 4
7:00 p.m. JUST ONE MAN (2025, 110 min., doc.)
Tuesday, May 5
7:00 p.m. NUISANCE BEAR (2026, 90 min., doc)
Wednesday, May 6
7:00 p.m. THE CHRISTOPHERS (2026, 100 min., drama, Neon)
Thursday, May 7
7:00 p.m. EXIT 8 (2026, 95 min., thriller, Neon)
Friday, May 8
7:00 p.m. “Identities: Jewish-American Shorts” (2025, appx. 90 min.)
Friday, May 15
7:00 p.m. “Identities: The Souls of Black Folk Shorts” (2024-25, appx. 110 min.)
Friday, May 22
6:00 p.m. MAYBE IT’S THIS* w/talkback (2026, 27 min., doc)
7:00 p.m. TIGHT & NERDY w/talkback (2025, 82 min., doc.)
9:30 p.m. “Lumière After Dark: The Weird Revue” performance
Special guests who are scheduled to appear will be named in the online and print programs as well as featured in the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the Chambana Film Society. Entries with an asterisk (*) denote a selection with local ties. The Savoy Lumière is directed and programmed by Nat Dykeman. Technical directors are Andrew Stengele and Thomas Nicol. Web and print designer is Kat Jacobsen. Event volunteer is Dan Jeremy Brooks. Primary sponsor is the Village of Savoy.
Publicity still from UNDELETABLE is courtesy Charlie Productions via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from PLACES WE KNOW is courtesy Oliver William Staton/London Film School via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from CLUTTER is courtesy Sash Films via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from AMERICAN DENDRITE is courtesy EastWest Films LLC via Chambana Film Society. | Other artwork is courtesy Chambana Film Society.
~~~~~
