<\/p>\n
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday\/Saturday on <\/em>C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!<\/strong><\/p>\n 11\/22: Chase Todd (co-creator, CHASE & SHEP\u2019S SUMMER CAMP OF HORRORS!, Chase & Shep, Savoy, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite how preoccupied I am right now with yet another Momkoke<\/strong> living situation, I\u2019ve been thinking about the New Art Film Festival<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Sometimes it feels like it never happened and I wonder if I just need to slap a \u201cThe End\u201d card on the enterprise and let it go. Of course, my removal of self and personal affects from Champaign-Urbana<\/strong><\/a><\/span> a little less than a year ago is not exactly stoking the old embers, and I didn\u2019t have a choice but to hole up at the house on the edge of an American small town because of unfinished family matters.<\/p>\n Can I retrofit the NAFF for this area? Overall lack of arts culture and an abundance of conservatism aside, I feel no need to do it here. A non-profit foundation in nearby LaSalle<\/strong> launched an arts festival in September<\/a><\/span> and included a program of independent film shorts and features that played the VIP Roxy Cinemas<\/strong> in nearby Ottawa<\/strong>, a community that is larger and offers more breadth of activity than dear ol\u2019 Mendota<\/strong>. Promotion for the event made it clear they were seeking local and Midwest creations as submissions, so NAFF ground is covered in the Illinois Valley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Should I bring NAFF back to the C-U or take it worldwide on the Web? My opinion on it wavers from day to day although, since hardly anyone has asked me about it in the last two years, I guess it\u2019s high time I drop the poker face and spill. As far as I\u2019m concerned in my end-of-2021 frame of mind, the NAFF proved what we set out to do with it and arguably ran its course. The 2017 and 2018 shows were produced from afar, yes, and the same was to happen in 2019 had the so-called foundation not cracked so quickly and decisively<\/a><\/span>. Given the near-absolute lack of any public or private support for the NAFF ever since, I\u2019ve probably had the answer in my back pocket this entire time: no more NAFF for you, C-U.<\/p>\n Yet<\/em>, it would have been nice to put a formal exclamation point on it for all the fans, friends, and filmmakers who still care. I could get ornery. Shit may still happen. Beware<\/em>, then. I have unfinished personal matters as well.<\/p>\n p.s.<\/em> The following Archive<\/strong> reprint is late but apropos. History has a funny way of\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 15 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Saturday, October 28, 2006:<\/em> Opteryx Press<\/strong> of Champaign<\/strong> hosts a \u201cMICRO-FILM Movie Show<\/strong>\u201d of low-budget horror cinema for Halloween<\/strong> including DRAWING BLOOD<\/strong>, directed by the Wolinski Brothers<\/strong>, and SEX MACHINE<\/strong>, directed by Christopher Sharpe<\/strong>, in the upper level of Mike \u2018n Molly\u2019s<\/strong> in downtown Champaign. This is their fourth screening of the year<\/a><\/span> at the popular bar, all curated and hosted by editor\/publisher Jason Pankoke<\/strong>, and also the last standalone MF<\/span><\/strong> event to date. [R]<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong>
\n12\/10: Sidney Taiko (editor\/publisher, Storm Cellar<\/span>, San Diego, CA)<\/p>\n
\nCHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI, THE GREEN KNIGHT (re-release), LAKSHAYA, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, WEST SIDE STORY, CHRISTMAS WITH \u2018THE CHOSEN\u2019: THE MESSENGERS, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, SWORD ART ONLINE: THE MOVIE (anim\u00e9) (12\/10 on), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (12\/15 on), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12\/16 on)<\/p>\n
\nWEST SIDE STORY, CHRISTMAS WITH \u2018THE CHOSEN\u2019: THE MESSENGERS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, C\u2019MON C\u2019MON, DUNE, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, KING RICHARD, NO TIME TO DIE, RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY, TADAP, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (12\/10 on), The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute<\/span> Holiday Encore (2006 performance; 12\/11, 12:55 p.m., recorded), UFC 269: Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier, more (mixed martial arts; 12\/11, 9 p.m., simulcast), Turner Classic Movies presents ON GOLDEN POND 40th anniversary (12\/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 12\/15, 7 p.m.), THE MATRIX (12\/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 12\/15, 7 p.m.), MACROSS PLUS MOVIE EDITION (anim\u00e9; 12\/14, 7 p.m., subtitled), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12\/16 on)<\/p>\n