<\/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 6\/1: Bill Yauch (producer\/cinematographer, AMBER ROSE, Shut Up and Do It Productions, Champaign, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n Now<\/em> is the time in the program where we alert our dearest cultural custodians as to what is on deck in the local cinema. Not unlike a few weeks ago when it seemed the horror stories of our creation were oozing from every crack and pore, a fair amount of movie action has come to light and a Report<\/strong>-ing we will go!<\/p>\n On May 17<\/strong>, University of Illinois<\/strong> alumnus Keenan Dailey<\/strong>, the Peoria<\/strong> native who continues to live in Champaign-Urbana<\/strong> and provide freelance multi-media services as Visage Entertainment<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, wrapped photography for his first independent feature, BRIM<\/strong>, also known as HEAR NO EVIL<\/strong> and a partner piece to the short subject SEE NO EVIL<\/strong>. Developed in partnership with writer\/producer Trude Namara<\/strong>, data researcher Paris Adkins-Jackson, PhD<\/strong>, the Marvin Grey Matter Family<\/strong> research group, and Columbia University<\/strong> in New York<\/strong>, the films use dramatic scenes to personalize how incarceration and systemic racism encoded in the law impacts the health of aging Black and Latin adults. More on SEE NO EVIL<\/strong> and the philosophy behind their storytelling can be learned about at this website<\/a><\/span>; both were filmed in Chicago<\/strong> and central Illinois<\/strong> with regional talent, while their screening availability has yet to be announced.<\/p>\n On May 18<\/strong>, a world premiere soir\u00e9e and screening were held<\/a><\/span> at the Rooftop Cinema Club<\/strong> atop the Emily Hotel<\/strong> in downtown Chicago for AMERICAN CRIMINALS<\/strong>, a long-gestating period piece<\/a><\/span> filmed all throughout Chicagoland the last two years by writer\/director Aaron Warr<\/strong> for Great Uncles and Our Gang Productions, LLC<\/strong>. Based on a sensational true story that unfolded 100 years ago in the well-off Kenwood<\/strong> neighborhood<\/a><\/span>, CRIMINALS<\/strong> dramatizes the unprovoked kidnapping and murder of a prep school student, Bobby Franks (Jace Chastain<\/strong>), by a pair of scholarly and affluent teens, Nathan Leopold (Bing Brazeau<\/strong>) and Richard Loeb (Jake Schory<\/strong>), for the alleged thrill. Once Leopold and Loeb are arrested after a ransom scheme falls apart, celebrated defense attorney Clarence Darrow (Robert Donovan<\/strong>) represents them in court and spares the co-conspirators from execution but not a media-fueled infamy. Peoria native Warr and producer Joshua Zilm<\/strong> previously worked together more than a decade ago on the comedy picture COLLEGE DEBTS<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and will be seeking out national distribution for the new production.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n On May 20<\/strong>, John Isberg<\/strong> of Swede Films<\/strong> confirmed the launch of a new podcast about making horror and cult films, Shudder to Think<\/span><\/strong>. Four episodes have already been uploaded to a Spotify<\/strong> account, the first two with Isberg monologuing about the appeal of horror and the realistic needs on a horror set, the second two where Isberg converses with cinematographer and producer Robert Patrick Stern<\/strong> (BLACK MOLD, BROOKLYN 45<\/strong>) and Jacob Allen<\/strong> (TOOLBOX MURDERS 2, Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival<\/strong>) on their experiences in the milieu. The proverbial Facebook<\/strong> page will alert you<\/a><\/span> about upcoming shows.<\/p>\n On May 22<\/strong>, West Coast filmmaker, arts management specialist, and Champaign native Peter McDowell<\/strong> revealed in an e-mail blast that his award-winning documentary about the abbreviated life and lost love of his late brother, JIMMY IN SAIGON<\/strong>, has been picked up for distribution in North America<\/strong> by Dark Star Pictures<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and will receive a limited theatrical release before streaming and home video berths. It also will be offered in Spain<\/strong> by the indie-favoring label Filmin<\/strong>. After appearing at more than forty festivals and showcases worldwide, JIMMY<\/strong> can next be seen publicly on Thursday, June 6, 6:30 p.m.<\/strong>, at the Figge Art Museum<\/strong> in Davenport, Iowa<\/strong> \u2013 much closer to MFHQ Deux<\/strong> than the C-U, alas \u2013 as the first in a weekly and free film series to celebrate Pride Month<\/strong>. You can still donate to outreach funding right here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Also on May 22<\/strong>, Northend Empire Films, LLC<\/strong>, and Map Productions<\/strong>, the groups behind the indie family comedy IRRESPONSIBULL<\/strong> that premiered last fall at the Virginia Theatre<\/strong> and was filmed in the area, posted feelers to Facebook for casting a follow-up that may be shooting as early as next week, L.A.F KIDS<\/strong>. They say at least one more project will be filmed later in 2024 and another, SCARE BUSTERS<\/strong>, has already gone before the cameras in Peoria. Those wanting to be informed about future opportunities on their sets can contact the director, Nate Morris<\/strong>, at nate [at] northendempire [dot] com<\/strong>, and those who\u2019d like to watch IRRESPONSIBULL<\/strong>, which stars comedians Chris Hightower<\/strong> and Deandre Burns<\/strong> in a high-energy lark about earning trust and redemption, can stream it for $4.99 through the official website<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n And then<\/em> come the horror morsels, watch out! Starting a few days ago, suburban Acrostar Productions<\/strong> has been promoting the next outing, RETURN OF THE CORN ZOMBIES<\/strong>, by announcing their players and raising production funds<\/a><\/span> with equal intensity; they presumably will descend upon the rural central Illinois region where they made ATTACK OF\u2026<\/strong> in the coming months, under the direction of S. J. Herman<\/strong> and Mia Katz<\/strong>. Already wrapped as of March is SMILE MAKER<\/strong>, a low-budget thriller conceived by actor and producer Aric Diamani<\/strong> of AMERICAN CRIMINALS<\/strong> and Mikey Tiffany<\/strong> of the \u201cTime Girl<\/strong>\u201d steampunk universe we\u2019ve talked about previously<\/a><\/span>; filmed in Tiffany\u2019s hometown of Jacksonville<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, it stars Jeremy London, Nea Dune<\/strong>, and Diamani in the first of what Tiffany promises are many collaborations to come<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n No relation to SMILE MAKER<\/strong> is GRINNERS<\/strong>, an even lower-budget fit of mayhem to be directed by Jarod Hussey<\/strong> of Refinery Films<\/strong> in Mt. Carroll<\/strong>, based in northwest Illinois; according to his fundraising campaign<\/a><\/span>, the story will pit a \u201chorror cooking show host\u201d (Magdalena Conway<\/strong>, star of several Acrostar pictures) against animal-masked killers (Natanna Jacobs, Andrew Byard<\/strong>) in a grungy game of cat and mouse (and possum). To close, finished films in this bloody vein can now be submitted for consideration to the Screaming Mad Film Festival<\/strong>, a popular sidebar of the annual Dark History & Horror Convention<\/strong> in the C-U; the early deadline is right around the corner on Saturday, June 15<\/strong>, and FilmFreeway<\/span><\/strong> will tell you about the rest<\/a><\/span>. Dark History\u2019s tenth-anniversary show is set for late August at the Orpheum Champaign<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A few more items are lingering on our radar, yes sir and ma\u2019am, but we need to cap Ye Ed<\/strong>\u2019s eyestrain for the moment and call it a Report<\/strong>. New business will be followed in next week\u2019s Calendar<\/strong> by a few bits of old business, and then we\u2019ll be concentrating mainly on personal business for the summer months.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Ace Sign Co. Museum, Springfield, IL<\/strong> \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> @ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/strong> Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional \u201cNow Playing\u201d and \u201cComing Soon\u201d listings appear after the jump!<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n @ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL<\/strong> @ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/strong> @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong>
\n6\/1: William Pace (faculty associate of digital media production, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ)
\n6\/2: DeShawn Hill (producer, HD Productions Media, Los Angeles, CA)
\n6\/3: Amanda Baker (videographer\/editor, Five Foot Productions, Champaign-Urbana, IL)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nCentral Illinois Film Commission* meeting (6\/6, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nBABES, THE DEAD DON\u2019T HURT, EZRA, HAIKYU!! THE DUMPSTER BATTLE (anim\u00e9), IN A VIOLENT NATURE, SUMMER CAMP, THE FALL GUY, FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation), IF, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, SIGHT (faith film), THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 (5\/31 on), JESUS THIRSTS: THE MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST (religious documentary) (6\/4-6\/6, 4 & 7 p.m.), LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL feat. David Dastmalchian & Kevin Smith talk (6\/6, 7:30 p.m.), BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE, THE WATCHERS (6\/6 on)<\/p>\n
\nTHE DEAD DON\u2019T HURT, EZRA, IN A VIOLENT NATURE, SUMMER CAMP, BABES, BACK TO BLACK, CHALLENGERS, CIVIL WAR, THE FALL GUY, FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, THE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation), IF, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, SIGHT (faith film), THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 (5\/31 on), UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Porier, more (mixed martial arts) (6\/1, 9 p.m., simulcast), THE MUPPET MOVIE 45th anniversary (6\/2, 1 & 7 p.m.; 6\/3, 7 p.m.), SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (6\/2, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6\/5, 7 p.m.), JESUS THIRSTS: THE MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST (religious documentary) (6\/4, 4 & 7 p.m.; 6\/5, 7 p.m.), summer family films: THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 (animation), HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (animation) (6\/4-6\/6, 10 a.m.), BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE, THE WATCHERS (6\/6 on)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSummer Films on the Quad\u201d feat. ARTHUR THE KING (6\/6, 9 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nNo movies this week!<\/p>\n
\nTHE DEAD DON\u2019T HURT, FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, SIGHT (faith film) (5\/31-6\/2)<\/p>\n
\nBOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (6\/1, 7 p.m.), Danville Public Library, etc., presents \u201cA Novel Idea\u2026\u201d feat. JURASSIC PARK (6\/6, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE GARFIELD MOVIE (animation) (Screen 1), TWISTER (Screen 2) (5\/31 on)<\/p>\n
\nEVIL DOES NOT EXIST (in Japanese with English sub) (5\/31-6\/2), STARGATE (6\/6)<\/p>\n