<\/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 2\/21: Eric Benson (co-host, Damian Duffy Hates Everything<\/span> podcast, DD Media Empire, Champaign, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, we get to our breaking point, dearest readers. No, no<\/em>, we\u2019re not going to crumble into dust from all the world\u2019s pressures, but we are<\/em> going to take a break from filing Field Reports<\/strong> after this one for the next two months. And for today, as we\u2019ve wanted to do for a few weeks now except that all the people and places of Champaign, Urbana<\/strong>, and the cities beyond keep throwing things of interest into our editorial peripheral vision and compelling us to write, write, write<\/em>, we finally get to a set of talking points that have caught our eye outside the traditional geographical boundaries of our coverage. They happen to be the genus and species of topics that we would have incorporated into MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong> back in the day. It\u2019s actually kind of refreshing to see the old guard still in the thick of creative ventures here in the present as well as the old guard\u2019s older work coming back. Gives us hope for, well, Ye Ed<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n Our Austin<\/strong>-based friend Christopher Sharpe<\/strong> and his wife and business partner, Hilah Johnson<\/strong>, have built a solid following and reputation with their online shows, first with HILAH COOKING<\/strong> and currently with the popular YOGA WITH ADRIENE<\/strong> and its host, Adriene Michler<\/strong>; Sharpe recently debuted on Substack<\/strong><\/a><\/span> with \u201cYouTube and the Creator Economy<\/strong>\u201d on which he shares stories about how the duo learned the ropes and found viable careers in the process. We reviewed Sharpe\u2019s early indie feature SEX MACHINE<\/strong> at The MICRO-FILM Review<\/span><\/strong> and showed it at Mike \u2018n Molly\u2019s<\/strong> in downtown Champaign in 2006.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n And then, MVD Visual<\/strong> announced a month ago the launch of an offshoot from their MVD Rewind Collection<\/strong> line to be called Smodcastle Cinema<\/strong>. The Kevin Smith<\/strong>-oriented label will put out new editions of older View Askew<\/strong> productions and the first release is the 1997 drama A BETTER PLACE<\/strong> starring Eion Bailey<\/strong> and Robert DiPatri<\/strong><\/a><\/span>; having been out of print for some time, we were happy to hear directly from writer\/director Vincent Pereira<\/strong>, a long-time Smith confidant and self-described \u201cView Askew historian,\u201d early last year that a restoration was in the works and it will finally be available on Blu-ray as of May 27<\/strong>. Yours truly interviewed Pereira for the cover story of MICRO-FILM<\/span> 3<\/strong> all the way back in 2000 with a sidebar assist from the astute Danielle Cloutier<\/strong> about the film\u2019s ties to the \u201cView Askewniverse.\u201d<\/p>\n While tooling around on Tubi<\/strong> recently to look for this or that, Y. E. found in a search result THIS OLD CUB<\/strong>, the seminal documentary by Jeff Santo<\/strong> about the life of his father, the late Chicago Cubs<\/strong> third baseman and WGN Radio<\/strong> announcer Ron Santo<\/strong>. We\u2019re sharing a fresh link to it right now<\/a><\/span> since the link in our last Tubi title round-up<\/a><\/span> is no good. It looks as if BayView Entertainment<\/strong>, the outfit that is now handling the distribution of horror fare from Acrostar Productions<\/strong> of Chicago<\/strong> and the film AFTERLIFE<\/strong> from Silver Compass Studios<\/strong> of Decatur<\/strong>, has also signed THIS OLD CUB<\/strong> and provided it again to the popular FAST channel service for their customers. Anthony Zoubek<\/strong> talked with the younger Santo for us about his take on the Major League Baseball<\/strong> hall-of-famer\u2019s life and diabetes struggles in MICRO-FILM<\/span> 7<\/strong> from 2005.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Also, we\u2019d like to remind you the Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series<\/strong> is still presenting twice weekly at the AMC Classic 12<\/strong> in Springfield<\/strong>. The next title was supposed to be the Apple+<\/strong> documentary THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN<\/strong>, a portrait of ladies from Jeju, South Korea<\/strong>, who carry on the dying tradition of the haenyeo<\/em> (divers hunting for seafood by hand) but it has been replaced with an Ernest Hemingway<\/strong> adaptation directed by Paula Ortiz<\/strong>, ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE TREES<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, from Level 33 Entertainment<\/strong>. It stars Liev Schreiber, Matilda de Angelis, Josh Hutcherson<\/strong>, and Danny Huston<\/strong> in a story set in Venice<\/strong> after World War II<\/strong> about a heroic solder facing his memories and mortality. Molly Schlich, named so after a former volunteer and benefactor who passed in 2021, will show ACROSS THE RIVER<\/strong> on Sunday, February 23<\/strong>, at 1<\/strong> and 4 p.m.<\/strong> and Tuesday, February 25<\/strong>, at 7 p.m.<\/strong>, to be followed by the last film in the series, THE TASTE OF THINGS<\/strong>, on March 2<\/strong> and 4<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. We\u2019re calling attention to this program because we like how dependably it books international fare that does not play elsewhere in our area\u2019s theaters and reminds us of the refined art films we\u2019d sneak into MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s review section.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s conclude with mention of a pair of productions that are related to the home front and now available nationwide. Los Angeles<\/strong> producer Christopher Folkens<\/strong> announced that his long-in-the-works feature film debut, CATALYST<\/strong>, is renting on Amazon Prime<\/strong><\/a><\/span> as of last week Tuesday, February 11<\/strong>; we\u2019re elated to see him reach this height in his career and he continues to fulfill the potential that he showed as a young man from the Chicago suburbs who attended the University of Illinois<\/strong> in Urbana and began carving his own path in movies due to sheer determination. The 4Digital Media Ltd.<\/strong> release stars Michael Roark, David Bianchi, Noel Gugliemi, Patrick Kilpatrick, Melanie Liburd<\/strong>, and Jermaine Love<\/strong> in a militarized and psychological variation on films like SAW<\/strong> where a group of individuals is assembled unwillingly and turned against each other. Is it a sick game or conspiracy? Folkens, who sought to affect a professionalism on tiny budgets for his undergraduate films, was highlighted in MICRO-FILM<\/span> 6<\/strong> and 7<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Bowing this past Tuesday, February 18<\/strong>, on Amazon Prime as well is FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, the slightly retitled future-shock feature from Horror-Fix Films<\/strong> of Springfield<\/strong> and producer Ash Hamilton<\/strong>, who did well for his studio with their initial offering, HOLES IN THE SKY: THE SEAN MILLER STORY<\/strong>. Distributed by the genre specialists at Terror Films Releasing<\/strong>, FINAL DAYS<\/strong> is comprised of a wraparound story directed by Hamilton and segments directed by Michael Gregory, Ben Harl<\/strong> of Silver Compass Studios, and Joshua Brucker<\/strong> and Dillon Brown<\/strong> of Horror Dadz Productions<\/strong> that depict scary episodes from an imagined end of the world; the anthology stars Robert LaSardo, Kayla Kelly, Rodney Snyder, Chloe Franks, Jenna Heckethorn<\/strong>, and Thom Gebhart<\/strong> and was crewed in part by several familiar names in downstate Illinois<\/strong> filmmaking. This is the sort of outlier indie that we also liked to sneak into MICRO-FILM<\/span><\/strong> somehow and then made sure to point out the local connections.<\/p>\n There we have it, friends in the fold. We\u2019ll still share the breaking news and such on Facebook<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, so make sure you are following us there, and next week we\u2019ll have a one-off Image of the Week<\/strong> before we start our limited series in which your humble editor shares a few unique items that we take care of in the MFHQ Archive<\/strong>. How did we get it, why do we have it, and what does it possibly teach us? You\u2019ll learn!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Bloomington Public Library, Bloomington, IL<\/strong> @ Foellinger Auditorium, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Lincoln Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, 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> @ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, 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 @ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL<\/strong> @ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL<\/strong> @ Crescent Cinemas, Pontiac, IL<\/strong> @ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/strong> @ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong> @ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL<\/strong> @ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL<\/strong> @ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at<\/em> Cine-File<\/strong> and subscribe to their definitive \u201cCine-List\u201d weekly blast<\/a><\/span>. And for northern Illinois industry news, be sure to read<\/em> Reel Chicago<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span> and<\/em> Screen Magazine<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n COMING SOON | Area-wide Events<\/strong><\/p>\n 3\/25, 3\/27<\/strong> 3\/27-3\/29<\/strong> 4\/3-4\/13<\/strong> 4\/3-4\/10<\/strong> 4\/23\/-4\/25<\/strong> 5\/29-6\/2<\/strong> 9\/21<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area<\/strong><\/p>\n Chambana Film Festival* screening series<\/strong> Illini Union Board presents \u201cSpring 2024 Weekend Films\u201d<\/strong> Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies* event series<\/strong> Springfield Art Association presents the 31st annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series<\/strong> ~~~~~<\/p>\n Compiled by Jason Pankoke.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n2\/25: Josh Schafer (actor, COVEN OF THE BLACK CUBE, BloodSick Productions, Philadelphia, PA)
\n2\/29: Julia Megan Sullivan (actor, I WANT TO TALK, Rising Sun Media\/Kino Works, Mumbai, India)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nWGLT presents FROZEN AND FORGOTTEN: AN UNHOUSED WINTER IN BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL* screening and discussion (2\/26, 6 p.m., free, Community Room 2)<\/p>\n
\nUI Entomology Graduate Students Association presents the 42nd Insect Fear Film Festival* feat. ARACHNOPHOBIA, professional \u201cbug wrangler\u201d Steven Kutcher (5 p.m. doors and activities, 7 p.m. program, free)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Film & Video* meeting (2\/24, 7 p.m., Room 1090)<\/p>\n
\nBeard Culture Barbershop & Gallery presents THE EVOLUTION OF THE BARBER* documentary showing (2\/22, 6 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nChambana Film Festival* and ShortTV present The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Documentary (2\/23, 4 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nLEGENDS OF THE CONDOR HEROES: THE GALLANTS (in Mandarin with English sub), THE MONKEY, BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE*, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, DOG MAN (animation), HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS, MUFASA: THE LION KING, NE ZHA 2 (animation) (in Mandarin with English sub), ONE OF THEM DAYS*, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (re-release) (2\/21), HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (re-release) (2\/22), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE 20th anniversary (re-release) (2\/23), AMC \u201cScreen Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (2\/24, 7 p.m.), LAST BREATH, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE, NO ADDRESS, RIFF RAFF (2\/27 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nTHE MONKEY, THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (faith film), BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary), CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, COMPANION, DOG MAN (animation), HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS*, MUFASA: THE LION KING, ONE OF THEM DAYS, PADDINGTON IN PERU, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3, WICKED*, YOU ME & HER* (2\/21 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (re-release) (2\/21), HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (re-release) (2\/22), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE 20th anniversary (re-release) (2\/23), GOODFELLAS (2\/23, 3 & 7 p.m.; 2\/26, 7 p.m.), NO ADDRESS (2\/27 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents GLADIATOR II (2\/21-2\/22, 7 p.m., free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n
\nRoger Ebert Center for Film Studies* presents DOG DAY AFTERNOON screening (2\/27, 7 p.m., free, Knight Auditorium)<\/p>\n
\nSpringfield Art Association presents the 31st annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series feat. ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE TREES (2\/23, 1 & 4 p.m.; 2\/25, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE MONKEY, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, DOG MAN (animation), FLIGHT RISK, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21 on)<\/p>\n
\nCAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21 on)<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSilver Screen Series\u201d feat. DR. STRANGELOVE, OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (2\/27, 1 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nCAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (2\/20-2\/23)<\/p>\n
\nTHE MONKEY, THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (faith film), BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (music documentary), CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, COMPANION, DOG MAN (animation), FLIGHT RISK, HEART EYES, LOVE HURTS, MUFASA: THE LION KING, ONE OF THEM DAYS, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21 on), Indian Cinema: NILAVUKU ENMEL ENNADI KOBAM (Tamil w\/Eng sub, 2\/21-2\/26), DRAGON (Telugu w\/Eng sub, 2\/21-2\/26), and CHHAAVA (Hindi w\/Eng sub, 2\/21-2\/26), HITPIG!* (animation) (2\/21-2\/23), Academy Award contenders: ANORA* (2\/21, 2\/25), THE BRUTALIST* (2\/22, 2\/25), CONCLAVE* (2\/22, 2\/24, 2\/27), DUNE PART TWO* (2\/23), I\u2019M STILL HERE* (in Portuguese with English sub) (2\/21, 2\/24), NICKEL BOYS* (2\/21, 2\/23), THE SUBSTANCE* (2\/21, 2\/25), A COMPLETE UNKNOWN* (2\/21-2\/23), and WICKED* (2\/22, 2\/26), Black History Month: COMING TO AMERICA (2\/23, 3 p.m.) and DO THE RIGHT THING (2\/23, 6 p.m.), JUST MERCY (2\/26, 3 p.m.) and STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2\/26, 6 p.m.), Marcus \u201cMystery Movie\u201d (2\/24, 7 p.m.), The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Live Action (2\/26, 7:30 p.m.) and Animation (2\/27, 4 p.m.), MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: GQUUUUUUX preview (anim\u00e9) (2\/26, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub, IMAX), A24 x IMAX present MOONLIGHT (2\/27, 7 p.m., IMAX), LAST BREATH, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: GQUUUUUUX (anim\u00e9) (in Japanese with English sub), MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE, NO ADDRESS, RIFF RAFF, SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON (in Hindi with English sub) (2\/27 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nThe Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025: Documentary (2\/20, 2\/22), Animation (2\/21-2\/23), and Live Action (2\/22-2\/23), ISU African-American Studies Program, etc., present staged reading of For Colored Girls\u2026<\/span> by Ntozake Shange (2\/24, 7 p.m., free), ISU Queer Coalition presents \u201cIn Her Image\u201d series feat. THE WATERMELON WOMAN (2\/26, 7 p.m.), \u201cThree Minute Thesis\u201d (3MT) local competition (2\/27, 7 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nPADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21-2\/23).<\/p>\n
\nDOG MAN (animation) (2\/21-2\/23).<\/p>\n
\nTHE COMEBACK TRAIL*, THE MONKEY, THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (faith film), CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, DOG MAN (animation), HEART EYES*, MUFASA: THE LION KING*, PADDINGTON IN PERU (2\/21 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS* (re-release) (2\/21, 1 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN* (re-release) (2\/22, 1 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE* 20th anniversary (re-release) (2\/23, 1 p.m.) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nRantoul Film Festival*
\n@ Rantoul Business Center, Rantoul, IL<\/p>\n
\n2025 Big Muddy Film Festival*
\n@ The Varsity Center, Carbondale, IL<\/p>\n
\n35th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL<\/p>\n
\n27th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI<\/p>\n
\n25th Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival*
\n@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/p>\n
\nThe Chambana Film Festival
\n@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL<\/p>\n
\nThe Chambana Music Film Festival (title TBA)
\n@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL<\/p>\n
\n@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong>
\n2\/23-3\/2: The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2025 \u2013Documentary (2\/23, 4 p.m.) and Animation (3\/2, 4 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\n@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w\/i-card<\/strong>
\n2\/28-3\/1: SEPTEMBER 5; 3\/7-3\/8: WICKED; 3\/14-3\/15: MUFASA: THE LION KING; 3\/21-3\/22: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (animation); 3\/28-3\/29: PITCH PERFECT; 4\/4-4\/5: NOSFERATU; 4\/11-4\/12: WALL-E (animation); 4\/18-4\/19: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3; 4\/25-4\/26: THE WILD ROBOT (animation); 5\/2-5\/3: CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD; 5\/4: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS<\/p>\n
\n@ Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong>
\n3\/28: \u201cJapanese Paper Print Project: Film and Live Music Event\u201d; 3\/31: \u201cVideographic Criticism Talk: Tracing Media Histories Through Videographic Criticism\u201d; 4\/22: Ebert Symposium screening: HER; 4\/23: Ebert Symposium keynote and roundtables: \u201cArtificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized\u201d<\/p>\n
\n@ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL, 1 & 4 p.m. Sunday + 7 p.m. Tuesday<\/strong>
\n3\/2, 3\/4: THE TASTE OF THINGS<\/p>\n