Chicago is My Home

27
Oct

Chicago International Film Festival Announces Audience Choice Awards

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival

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The Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 25 announced its three Audience Choice Award winners for 2007 based on ballots over the 14-day festival.

The awards went to “Control” (United Kingdom) from director Anton Corbijn, “Lovesickness” (Puerto Rico) and “Spirit of the Marathon” (U.S.) from director Jon Dunham on the Chicago Marathon.

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19
Oct

In ‘Gone Baby Gone’ Directorial Debut, Ben Affleck Matures Into Polished Auteur

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival, Film

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CHICAGO – It wasn’t that long ago when Ben Affleck was an unknown. Fortune eventually smiled upon him and along came quality performances in independents and an Academy Award for screenwriting.

Then came “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and a series of nauseating tabloid stories involving something called “Bennifer”. Affleck’s public image as either a true filmmaker or a hack is riding heavily on his directorial debut of “Gone Baby Gone”.

Without fail, he falls easily into the category of true talent. Following the path that fellow actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood did with “Mystic River,” Affleck elevated a crime thriller by author Dennis Lehane to the big screen.

Click here to read the full review by Dustin Levell…

This film premiered as part of the Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 10, 2007.

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17
Oct

Laura Linney, Director Tamara Jenkins Walk Chicago Red Carpet For ‘The Savages’ Premiere

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Film

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Laura Linney and writer/director Tamara Jenkins walked a Chicago red carpet at the Harris Theater on Thursday for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of “The Savages”. The event was the festival’s final act for 2007.

Linney, who said she had never been to the Chicago International Film Festival before, was proactive about looking right into press cameras even without them having to prompt her. Hence, this reporter shot her head on below.

Click here for more coverage and photos…

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16
Oct

Chicago International Film Festival Announces 2007 Award Winners

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival, Documentary, Film, Foreign Film, Independent Film

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The Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 14 announced its 2007 award winners.

Mexico, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States took top honors in the festival’s 43rd iteration.

Chicago audiences selected from 102 feature films, 14 documentaries and 33 shorts and student films spanning 43 countries. Films showcased both well-known and promising new filmmakers.

The festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, which was coined after the mythological god of discovery. When perusing the awardees, notice “Chicago 10” and “America the Beautiful,” which I mentioned back on Sept. 19.

Click here for the full list of awardees…

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16
Oct

Laura Linney to Walk Red Carpet on Wednesday, Tomer Heymann Coming on Oct. 21

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Documentary, Film

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On Wednesday, Laura Linney will walk a Chicago red carpet with director Tamara Jenkins for the Chicago premiere of “The Savages” and the closing of the Chicago International Film Festival.

The red carpet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Harris Theater at 205 E. Randolph.

Also, director Tomer Heymann will be in Chicago for two screenings of his documentary “Paper Dolls” as part of the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema.

On Oct. 21, the film will show at 9 p.m. at Piper’s Alley (1608 N. Wells). On Oct. 22, the film will show at 8:30 p.m. at the Wilmette Theatre (1122 Central Ave. in Wilmette).

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15
Oct

Malcolm McDowell Walks Chicago Red Carpet For ‘Never Apologize’ Premiere

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Documentary

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Malcolm McDowell on Monday walked a Chicago red carpet at AMC River East 21 for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of “Never Apologize,” which is a documentary by director Mike Kaplan.

Once again, Chicago photographer Joe Arce nailed the red-carpet shot, which is being published below with permission.

Malcolm McDowell on Oct. 15, 2007 at the Chicago
International Film Festival premiere of “Never Apologize”.
Photo by Joe Arce for HollywoodChicago.com

Click here for more coverage…

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14
Oct

Anthony Hopkins Walks Red Carpet, Calls Chicago ‘Best-Kept Secret in America’

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Film

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Sir Anthony Hopkins walked the Music Box Theatre red carpet in Chicago on Sunday for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of “Slipstream,” which at the age of 70 he directed, wrote and scored.

As with the photo from the John Cusack red carpet on Oct. 12, Chicago photographer Joe Arce again captured the bull’s-eye Hopkins shot and has granted me permission to publish it.

Anthony Hopkins on Oct. 14, 2007 at the Chicago
International Film Festival premiere of “Slipstream”.
Photo by Joe Arce for HollywoodChicago.com

Hopkins is also the star of the film along with Christian Slater. Though the scene lacked security and he only interviewed with press for about two minutes, the question of how he felt about Chicago did register.

Hopkins responded: “It’s a beautiful city. It’s the best-kept secret in America.”

Click here for more photo coverage and audio…

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14
Oct

Malcolm McDowell to Walk Chicago Red Carpet For ‘Never Apologize’ on Oct. 14

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Film

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Screen legend Malcolm McDowell will walk a Chicago red carpet on Oct. 15 at AMC River East 21 for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of “Never Apologize,” which is his one-man show.

McDowell will also conduct a Q&A session after the film screening. The red carpet is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the showing slated for 6:45 p.m.

McDowell, who is remembered for his work in “A Clockwork Orange,” works with director Mike Kaplan on “Never Apologize” to evoke memories of influential essayist, director and critic Lindsay Anderson.

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14
Oct

Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def Walk Chicago Red Carpet on Oct. 13, 2007

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Chicago International Film Festival, Photography

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On Saturday at the unusual setting of the Chase Auditorium in downtown Chicago, I was on location to cover the Chicago International Film Festival “black perspectives tribute” featuring Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def.

Jeffrey Wright on Oct. 13, 2007 at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Photo by Adam Fendelman of HollywoodChicago.com

Wright (“Lackawanna Blues,” “Angels in America,” “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Syriana,” “Casino Royale”) received from the festival a silver Hugo award for career achievement. He was joined by wife Carmen Ejogo. I recorded seven minutes of an interview with Wright.

Click here for the interview and more photos…

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13
Oct

The John Cusack Red-Carpet Shot From Oct. 12 ‘Grace is Gone’ Premiere

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival, Photography

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Following my Oct. 12 red-carpet coverage of John Cusack in Chicago for the Chicago International Film Festival sold-out premiere of “Grace is Gone,” I have been in communication with veteran Chicago photographer Joe Arce.

He is a 23-year celebrity photographer. Here is his high-resolution shot from Friday’s event, which is being published with his permission.

Click here for the shot…

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