Archive | Behind the Scenes

William Goldenberg is known as the editor behind some of the biggest hit films of the last 25 years, from The Insider and Zero Dark Thirty to National Treasure and Argo, for which he won the Oscar for Best Editing. But now he’s taking to the directing chair, bringing his directorial debut Unstoppable—a stirring sports drama about a wrestler defying the odds, starring Jherrel Jerome of Moonlight—to the Chicago International Film Festival, with star Jerome and subject Anthony Robles joining in-person on Oct.[…]

Jason Park is a Chicago-raised filmmaker whose award-winning short film BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop chronicles a young hustler in the streets of Chicago. We’re thrilled to present the World Premiere of his debut feature, Transplant, at the 60th #ChiFilmFest. We chatted with Jason about his inspirations, what it’s like working with a K-pop star, and more.

From where did you originally draw inspiration for this fast-paced, psychological drama?

Early in my filmmaking journey in Los Angeles, I had several friends and family in medical school, and some of the stories they would share about the intense challenges, the hierarchical culture, and their eventual transition from idealism to numbness and cynicism were eye-opening (and ripe for some cinematic storytelling).[…]

Eric D. Seals is a Chicago-based director and cinematographer who’s worked on projects from live sports and Netflix documentary series to ads. His directorial debut, Bike Vessel, follows a bike trip he took from St. Louis to Chicago with his father after his dad changed his lifestyle following three quadruple bypass operations. The film is both a funny and touching portrait of a father-son road trip while also commenting on racial health disparities and the systemic racism Black men face.[…]