CHICAGO, IL (August 3, 2015) – Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival announce Industry Days to run alongside the 51st Film Festival. Industry Days will serve as the central hub for filmmakers and industry professionals. The four-day conference kicks off on Thurs, Oct 22 with a special Industry Tribute to Chicago native Gigi Pritzker, producer of such noted films as Jon Stewart’s directorial debut Rosewater, the Academy Award-nominated Rabbit Hole, Sundance favorite The Way Way Back, Drive starring Ryan Gosling, and Ender’s Game, based on Orson Scott Card’s novel.
Presented by leading financial services provider TIAA-CREF, Industry Days will feature four full days of networking, receptions, master classes, panel discussions, and workshops, ending with a competitive Pitch Session co-produced by IFP Chicago. The winner of the Pitch Session will receive a package of in-kind services from some of Chicago’s biggest production services companies.
Industry Days will be a place for attendees to connect and inspire each other. Registered Industry Days attendees will have the chance to receive first-hand, nuts-and-bolts practical tools to making, finishing, and releasing their films through frank, organized conversations with industry leaders and insightful workshops. Programs will examine current and future trends in the art and the industry of the entertainment business. Specific topics include artistic, social, and political issues related to filmmaking, shifting financing and distribution paradigms, and new modes of production.
Industry honoree Gigi Pritzker has over 30 years of experience in developing and producing films. OddLot Entertainment, the company she founded in 2001, has produced a variety of noteworthy and time-honored feature films. In addition to her role as founder of OddLot Entertainment and a producer/executive producer, Pritzker also develops live stage productions through her company Relevant Theatricals, and is best known for the Tony Award-nominated “Million Dollar Quartet.” Admittance to Pritzker’s Tribute and cocktail reception will be granted to invited press and ticketed attendees only.
The complete schedule, panel topics, list of speakers, featured studio attendees, registration information, and more will be announced in August. Register at www.chicagofilmfestival.com/industry-days.
ABOUT GIGI PRITZKER
Gigi Pritzker is a film and stage producer. As CEO of film production and financing company OddLot Entertainment (OLE), Pritzker produced Academy Award-nominated Rabbit Hole starring Nicole Kidman, as well as The Way, Way Back and Jon Stewart’s directorial debut, Rosewater. Pritzker has expanded OLE’s footprint in the global motion picture business to create the foreign sales company Sierra/Affinity and is part of a consortium that recently launched the next generation film studio STX. Pritzker also develops and produces live stage productions through her company Relevant Theatricals. Productions include the Broadway hit, “Million Dollar Quartet.” Pritzker’s active philanthropic roles include Founder & Vice Chair of Project and member of the Board of the Goodman Theatre of Chicago. Pritzker studied anthropology at Stanford University. Living in Nepal as an undergraduate student led her to produce her first documentary feature in Bhutan, when the BBC kick-started her long career in film.
ABOUT TIAA-CREF
TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization with $869 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/2015) and is the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.
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