Remember ration coupons, war bond rallies, and scrap drives? Remember drive-in movies, TVs with rabbit ears and cars with fins? This was Chicago in the 1940s and '50s. This WTTW documentary brings these years back to life through the touching memories and home movies of Chicagoans themselves. See old friends form early Chicago television like Kukla, Fran and Ollie, Miss Frances, Dave Garroway, and more. Rediscover hula hoops and yo-yos. Recall the days when ladies donned white gloves to go downtown and men shined their shoes to go on a date. Relive the patriotic spirit of the war years when everyone pulled together.
The regulars of Chicago's Southside Rink show off the style and personality of the place they have called home for generations.
A video that takes a closer look at the city of Chicago.
A Chicago community puts their lives in danger to seek peace and salvation.
Designer’s Game is a crime drama short film that follows a young broke graphic designer into the descent of a life of crime working in the deep web in the city of Chicago. With a new-found life with easy money, he thinks all is okay until a client comes back, but not in the way he thinks.
The L is a flawed yet essential train system that acts as a microcosm of Chicago itself, reflecting its complexities, contradictions, and vibrant spirit. Through insightful experiences with passengers and bizarre yet heartwarming moments "The Beauty of the L" offers a raw look at the uncut gem that is the L.
A gangster hires a mysterious rent-a-man for a subtle game of cat-and-mouse in the Las Vegas desert until a future-changing twist ending.
A short documentary on wet t-shirt contests at a Chicago bar.
Perrone Productions presents: Syndicates of Chicago! In our first original, feature-length film, we bring you the story of three mobsters who have big plans for their wonderful city of Chicago. With a mix of love, action, and twists, Perrone Productions assures you that you will wanna stick around!
Surreal film melding documentary footage of Chicago and its residents, featuring fast paced montage sequences set against a rollicking 1960s musical backdrop. The film aptly deconstructs the absurdities of contemporary American life, particularly the thick fog of patriotism engulfing the country at the time.
A "city symphony" film, produced to encourage Photographic Society of America members to attend their 1963 conference in Chicago, City to See is a surprising film. It combines footage of Chicago with a deadpan commentary that pokes fun commercial travel films: "Chicago is my town," the narrator says wryly, "and no other town will do." Conneely was awarded a special prize by the Photographic Society of America for this film.
A portrait of Chicagoland ICU nurse Jeanette Alvarez-Basem captured through the perspective of her son Ben Basem. Between her night shifts and Illinois Nurses Association union meetings, Jeanette navigates what it means to be a nurse and a human during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2006 was the Bears' best season in 21 years, as they ended the regular season just one win short of the Super Bowl. Relive every moment of the powerhouse season in which head coach Lovie Smith delivered on his plan to return the team to glory. Rex Grossman led the hard-hitting offense with 23 touchdown passes, while Devin Hester earned an NFL record for most touchdown returns in a single season in his first year with the franchise.
“While in quarantine, Heyer has made extensive use of viral video platforms like TikTok and Instagram, exploring their potential as a vehicle for performance. Experimenting with cinematic genre, his minute-long comedy shorts offer a sort of rolling absurdist commentary on our present circumstances. That he has found inspiration in the limited resources available to him gives the work the sense of playful exuberance that is characteristic of Heyer’s practice. In his “Art Tour” videos, Heyer confidently the viewer through his neighborhood as though he is on a museum walkthrough: a discarded fishtank becomes “a stunning Dan Graham,” a shrouded window becomes “a challenging Wade Guyton.” Though playfully riffing on the jargon of the academy, the videos are also testaments to excitement art can bring to the challenges of our present.” — Night Gallery, Frieze Viewing Room 2020
"While in quarantine, Heyer has made extensive use of viral video platforms like TikTok and Instagram, exploring their potential as a vehicle for performance. Experimenting with cinematic genre, his minute-long comedy shorts offer a sort of rolling absurdist commentary on our present circumstances. That he has found inspiration in the limited resources available to him gives the work the sense of playful exuberance that is characteristic of Heyer's practice. In his “Art Tour” videos, Heyer confidently the viewer through his neighborhood as though he is on a museum walkthrough: a discarded fishtank becomes "a stunning Dan Graham," a shrouded window becomes "a challenging Wade Guyton.” Though playfully riffing on the jargon of the academy, the videos are also testaments to excitement art can bring to the challenges of our present." — Night Gallery, Frieze Viewing Room 2020
A 1988 period piece by Casi Pacilio and L.M. Keys.
A historical documentary, GameChangers sits at the intersection of sports, race and culture, tipping off with rare, 8mm footage taken from two high school basketball games played in Chicago in the mid-Sixties. These tense, playoff matchups featured some predictable storylines, city versus suburbs, black versus white, and both games were played against the backdrop of a very turbulent time. Plenty of pre-game and post-game drama surrounded this particular rivalry, with shattered backboards, some really good basketball, and incendiary headlines ... all taking center stage.
In 2004 a group of friends took the stage at a small coffee house in Dekalb Illinois with the sole purpose of pissing off everyone. Surprisingly, enough people liked what the band was doing that they continued to play music under the name Weekend Nachos. This documentary simply tells the story of Weekend Nachos.
In its minimal and non-traditional plot, Shitcago follows a seemingly mundane day in the life of a young loner living in Chicago as he wanders around the city and encounters many idiosyncratic characters.