Chicago Filmmakers hosts a variety of screenings and community events at our historic Firehouse Cinema in Edgewater, in addition to our two annual festivals: Onion City Experimental Film Festival and Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival. We work with filmmakers and programmers to create a compelling schedule of screenings and events consistent with our mission.
Year-Round Classes in Digital Filmmaking, Cinematography, Documentary, Screenwriting, and more! Taught by professional filmmakers and university professors, our classes help students develop fundamental skills in filmmaking through in-depth discussions, hands-on demonstrations, and creative collaboration.
ADULT CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Cinematography is known as the art of motion-picture photography. Cinematographers use controllable elements such as movement, visual composition and the nature of lighting to create the visual tone of a scene. This course will give students an introduction into lighting for film and television. They will first learn standard three point setups and then, using Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras, explore more creative lighting and framing based on story motivation. Students will also spend time in the classroom analyzing and discussing various examples of proficient cinematography from history while learning how to plan for their own lighting schemes.
Technical Requirements: Students are welcome to bring their own cameras and equipment but are not required to do so.
Course Length: 8 weeks
Times: Tuesdays, November 3 - December 22; 6:30pm-9:30pm
Location: In-person; Chicago Filmmakers
Instructor: Jonathan Moeller
Become a Chicago Filmmakers Member and receive $15 off all classes as well as other benefits!
Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
The Art of Producing is an 8-session course that breaks down the producer’s role from development through distribution. Designed for emerging filmmakers and producers, it focuses on the real-world skills needed to take a project from idea to finished film.
Students will learn how to evaluate material, collaborate with writers, understand core financing models, run an effective set, and successfully navigate post-production, sales, and distribution.
Course Length: 8 Weeks
Times: Mondays, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Location: Online
Instructor: Doug Shaffer
Become a Chicago Filmmakers Member and receive $15 off all classes as well as other benefits!
Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
This course teaches students how to create the first draft of a TV pilot--from outlining to writing script pages, it will give you the groundwork needed to write your 30-minute comedy or 60-minute drama. You will learn how television scripts work, from character-building to story breaking--you will be able to identify the core elements central to writing character and story. You will also focus on your own script, from brainstorming an idea to outlining the story. Students will learn about the business of television and learn how to pitch scripts, creating a workable outline from which to not only write it, but get it out into the world for consideration. Instruction will cover business aspects of the current TV landscape, how freelance writers get staffed, and how writers collaborate "in the room."
Course Length: 6 Weeks
Times: Tuesdays, January 12-February 16; 6:30pm-9:30pm
Location: Online
Instructor: Paul Peditto
Become a Chicago Filmmakers Member and receive $15 off all classes as well as other benefits!
Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
All great films start with a blank page. Through screenings, readings, discussion, and critiques you will learn the principles of formatting, character development, dialogue, structure, narrative progression, and even what to do with your finished screenplay!
Course Length: 8 weeks
Times: Wednesdays, January 13 - March 3; 6:30 - 9:30 PM Central.
Location: Online
Instructor: Paul Peditto
Become a Chicago Filmmakers Member and receive $15 off all classes as well as other benefits!
Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
Our basic production course is designed to cover key concepts and practices for making a digital film project. Topics include a thorough introduction to the professional DV camera, important aspects of lighting, sound, shot composition, camera movement, visual storytelling devices, working as a filmmaking crew, and editing. In-class demonstrations and exercises will allow students to work collaboratively on group projects as a digital cinema team.
Course Length: 10 weeks
Times: Thursdays,January 14 - March 18 6:30 - 9:30PM.
Location: In-person; Chicago Filmmakers
Instructor: Will Schneider
Become a Chicago Filmmakers Member and receive $15 off all classes as well as other benefits!
Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
Breaking into the film industry can be challenging and expensive. Through our tuition-free, two-month PA Assistant Training Program, we aim to build a more inclusive film workforce. The program is designed to give trainees the practical skills and connections needed to work on set through classes, exercises, field trips, mentorship, and local networking opportunities.
Apply by Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 PM CT
Credit: Jaleel A. Muhammad
SEPTEMBER 17-27, 2026
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, and prides itself on showcasing the best LGBTQ+ films and videos each year. From award-winning international feature films to social documentaries to experimental shorts, Reeling has always presented a range of genres that demonstrate the rich diversity of work being produced.
Thank you for attending Reeling44!
APRIL 8-11, 2027
Onion City is a four-day festival presented by Chicago Filmmakers that celebrates the best in contemporary experimental film.
Submit your experimental film today via FilmFreeway to be considered for the 37th edition of the festival!
Hands-on and collaborative, this all-encompassing camp gives budding filmmakers a crash-course in filmmaking that teaches a wide range of skills including creating shot-lists, scouting locations, setting up camera angles, using green screen, post-production editing, and sound design.
YOUTH SESSION A:
Course Length: Monday, June 14 - Friday June 25* | WHEN SOLD OUT, JOIN THE WAITLIST
Times: 9:00AM - 3:30PM CST
*No class on Friday, June 18, 2027, in honor & recognition of Juneteenth*
YOUTH SESSION B:
Course Length: Monday, July 12 - Friday, July 23 | WHEN SOLD OUT, JOIN THE WAITLIST
Times: 9:00AM - 3:00PM CST
Location: Chicago Filmmakers (map), 1326 W Hollywood Avenue, Chicago, IL
Become a Member to receive $15 off camps, plus other benefits! Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
TEEN SESSION A* (LIMITED AVAILABILITY):
Course Length: Monday, June 28 - Friday, July 9 | WHEN SOLD OUT, JOIN THE WAITLIST
Times: 9:00AM - 3:00PM
TEEN SESSION B (LIMITED AVAILABILITY):
Course Length: Monday, July 26 -Friday, August 6 | WHEN SOLD OUT, JOIN THE WAITLIST
Times: 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Location: Chicago Filmmakers (map), 1326 W Hollywood Avenue, Chicago, IL
Become a Member to receive $15 off camps, plus other benefits! Review our Registration & Refund Policies before purchasing.
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY
We are a hub for Film Lovers and Filmmakers throughout Chicagoland and the world; connecting the global movie scene at our Edgewater home base. Our doors are open to you; building Chicago’s most inclusive film community, where thousands of artists have launched their careers and found their first great ideas. Come visit our Firehouse Cinema, participate in our screenings, classes, and workshops, get assistance with your important socially-relevant projects, and share your visionary work. Help support our vital mission by sharing, participating, giving, volunteering, and partnering with us as we celebrate 50 years!
Co-Presented by HotHouse
Friday, October 30, 7:00 PM
Chicago Filmmakers (1326 W. Hollywood Ave)
Catherine Murphy and Iris de Oliveira | 2025 | 70 min | Digital Projection
Hosted by Toni Asante Lightfoot!
In 1963, global icon Paulo Freire led an experimental project teaching hundreds of rural farmers to read, write and vote in Brazil, until he was arrested and forced into exile during a U.S.-backed coup d'état.
Told through the collective memories of farmers, students, and educators who participated in the “Culture Circles," where they learned to read and write in 40 hours, Reading the World contains rare archival footage of 1960s Brazil that was recently recovered after being buried for decades. The innovative teaching method used critical and creative thinking instead of memorization and repetition. By contextualizing and personalizing the lessons, educators used their surroundings to teach vocabulary and construct meaning. Hundreds of Brazilians became literate and were allowed to vote as a consequence, strengthening the blossoming democracy and social movement that was disrupting the colonial structures. After a shocking coup d’état, the farmers’ notebooks were set on fire, and Freire was eventually forced into exile for 16 years, spreading his pedagogy around the globe and impacting democracy and education until today. Today Freire is considered one of the most influential philosophers of education in the twentieth century, and revered by educators across the world.
Toni Asante Lightfoot is a poet, educator, and community activist dedicated to improving the physical, emotional, and financial health of her adopted community of Chicago and of her home Washington, D.C. She has edited several collections of poetry . Lightfoot has taught poetry for over 25 years in libraries, prisons, universities, and juvenile detention centers across the United States and in Trinidad and Tobago, where she also co-owned a bed & breakfast dedicated to housing artists and connecting them with Trinidadian artists and activists.