CHICAGO FILMMAKERS' 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION | IN-PERSON (9/9)
CHICAGO FILMMAKERS' 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION | IN-PERSON (9/9)
Le Piano, 6970 N Glenwood Avenue, Chicago | Saturday, September 9 from 2PM - 6PM (Central)
Sold Out! Join our waitlist below and you will be notified if tickets become available. Meanwhile, please consider donating to our 50th Anniversary Celebration using the donate button on our home page!
Join the Chicago Filmmakers community for a musical feast commemorating our historic Golden Anniversary: 50 Years of our commitment to building a more inclusive community of filmmakers and film lovers. Not just any fundraiser. Your contributions help sustain a thriving creative community. Help ensure the Chicago Filmmakers will stay vibrant for another 50 years!
Mix and mingle with us as we lounge luxuriously at Le Piano, the happening spot for Chicago jazz virtuosos, setting the perfect Blue Note type of vibe for celebrating 50 noteworthy years of serving our Chicago film community. Take a night to remember the friends we’ve made along the way: the filmmakers, the mentors, and the game-changers. With jazzy grooves, delectable hors d’oeuvres, and bubbly libations, this is the event not to miss.
As we take note of our history, we’ll be honoring those who have served the Chicago film community with distinction.
Our night’s honorees include Sharon Zurek, Christine Dudley, Joe Chappelle, and Colleen Griffen, whose generous contributions and passion for building community have greatly impacted the Chicago film scene.
Powerhouse couple Joe Chappelle and Colleen Griffen have significantly contributed to growing the film industry in Chicago and remain committed to shooting locally, whether on-location or on a sound stage. Joe is most known for his role as Executive Producer and Director on the hit NBC drama series CHICAGO FIRE, the TV show that re-energized the local film and TV production industry. Colleen is a Producer and filmmaker most known for her directorial debut, THE COLD AND THE QUIET, as well as her work as Producer for Chappelle’s feature film, AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS, distributed by IFC and starring Academy Award-winner Jaimie Lee Curtis.
Christine Dudley (Photo credit: Joe Mazza)
Christine Dudley, Illinois Production Alliance Executive Director, recently spearheaded a coalition of industry stakeholders that led to the successful passage of legislation that expanded and extended the Illinois Film Production Tax Incentive program and established an industry-supported Workforce Development Fund. Christine served as the Director of the Illinois Film Office from 2015-2019, overseeing a historic growth in revenue, jobs, and programming. Her work cemented Illinois’ spot as the Midwest destination for film production and one of the top states for film and television production overall. In recognition of her efforts for the industry, she was named to New City’s bi-annual Chicago Film 50 Screen Gems in 2015, 2017, and 2022.
Sharon Zurek
Sharon Zurek has made a huge impact on the independent film community in Chicago and has been the foremost champion for Chicago Filmmakers, serving as past Board President for many years, as well as curator of Chicago Filmmakers’ popular long-running Dyke Delicious film screening series. She has also made an indelible impact on the lives of hundreds of her students and colleagues at Columbia College Chicago as a professor of Post-Production. As a filmmaker, she has been co-producer and editor for the PBS-aired documentary A MIND IN QUICKSAND: LIFE WITH HUNTINGTON’S, the feature documentary, THE G-FORCE, and the award-winning LGBTQ+ feature, HANNAH FREE, starring Sharon Gless.
We are thrilled to have the chance to spend the night with you and celebrate these luminaries from the local Chicago film community. Here’s to another 50 years of Chicago Filmmakers!