The Midwest Premiere of Saints Rest, from director Noga Ashkenazi (The Grey Area: Feminism Behind Bars) will kick off summer at First Tuesdays at the Midwest Independent Film Festival.
An intimate family drama shot on location in Grinnel, Iowa, Saints Rest tells the story of two estranged sisters, who over the course of one summer, form a connection through their shared love of music as they grieve the recent death of their mother. Interweaving striking original music with an authentic and affectionate portrayal of a rural Midwest town, the film sweetly captures the tension between individual dreams and family obligations. Alternately funny and emotionally raw, Saints Rest serves as “musical comfort-food” for those who miss home, their childhood and their families, regardless of how imperfect it all may seem from a distance.
Saints Rest recently won the Audience Award at RiverRun International Film Festival, where it screened to 3 sold-out shows.
Co-written by Noga Ashkenazi and Chicagoan Tyson Stock, the film was co-executive produced by Rebecca Green (one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch and producer for two of the top-grossing and critically acclaimed independent films of 2015, It Follows (Cannes 2014) and I’ll See You in My Dreams (Sundance 2015). The director will be attending the screening along with select cast and crew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjU_WVgDFfg
First Tuesdays: Saints Rest at the Midwest Independent Film Festival
Date: Jun. 05, 2018
Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm
@Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IllinoisMidwest Independent Film Festival
The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation’s only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month at Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark in Chicago.
Midwest Independent Film Festival started in 2005 and takes place in Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Musical Drama SAINTS REST to Kick Off Summer at First Tuesdays at Midwest Independent Film Festival [Trailer]
The Midwest Premiere of Saints Rest, from director Noga Ashkenazi (The Grey Area: Feminism Behind Bars) will kick off summer at First Tuesdays at the Midwest Independent Film Festival.
An intimate family drama shot on location in Grinnel, Iowa, Saints Rest tells the story of two estranged sisters, who over the course of one summer, form a connection through their shared love of music as they grieve the recent death of their mother. Interweaving striking original music with an authentic and affectionate portrayal of a rural Midwest town, the film sweetly captures the tension between individual dreams and family obligations. Alternately funny and emotionally raw, Saints Rest serves as “musical comfort-food” for those who miss home, their childhood and their families, regardless of how imperfect it all may seem from a distance.
Saints Rest recently won the Audience Award at RiverRun International Film Festival, where it screened to 3 sold-out shows.
Co-written by Noga Ashkenazi and Chicagoan Tyson Stock, the film was co-executive produced by Rebecca Green (one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch and producer for two of the top-grossing and critically acclaimed independent films of 2015, It Follows (Cannes 2014) and I’ll See You in My Dreams (Sundance 2015). The director will be attending the screening along with select cast and crew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjU_WVgDFfg
First Tuesdays: Saints Rest at the Midwest Independent Film Festival
Date: Jun. 05, 2018
Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm
@Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
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2018 MidWest WeirdFest Reveals First 7 Films
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FUTURE[/caption]
The MidWest WeirdFest described as ‘a cinematic celebration of all things fantastic, frightening, offbeat, and just plain weird’ revealed the first seven feature films for the upcoming 2nd edition taking place March 9 to 11, 2018 at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
“We are delighted to unveil this first glimpse at some of the 2018 festival’s incredible program”, says fest founder and veteran programmer Dean Bertram. “The selection encapsulates MidWest WeirdFest‘s mission of showcasing a heady combination of the latest and most original horror, sci-fi, underground, and documentary films. We can’t wait for the festival’s audience to journey with us on another twisting, terrifying, and at times hilarious journey through the cutting-edge of this season’s weird cinema.”
The first seven feature films announced follow:
3 DEAD TRICK OR TREATERS (dir: Torin Langen)
After stumbling upon the graves of three murdered trick or treaters, a small town paperboy discovers a series of handwritten horror stories tacked to the children’s headstones. Penned by a deranged pulp author driven mad by his craft, the stories chronicle grisly tales of Halloween rites, rituals and traditions. Absent of dialogue and heavy on atmosphere, 3 DEAD TRICK OR TREATERS is a horror chiller unlike any you’ve seen before.
ATTACK OF THE TATTIE-BOGLE (dir: Pete Marcy)
A group of unlikely bunkmates gathers at a mutual friend’s cabin in remote Wisconsin. Armed with all the comforts of urban life, they are ready to celebrate Independence Day; but when the group is attacked, they are sent reeling. Confused, scared, and unprepared to handle real danger, survivors are forced to battle fears, balance egos, and summon their courage – or die. Forget “cabin in the woods” slashers in the style of FRIDAY THE 13TH. This edge of your seat film depicts believable adult characters being killed with unpredictable, rapidly descending, and brutal violence. It feels uncannily real, and is all the more disturbing for it.
BORLEY RECTORY (dir: Ashley Thorpe)
This spine-tingling film chronicles the true story of “The most haunted house in England”. Narrated by Julian Sands (WARLOCK, GOTHIC, LEAVING LAS VEGAS), and starring Reece Shearsmith (THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN, SHAUN OF THE DEAD), BORLEY RECTORY features a stunning combination of live action re-enactments, animated photographs from the period, and eerie visual effects. Be prepared to be mesmerized and chilled in equal portions by the most haunting film of the festival season.
FAKE BLOOD (dir: Rob Grant)
Rob Grant and Mike Kovac receive a disturbing fan video inspired by their previous horror movie MON AMI, motivating them to investigate the responsibility of filmmakers in portraying violence in movies. In their pursuit of the truth they are unwittingly introduced to the real world of violent criminals and their victims. Few films have managed to so successfully examine the blurred lines between real and imagined violence. FAKE BLOOD will keep you engaged and unbalanced until the final frame.
THE FLATWOODS MONSTER: A LEGACY OF FEAR (dir: Seth Breedlove)
Ahead of its official release this April, MidWest WeirdFest proudly presents this special sneak-peak screening of the latest, highly anticipated offering from production company Small Town Monsters. It is a terrifying documentary that revisits one of the earliest and most famous alien encounter reports of American UFO lore. The film’s director, Seth Breedlove (BOGGY CREEK MONSTER, THE MOTHMAN OF POINT PLEASANT, INVASION ON CHESTNUT RIDGE) is the most important documentarian working in the UFO/paranormal/cryptid field today, and was the recipient of 2017’s “Cryptozoologist of the Year” award. Don’t miss your chance to be one of the first people on this haunted planet to see his latest film.
FUTURE (dir: Robert Cousineau, Chris Rosik)
A drunken train-wreck of a time traveler offers a suicidally depressed tea store barista a do-over. The catch is, the do-over comes at a murderous price. FUTURE is a poignant and funny low-fi sci-fi that begs the question: If you only had a few days left to live, and you felt like no one wanted you around, what would you do with that time? Would you climb a mountain, fall in love, invent a world saving device? Or would you eat all the junk you usually don’t let yourself have, and blow off work to get drunk with your old friends?
THE MOOSE HEAD OVER THE MANTEL (dir: Rebecca Comtois, Bryan Enk, Jessi Gotta, Matthew Gray, Shannon K. Hall, Jane Rose)
Lillian Hoffhienze-Bachman and her family move into the previously abandoned Hoffhienze ancestral home, where their hopeful new start becomes tainted by the discovery of a century’s worth of abuse, dysfunction and violence. Lillian becomes consumed by her sordid ancestry, terrified that the past might dictate her son’s future. The grisly events of the past 100 years are revealed through the eyes of the family’s victims… including the moose head hanging on the mantel wall. Influenced and inspired by the notorious real lives of H.H. Holmes, The Bender Family, Lizzie Borden, Carl Panzram and The Fox Sisters, this dark and unsettling anthology chills to the core.
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Midwest Independent Film Festival Nominate Films for 2014 Best of the Midwest Awards
The Starfish ThrowersThe Midwest Independent Film Festival will award their 2014 “Best of the Midwest” honors on Tuesday, December 2, with a ceremony in Chicago. The festival is a year-round movie event in Chicago that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The SXSW hit Animals, Joe Swanberg’s Sundance comedy Happy Christmas and HotDocs pick The Starfish Throwers are among the nominees for the 2014 Best of the Midwest Awards.
The nominees for the “Best of the Midwest” Awards are as follows
Best Music Video
“Shadow” directed by Ryan O’Hara Theisen
“Unbreakable Pocket Comb” directed by Justin Reid Tvedt
”Am I Awake” directed by Joe Cuomo, written by Paul SwiatekBest Short Film
“The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam” directed by Seth Henrikson
“Hoppy Hour” directed by Ryan O’Hara Theisen
“140 Drams” directed by Oksana Mirzoyan
”The Alphabet Conspiracy” directed by Chris Anderson
“Apartment Guy” created by Bill Boehler
“ Offsides” directed by Tytania Holliman
“Bad Ambulance” directed by Daniel Klein
“ Ree” directed by Juan Camilo MooreBest Editing
Amanda Griffin, “Animals”
Adam Pillon, “140 Drams”
Craig Lewandowski, “Adventures in the Sin Bin”
Mike Turner, “Hoppy Hour ”
Bill Kersey, “The Starfish Throwers”Best Cinematography
Chris Vinopal, “The Cold and the Quiet”
Ben Derico, “Ree ”
Jeffrey Bloom, “The Wake”
Pete Biagi, “Bad Ambulance ”
Jesse Roesler, “The Starfish Throwers”
Seth Henrikson, “The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam”Best Screenplay
Christopher Storer, “Adventures in the Sin Bin”
David Dastmalchian, “Animals ”
Oksana Mirzoyan, “140 Drams ”
Bill Boehler, “Apartment Guy”
Jim Kozyra and Chris Petlak, “The Jamz ”
Todd Sklar and Alex Rennie, “Awful Nice”Best Female Actor
Katie Oellerich, “The Cold and the Quiet ”
Alana Grelyak, “MagiCATastrophe ”
Sayjal Joshi, “The Mayor’s Aide ”
Ilyssa Fradin, “Animals”Best Male Actor
Alex Rennie, “Awful Nice”
Joe Swanberg, “Happy Christmas”
David Dastmalchian, “Animals ”
Chance Bone, “Adventures in the Sin Bin ”
Bill Boehler, “Apartment Guy”
Kris Flanagan, “MagiCATastrophe ”
Malcom Banks, “Offsides”Best Director
Oksana Mirzoyan, “140 Drams”
Joe Swanberg, “Happy Christmas ”
Billy Federighi, “Adventures in the Sin Bin”
Colleen Griffen Chappelle, “The Cold and the Quiet”
Todd Sklar, “Awful Nice”
Collin Schiffli, “Animals”
David Boone Wilson and AJ Schnack, “We Always Lie to Strangers ”
Jesse Roesler, “The Starfish Throwers”Best Feature
“Adventures in the Sin Bin” directed by Billy Federighi
”Awful Nice” directed by Todd Sklar
“The Cold and the Quiet” directed by Colleen Griffen
”We Always Lie to Strangers” directed by David Boone Wilson and A.J. Schnack
“Animals” directed by Collin Schiffli
“The Starfish Throwers” directed by Jesse Roesler
“Happy Christmas” directed by Joe Swanberg
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Midwest Independent Film Festival Announces Nominees for 2013 Best of the Midwest Awards
THE KINGS OF SUMMER, directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts,The Midwest Independent Film Festival unveiled their list of nominees for 2013 Best of the Midwest Awards. The Midwest Independent Film Festival in Chicago, describes itself as the nation’s only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month. Films nominated for Best Film of 2013 include THE KINGS OF SUMMER, directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts, SOLE SURVIVOR, directed by Ky Dickens, BORN IN CHICAGO, directed by John Anderson, QWERTY, directed by Bill Sebastian, BE GOOD, directed by Todd Looby and SHE LOVES ME NOT, directed by Brian Jun and Jack Sanderson. The 2013 Best of the Midwest Awards Gala Presented by the Midwest Independent Film Festival will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.
Best Music Video
Rouse Yourself, directed by Billy Bungeroth
I.L.O.U., directed by Michael Starcevich
Float Away, directed by Thom Glunt
Blood Is Blood, directed by Frank Donnangelo
Waiting for Godot, directed by Caitlin Pashalek
Dream Bigger Dreams, directed by SandroBest Short Film
Best If Used By, directed by Aemilia Scott
Paraiso, directed by Nadav Kurtz
Eugene, directed by Jason Stanfield and Jordan Olshansky
’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card, directed by Todd Sklar
The Queen of My Dreams, directed by Fawzia Mirza and Ryan Logan
Sparkle, directed by Julia Reichert and Stephen Bognar
The Ghosts, directed by Eddie O’KeefeBest Editing
Spencer Sachs and Jordan Olshansky, Eugene
Nadav Kurtz and Anthony Gannon, Paraiso
Anna Patel, Sole Survivor
Jan Maitland, Dream Bigger Dreams
Bill Sebastian and Clinton Noel Williams, QWERTYBest Actress
Aemilia Scott, Best If Used By
Megan Mullaly, The Kings of Summer
Amy Siemetz, Be Good
Dana Pupkin, QWERTY
Amy Speckien, Kat and Willy
Kate Cobb, The GhostsBest Cinematography
Mike Gibisser, Be Good
Ross Riege, The Kings of Summer
Delaney Teichler, The Ghosts
Ryan Samul, She Loves Me Not
Christopher Barrett, Best If Used ByBest Screenplay
Maria Finitzo, Life Lessons
Juliet McDaniel, QWERTY
Aemilia Scott, Best If Used By
Brian Jun and Jack Sanderson, She Loves Me Not
Todd Looby, Be GoodBest Actor
Thomas J. Madden, Be Good
Nick Offerman, The Kings of Summer
Christian Stolte, Graveyard
Alex Beh, Coffees
Eric Hailey, QWERTY
David Pasquesi, GraveyardBest Director
John Anderson, Born In Chicago
Ky Dickens, Sole Survivor
Aemilia Scott, Best If Used By
Jordan Vogt-Roberts, The Kings of Summer
Todd Looby, Be Good
Todd Sklar, ’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie CardBest Feature
The Kings of Summer, directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts
Sole Survivor, directed by Ky Dickens
Born In Chicago, directed by John Anderson
QWERTY, directed by Bill Sebastian
Be Good, directed by Todd Looby
She Loves Me Not, directed by Brian Jun and Jack Sanderson
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The Last Rites of Joe May Takes Top Awards at 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards
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The Last Rites of Joe May[/caption]The 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates Chicago’s Midwest Independent Film Festival, were presented on Tuesday, December 6th in downtown Chicago. Hometown film, “The Last Rites of Joe May,” directed by Joe Maggio was the big winner, taking home the prizes for Best Feature, Best Actor for Dennis Farina and Best Actress for Meredith Droeger.
“The Last Rites of Joe May, chronicles the last days in the life of Joe May, an aging, short money hustler who, despite a life of loss and failure, has always believed that a glorious destiny awaited him. Now in his sixties, his health failing and resources dwindling, Joe is presented with one last shot at greatness.
The 2011 Best of the Midwest Award Winners are as followed….
Best Feature
“The Last Rites of Joe May,” directed by Joe MaggioBest Director
Mike Diedrich, “Ballhawks”Best Actor
Winner: Dennis Farina, “The Last Rites of Joe May”Best Actress
Winner: Meredith Droeger, “The Last Rites of Joe May”Best Music Video
Winner: “Call the Press and Send Their Best,” directed by Michael Starcevich and Mattew Achterberg.
Best Short Film
Winner: “A Certain Breed,” directed by Scott Smith
Best Editing
Winner: Randy Palmer, Jr. and Brooks Ruyle, “Ballhawks”
Best Cinematography
Winner: Joel Edwards, “Mumbai Golf”
Best Screenplay
Winner: Dean Peterson, “Incredibly Small”{youtube}OYpCp1_abqY{/youtube}
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The Midwest Independent Film Festival To Announce The 2010 Best of the Midwest Awards
Chicago Overcoat, directed by Brian Caunter Tonight, Tuesday, December 7th, is the 2010 edition of the Best of the Midwest Awards, honoring the achievements of local Midwestern filmmakers who participated in the Midwest Independent Film Festival this year.