“Long live the movies, and long live my sweet home, Chicago!”
With those words, actor John C. Reilly captured the spirit of the Chicago International Film Festival, which celebrated a milestone earlier this summer during Cinema/Chicago’s 60th Anniversary Cinema Soirée.
Cinema/Chicago’s June 1 event at the Geraghty recognized Reilly with a career achievement award celebrating a genre-spanning film resume with roles in films like Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Chicago. Raised in Marquette Park, Reilly graduated from DePaul University’s theater school in 1987 and started on local stages before beginning his film career in the late ’80s with roles in Casualties of War, We’re No Angels, and Days of Thunder. While picking up Oscar, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, and other awards and nominations, Reilly has remained loyal to his hometown, returning over the years to boost other local events like the DePaul Theatre School Awards.
Reilly paid homage to Cinema/Chicago when he accepted the award wearing a signature light fedora with a tuxedo.
“Organizations like the Chicago International Film Festival provide mentorship to young filmmakers, host screenings that bring people together in a theater to remind them of the power of the collective cinematic experience, and they give awards to the people and films that keep the flame of film alive,” he said. “I dedicate this award to the City of Big Shoulders and the big shoulders of the men and women who believed in a kid from the South Side.”
The Soirée, hosted by NBC News TODAY’s Al Roker, raised $525,000 through a paddle raise auction and raffle, with the proceeds benefiting Cinema/Chicago’s year-round education and public programs, including its free 19-week Summer Screenings program; its year-long feature film development lab for Illinois filmmakers (with a focus on BIPOC, women, and non-binary makers), its CineYouth Festival, which showcases the work of creative youth and provides free training for the next generation of filmmakers, and Community Cinema, which presents free neighborhood-based screenings in under-resourced communities in Chicago.
For the past six decades, the Chicago International Film Festival has been a leading, internationally renowned film festival that supports young, emerging, and established filmmakers. As North America’s longest-running competitive international film festival, it has a long history of showcasing underrepresented voices and exceptional talents worldwide.
CineYouth alum Carlos Lerma and lab alum McKenzie Chinn spoke at the event to show the type of talent Cinema/Chicago cultivates.
“The Chicago International Film Festival has shown up as a champion of both my work and me. And more than anything, filmmakers need champions,” Chinn said. “We need the individuals, networks, and communities who believe in us before anyone else does, who speak highly of us in rooms we’re not in, and who are willing to invest in our voices so that our work can expand and find the audiences who need our work.”
Chicago-based filmmaker Jennifer Reeder, who has shown her work at festivals and museums worldwide, received the festival’s Tour de Force award for works like the horror film Perpetrator and the thriller Knives and Skin.
“The translation of tour de force is ‘feat of strength,’ which is more or less the mission of independent filmmaking,” Reeder said in her acceptance speech while sporting a dark suit and makeup that echoed the heavily-ringed eyes in Cinema/Chicago’s logo. “My journey as a filmmaker has often been uphill both ways in the snow barefoot, but I’m built for it.”
In addition to raising money for the organization and hearing stories from current Chicagoans in film, guests at the soiree enjoyed food and drink courtesy of J&L Catering, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and San Pellegrino, as well as a giant Eli’s cheesecake decorated with a film reel, popcorn, and movie snacks. DJ SteveO capped the evening with dance tunes while lingering guests feasted on late-night popcorn snacks and chatted with Reilly, who stayed to the end to grant selfies and autographs.
How to Help
The Chicago International Film Festival and various programs flourish under the auspices of Cinema/Chicago — a non-profit cultural and educational organization dedicated to bridging the gap between people of diverse cultures and access to the art of film.
Tickets go on sale in late September for the 60th #ChiFilmFest from Oct 16 to 24.
Consider becoming a volunteer at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/about/volunteer/.
Be part of a community of supporters who believe in the power of cinema and the arts to make a difference that resonates long after the credits roll. All donations will support Cinema/Chicago’s public and education programs: Chicago International Film Festival, Summer Screenings, Community Cinema, CineYouth Festival, Chicago Industry Exchange Lab (CIX: Lab), and Accessibility at the Festival. Donate today at the organization’s official donation website.
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Claire Zulkey is a writer based in Evanston, IL, where she was born and raised. Her writing has appeared in local publications like Block Club Chicago, the Evanston Roundtable and Chicago Magazine as well as national publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic.
