Wrapping Up the 2025 Chicago Film Festival
With this year’s 61st edition of the Chicago International Film Festival in the books, I’ve completed my screenings for 2025. Here’s what I screened and what I thought.
Wrapping Up the 2024 Black Harvest Film Festival
The 30th annual edition of the Gene Siskel Film Center’s Black Harvest Film Festival is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films. The event featured a strong lineup of offerings this year, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen at this festival. In all, I managed to catch six films during the festival’s two-week run. So, with that said, here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought.
‘All the Colours’ applauds the courage to be oneself
Discrimination is truly an ugly concept, no matter what basis is used to try and justify it. Those who become the targets of such inexcusable prejudice are left to endure the irrational ridicule inflicted upon them, treatment that often drives them into hiding, afraid to step forward and be themselves. Considerable courage is generally required to overcome those conditions, but even vast reserves of that attribute may not be enough when it means taking on institutionalized versions of such loathsome negative behavior. Nonetheless, those who are able to muster up the bravery to tackle such undertakings should be commended.
The Best of 2023
With 2023 now in the books, it’s time to look back on the year in movies. In this first of three blogs, I spotlight my Top 10 Films of 2023, followed by 10 Honorable Mentions and an open-ended list (in alphabetical order) of other releases that I found noteworthy.
Wrapping Up Reeling 2023
The 41st annual edition of Chicago’s Reeling International LGBTQ+ Film Festival is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films in theaters and online. Here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought.