Arts, Community, Film, Local, Park Forest

Tickets Now on Sale for Southland Film Festival Oct. 13 to 15


Chicago Southland Film Festival organizers at GSU.
Chicago Southland International Film Festival organizers at GSU. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

University Park, IL-(ENEWSPF)- ‘The Shame of Chicago: The Segregation of an American City’ explores the origins of the city’s wealth gap between its Black and white residents and will be one of the films featured at this year’s Chicago Southland International Film Festival (CSIFF) from Oct. 13 through 15. Tickets are now on sale.

With the five-part documentary, Director, community activist, and Chicago native Bruce Orenstein blazes a trail and shines a light on injustices in Chicago’s real estate market that began after World War II.

The latest episode, ‘The Chicago Plan,’ will be featured on Oct. 15—the second day of the festival—and opens with crackling Black and white footage. Elizabeth Wood, the first executive director of the Chicago Housing Authority, states flatly: “Negros have lived in a state of fear and isolation, and this is the shame of Chicago and the nation.”

‘Shame of Chicago’ is one of the many powerful films to be showcased during the Feature Film Competition of the GSU festival, which opens on Oct. 13.

Another film with a Chicago connection is ‘Mustang Saviors’, directed by Chicago native David Glossberg. It tells the inspirational story of an equestrian ranch in Northern Illinois helping veterans overcome the toll of war through horse training.

Previously included in the 2020 virtual festival during the COVID19 pandemic, CSIFF is very excited to have Mustang Saviors back for an in-person screening on Oct. 14 as part of the Feature Film Showcase.

Other Chicago films include: ‘SymBionic’, ‘The Guitar Thief’, ‘Yellow Polka Dot’, ‘Bump in the Night’, and ‘Avoesis’ and reflect genres from documentary, to comedy, to horror.

The U.S., Brazil, Australia, Poland, Canada, France, Spain, and Iran will be represented in films sure to make theatergoers laugh, cry, and question life.  Subject matters include LGBTQA+ relationships, a comedic perspective on at the nation’s rental market, and the trauma of loss. The full schedule of programming is available here.

CSIFF Co-founder Josh Young said he is thrilled to bring such a diverse program to Chicago’s southland.

“Our audience will once again get to enjoy incredible films from around the world that they likely won’t be able to see anywhere else,’’ he said.

The festival launches on Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. with a kickoff cocktail party and opportunities to meet fellow filmmakers and enjoy refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres in the E Lounge at GSU, an intimate venue that sits adjacent to GSU’s incredible Visual Arts Gallery.

The festival continues with a series of feature, short, and student film showcases. New to the fest this year is a filmmaking workshop in partnership with festival sponsors at Pixquid. The workshop will focus on film distribution for independent filmmakers.

This is the fifth festival and is being offered in a hybrid format. All films selected will be shown in person at Governors State University’s F1622 Amphitheater. Films selected for the Short Film Competition will also be available virtually from Monday, October 17 through Sunday, October 23. Festival Tickets and passes are available now. Visit the website here then click the “Attend the Festival” button to visit the ticketing site Eventive Virtual.


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