BY BOB LABATE
Any number of recent articles have proclaimed, if not the death, then at least the critical condition of Chicago filmmaking. True enough, major studios are now filming in Canada, not Chicago, and they won’t return in quantity until they receive tax incentives similar to those offered by our northern neighbor. And commercial advertising production is in a serious nationwide slump that has lasted far longer than anyone expected. So, how can anyone expect independent film to flourish here?
Yet, my clients tell me that Chicago’s indie film industry is thriving. The reason, I suspect, is that Chicago has a wealth of experienced production companies, film-friendly institutions and collaborative professionals. And we seem to be making progress with the two other essential pieces: funding and distribution. So, despite the gloomy articles, here’s some evidence in support of my belief that indie film in Chicago is doing well.
Experienced Production Companies
One of the country’s best documentary film producers is the Chicago-based Kartemquin Educational Films (www.kartemquin.com), which premiered its latest film Stevie at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. Indiewire (www.indiewire.com) calls Stevie, directed Steve James (also director of Hoop Dreams), one of the most appealing, available American-made films at Toronto this year and since Kartemquin is a client, I won’t disagree. But Stevie is just one of Kartmequin’s recently produced films and programs which include: Refrigerator Mothers, produced by JJ Hanley and Kartemquin and broadcast nationally on PBS earlier this year; and the PBS series "The New Americans," a multi-part series on the complexities of contemporary immigration.
Another local film at this year’s Toronto festival is the rock documentary, MC*5: A True Testimonial. Produced by another client, Future Now Films (www.futurenowfilms.com), the film had two sold-out preview screenings at this year’s Chicago Underground Film Festival and has created a world-wide buzz. The widely followed Web site www.aintitcoolnews.com picked MC*5 as one of the 20 films to see at Toronto. Not bad for a couple of Chicago-based production companies, and this merely skims the surface of the many broadcast-quality documentary films produced recently in Chicago.
On the commercial side of indie film, Chill-O-Vision, a production company started by co-founders of The Onion, is scheduled to begin principal photography of the feature comedy Bad Meat later this year. Commercial production companies such as Tower Productions, Inc. (most recently the producer of "True Crime Authors" for The History Channel) and Swell Productions, Inc. are constant sources of programming for national cable networks. And more than 40 single-spaced pages of "The Chicago Creative Directory" (www.creativedir.com) are devoted to listing just production companies. These are not signs of a dying industry.
Film-Friendly Institutions
There is only space to skim the surface, but here are a few:
Columbia College appears to have the largest film department outside of Los Angeles and, through its courses and seminars, is a focal point for teaching the creative, technical and business end of the business. It also has an excellent documentary film department that seems to have a hand in most of the broadcast-quality documentaries produced in Chicago.
The Independent Feature Project (www.ifp.org) has long been the leading non-profit organization for nurturing indie film in Chicago. Among other events, the IFP sponsors the IFP/Chicago Production Fund, the Flyover Zone Short Film Festival and the IFP/Chicago Annual Filmmakers’ Conference as well as monthly forums on various aspects of filmmaking.
A new institutional resource is The School of The Art Institute, which operates the Gene Siskel Film Center (www.artic.edu/webspaces/siskelfilmcenter), which is the premiere screening location for indie film in Chicago. The Siskel Center has a full schedule of rarely screened films and retrospectives that show the depth of past and current independent films.
Chicago-based film festivals such as the Chicago Underground Film Festival (www.cuff.org) and the Chicago International Film Festival (www.chicagofilmfestival.com) have never been stronger in the films they screen or better attended. On a monthly basis, The Chicago Community Cinema (www.chicagocommunitycinema.com) screens shorts, indie film trailers, student work and feature films, and sponsors events at which those involved in Chicago film/video community can meet and network.
Filmmakers on a budget usually can find help at Lawyers for the Creative Arts (312/649-4111), the foremost source of legal information and assistance for artists and arts organizations in Chicago. The Nonprofit Finance Center (www.nonprofitfinancial.org) is a gold mine of information for those interested in raising funds from foundations and in creating and maintaining nonprofit corporations.
Finally, two other valuable organizations are the Chicago Film Office (www.cityofchicago.org/filmoffice) and the Illinois Film Office (www.illinoisbiz.biz/film). Both offices provide information on the rules and regulations governing film in Illinois and are resources for finding equipment and skilled people. The Illinois Film Office also distributes (for free) the Production Guide, listing just about everything and everyone you’ll need to make your film.
Collaborative Professionals
When I ask clients why they make movies in Chicago, they normally refer to the collaborative nature of the people who work here. The film community is relatively small, people know each other and they are usually willing to help with recommendations and advice, whether on a technical, creative or business issue. A quick look at any of the available creative or film directories (such as Screen magazine’s "Chicago Production Bible" or PerformInk’s "The Actor’s Guide To Chicago") should produce dozens, if not hundreds, of names of individuals who can act, direct, edit, art direct, line produce, provide graphic support or a musical soundtrack, all at a reasonable cost. Egos are generally kept in check, and the sense of competition found on both coasts is far less apparent.
"Collaborative" also means that commercial companies that supply goods and services to the film industry (be it insurance, equipment, production, music, etc.) are generally willing to accommodate and work with indie filmmakers so that it all fits within the budget or the production schedule. At local seminars, producers who have enjoyed some artistic or commercial success are usually willing to spend some time with those who are new to the field or who have questions on technical or creative issues.
Financing and Distribution
These are the two weakest areas of the Chicago indie film infrastructure. While the State of Illinois has made some effort to provide funding (primarily through the Illinois Development Finance Authority), the most common form of financing remains equity (investment) financing for for-profit companies and through foundation and government grants for those making films through or in conjunction with a nonprofit company. Film distribution, both locally and nationally, is also limited but inroads exist and distribution sources appear to be increasing in number if you are willing to look and persistent enough to ask. But it is not for the shy or the faint of heart.
While my evidence is more anecdotal than empirical, I think that indie film is alive and well in Chicago.
© 2002 Robert J. Labate. This column is provided as a source of information and is not to be construed as legal advice or opinion. You may contact me through our firm’s Web site (mbc.com), via email at labate@mbc.com or, via mail, to Bob or Kristen at McBride Baker & Coles, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 4000, Chicago, Illinois, 60661 312/715-5700.