I moved to Chicago in 2014. It took me nearly me five years to discover the many (far from all, mind you) aspects that define "The Chicago Film Scene" and how to properly navigate that scene as a creative professional. The goal of this site is to serve as a doorway for those new to the city looking for where to begin as well as those simply in need of a refresher of the many sources they may have forgotten about. Furthermore, if there is a way to capture the candid and open spirit of conversations I have had with Chicago filmmakers, both positive and critical, in order to foster growth and articulate what this city has to offer the medium of film.
Though many institutions have a resource page similar in nature to what I am trying to achieve, I felt it important to have an unfiltered perspective that casts a wide net over the film community. I believe it a fallacy to think one can take all a city has to offer and "put it under one big umbrella" and rather hope these pages serve as a network that speak to forming connections and development both artistically and professionally. It is my intention to maintain a curatorial voice that candidly acknowledges the resources available within Chicago and beyond. It is not my intention to bad mouth the shortcomings of any organization, institution, or individual but rather address the specific benefits provided by said resource. If you are looking for the former, I recommend Twitter or one of Chicago's 4 AM bars. If I do not view a certain resource as legitimate or viable in any regard, I will not include it on this website. If I find the resource legitimate but only under certain circumstances, I will try my best to articulate as such. For the time being, I have decided to include three to five highlighted resources with commentary per page. These highlighted resources are selected because I have either had a personal connection with them or because they are one of the more prominent representatives of that specific category. Additional resources within that category will be listed at the bottom of the page.
On a personal note, this website serves as a catharsis of my own experiences here. By categorizing the different organizations, spaces, and opportunities to the best of my ability, I view these pages as a thesis project as I reach a crossroads in my own career and personal growth. As such, I have decided to maintain this site in a manor that feels both honest as well as academic, providing insights on what I specifically have learned during my time in this great city. It is my goal to eventually expand these insights to include other voices and perspectives from friends and artists. There comes a time in everyone's career in which you would rather educate others about your own discipline rather than work within it. I greatly hope the attention paid to this site is complementary to my own artistic endeavors rather than supplementary. That said, one of my biggest complaints about this community is the apparent need to be affiliated with an organization, such as a non-profit or business, in order to be taken seriously and gain any form of recognition as an artist. This is a problem unique to the independent film community. As such, I acknowledge that my creation of The Chicago Cinema Collective may not be purely altruistic and its existence may simultaneously prove to be both personally cathartic and professionally rewarding for myself and for others.
The use of the word "collective" for this website was chosen to capture the same communal aspect seen in other film scenes, such as that with the Austin Film Society. In order to grow as a society and as individuals, it is vital that we view each other as all in this together and not a competitors. While the groups listed on this page have not asked nor been asked permission to be featured here, I hope they embrace this mentality. I am of the belief that an artist should be defined not by their city, but rather by their voice. The city in which you reside merely acts as a conduit to amplify your voice, The professional opportunities in Chicago are vast, but the opportunity for stories is endless.
Once again, this resource exists to educate those new and old to the Chicago film community but, like all things, should be taken with a heavy grain of salt. I do not claim to know all there is to know about the opportunities found within the confines of this city. You may choose to use all of the resources listed here or none of them. To paraphrase John Waters, it is the role of contemporary art to break what came before it. If you find a better way to tell your stories without the help of anything listed on this site, then who am I to stop you. In the meantime, I hope this helps.
Though many institutions have a resource page similar in nature to what I am trying to achieve, I felt it important to have an unfiltered perspective that casts a wide net over the film community. I believe it a fallacy to think one can take all a city has to offer and "put it under one big umbrella" and rather hope these pages serve as a network that speak to forming connections and development both artistically and professionally. It is my intention to maintain a curatorial voice that candidly acknowledges the resources available within Chicago and beyond. It is not my intention to bad mouth the shortcomings of any organization, institution, or individual but rather address the specific benefits provided by said resource. If you are looking for the former, I recommend Twitter or one of Chicago's 4 AM bars. If I do not view a certain resource as legitimate or viable in any regard, I will not include it on this website. If I find the resource legitimate but only under certain circumstances, I will try my best to articulate as such. For the time being, I have decided to include three to five highlighted resources with commentary per page. These highlighted resources are selected because I have either had a personal connection with them or because they are one of the more prominent representatives of that specific category. Additional resources within that category will be listed at the bottom of the page.
On a personal note, this website serves as a catharsis of my own experiences here. By categorizing the different organizations, spaces, and opportunities to the best of my ability, I view these pages as a thesis project as I reach a crossroads in my own career and personal growth. As such, I have decided to maintain this site in a manor that feels both honest as well as academic, providing insights on what I specifically have learned during my time in this great city. It is my goal to eventually expand these insights to include other voices and perspectives from friends and artists. There comes a time in everyone's career in which you would rather educate others about your own discipline rather than work within it. I greatly hope the attention paid to this site is complementary to my own artistic endeavors rather than supplementary. That said, one of my biggest complaints about this community is the apparent need to be affiliated with an organization, such as a non-profit or business, in order to be taken seriously and gain any form of recognition as an artist. This is a problem unique to the independent film community. As such, I acknowledge that my creation of The Chicago Cinema Collective may not be purely altruistic and its existence may simultaneously prove to be both personally cathartic and professionally rewarding for myself and for others.
The use of the word "collective" for this website was chosen to capture the same communal aspect seen in other film scenes, such as that with the Austin Film Society. In order to grow as a society and as individuals, it is vital that we view each other as all in this together and not a competitors. While the groups listed on this page have not asked nor been asked permission to be featured here, I hope they embrace this mentality. I am of the belief that an artist should be defined not by their city, but rather by their voice. The city in which you reside merely acts as a conduit to amplify your voice, The professional opportunities in Chicago are vast, but the opportunity for stories is endless.
Once again, this resource exists to educate those new and old to the Chicago film community but, like all things, should be taken with a heavy grain of salt. I do not claim to know all there is to know about the opportunities found within the confines of this city. You may choose to use all of the resources listed here or none of them. To paraphrase John Waters, it is the role of contemporary art to break what came before it. If you find a better way to tell your stories without the help of anything listed on this site, then who am I to stop you. In the meantime, I hope this helps.
Curtis J. Matzke