CHI, IL LIVE THEATRE: Chicago Improv Festival Finds The Funny

Chi-Town's 15th annual Improv Festival is in full swing with a multicultural medley of improvisors from around the world.   Check out an array of great acts through this Sunday.   I came from an improv background and founded and directed a troup at Miami University (No, directing improv is not an oxymoron, contrary to popular quips!).   So, I know how challenging, fresh and fun the genre can be.  Check in soon for our review of the highly recommended, hilarious Improv Play at DCA Storefront Theatre through May 20th. 

We also have an exclusive video interview we'll be running soon, from the CIMMfest opening of High Road.   ChiIL Live Shows interviewed the
director, Matt Walsh, who was a founding member of Upright Citizens
Brigade.   We also spoke with actors and caught the Q & A.   So
check in with us like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often for great
entertainment news!

High Road:  Director, Chicago native Matt Walsh (The Hangover, Upright
Citizens Brigade, HBO’s upcoming Veep), joined by actors Lizzy Caplan
(Mean Girls, Bachelorette), Joe Lo Truglio (Wanderlust, Superbad), Joe
Nunez (Bridesmaids, Neighborhood Watch), James Pumphrey (Players) and
Zach Woods (NBC’s The Office, Damsels in Distress)…

This year’s CIF is themed 

“Celebrating the Art of Play”

We've got friends incoming from that state that's hi in the middle and round on both ends.   Don't let their name fool ya.   ChiIL Live Shows will be documenting See You Thursday's daring dramatics SATURDAY night at The Playground.

We're jazzed that more than 75 improv
groups from 16 U.S. cities and countries as far away as Russia and
Norway are descending on Chicago from April 23-29 for the 15th annual
Chicago Improv Festival. But we're also setting our sites a little closer to home.  See You Thursday will be the only Ohio troupe represented on the 2012 CIF performance roster, a program that includes Eastbound & Down's Ike Barinholtz and Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. See You Thursday will perform 8:30PM Saturday, April 28 at Chicago’s Playground Theater, 3209 North Halsted Street.  2012 Show Dates: through April 29 , Tickets: $10-$20

 

We're particularly jazzed for Thursday night at Annoyance Theatre

**@ Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway, 10:30PM, $15/$10
1) Messing with a Friend (Chicago) [special guest Lance Baker]
Tickets are available at Annoyance (773.561.4665) or ONLINE

@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
7pm, $15/$10
1) Harri Olli Improvised Theatre (Zurich)
2) WiseSnatch (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
9pm, $15/$10

1) pH Productions (Chicago)
2) Mullaney Chain (Chicago/New York)
 Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

Friday, April 27
 

ImproTOP - Mexico City
@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 1, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Curtains (New York)
2) BASSPROV (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
 
9pm, $20/$15
1) Classy D (Chicago)
2) Matt Naas & The Sing-a-long Singers (Detroit)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Claymore (Chicago)
2) Last Action Movie (Minneapolis)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7pm, $20/$15
1) SAM (Chicago)
2) The Mighty They (Detroit)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Stands Up! (Chicago) [w. guest comic Dan Telfer]
2) The Amie and Kristen Show (Philadelphia)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE
10pm, $20/$15
1) Out of Character (Chicago)
2)North Coast (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theater, Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Almost ATLANTA (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

9pm, $20/$15
1) Awkward (Kansas City)
2) New England (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

10:30pm, $20/$15 
Jorak and Jorak Do Movie (Austin)
Pimprov (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Chemically Imbalanced, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd., 10:30pm, $15/$10
1) Dead Parrots Society (Bellingham)
2) Droppin’ $cience (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the CIT (773.865.7731) or ONLINE

@ Laugh Out Loud Theater, 601 North Martingale Road, Schaumburg
7:30pm, $19/$12
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE

9:30pm, $19/$12
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.230.0386) or ONLINE

@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.
7pm, $20/$15
1) King Friday (Philadelphia)
2) Weekend of Regret (New York)

Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
8:30pm, $20/$15

1) The Bully Union: Local 128 (Baltimore)
2) Magnet Theater Touring Co. (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

10pm, $20/$15

1) Danger Snack (Los Angeles)
2)My Grandma's a Fat Whore in Jersey (Chicago & Los Angeles)


Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

@ The Second City Skybox, 1618 N. Wells, 4th Floor

7pm, $20/$15

1) Process (Chicago)

2)Twinprov (Oklahoma City)

Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

8:30pm, $20/$15
1) We're From Here (Toronto)
2)TBA (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

10pm, $20/$15
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) ImproTOP (Mexico City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

---

Saturday, April 28


 

Hello Laser - New York

@ Annoyance Theater, 4830 N. Broadway, 11:59pm, $10/$5
1) Mullaney Chain (Chicago & New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Annoyance (773.561.4665) or ONLINE

@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 1, 2936 N. Southport Ave.

7:30pm, $20/$15
1) B.F.F. (New York)
2) BASSPROV (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

9pm, $20/$15
1) Border Patrol (Bellingham & Edmonton)
2) JR Varsity (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE


10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Hello Laser (New York)
2) Pimprov (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE


@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2, 2936 N. Southport Ave.

7pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Nerd (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Rapid Fire Theatre (Edmonton)
2) The Minneapples (Minneapolis)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

10pm, $20/$15
1) Local Honey (Dallas)
2) Stage Fright: A Tribute to Hitchcock (Philadelphia)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE


@ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport Ave.


7:30pm, $20/$15
1) Maat Naas & The Sing-a-long Singers (Detroit)
2) Bootsy Collins (Los Angeles)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

9pm, $20/$15
1) Harri Olli Improvised Theatre (Zurich)
2) The Shelter (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Brick (New York)
2) Skinny Jeans (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum (773.935.6860) or ONLINE

@ Chemically Imbalanced 1420 W. Irving Park Rd., 10:30pm, $10/$5
1) Indie Cage Match UCB (New York)

Tickets can be bought at CIT (773.865.7731) or ONLINE
@ Laugh Out Loud Theater, 601 North Martingale Road, Schaumburg

7:30pm, $19/$12
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)

Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE

9:30pm, $19/$12
1) 2-Man No-Show (Toronto)
2) Laugh Out Loud (Schaumburg)
Tickets can be bought at LOL (847.240.0386) or ONLINE
@ The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St.

7pm, $20/$15
1) DMNK (Chicago)
2) The Garys (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

**8:30pm, $20/$15
1) See You Thursday (Columbus)
2) Kiss*Punch*Poem (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE

 

10pm, $20/$15
1) Ted Dangerous (St. Louis)
2) Chet Watkins (New York)
Tickets can be bought at the Playground (773.871.3793) or ONLINE
@ The Second City DeMaat, 1618 N. Wells, 3rd Floor


7pm, $20/$15
1) Formal Apology (Chicago)
2) The Era (Chicago)

Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

9pm, $20/$15
1) Just Ben (New York)
2) The Playboys (Chicago)

Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

10:30pm, $20/$15
1) Simply Coney (Detroit)
2) Twinprov (Oklahoma City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC DeMaat (312.337.3992) or ONLINE
@ The Second City Skybox, 1618 N. Wells, 4th Floor

7pm, $20/$15
1) Improv Boston (Boston)
2) Sheila’s Sister (Chicago)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

8:30pm, $20/$15
1) Mayor Karen (Philadelphia)
2) The Improvised Shakespeare Company (Chicago)

Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

10pm, $20/$15
1) STACKED: All Girl Musical Improv (Chicago)
2) ImproTOP (Mexico City)
Tickets can be bought at the SC Skybox (312.337.3992) or ONLINE

About CIF: The Chicago Improv Festival,
founded in 1998 promotes and teaches improv as a true form of art. Over
the last 15 years, the festival has featured some of the biggest names
in comedy today: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers (SNL), Horatio Sanz,
Neil Flynn (The Middle) and more. CIF is now seen as the largest and
most prestigious improv festival in the world and has already presented more
than 850 acts from 15 nations and 45 cities; had improv workshops
taught by more than 50 instructors; and has given various awards to 45
improv artists.

Click here for all the 2012 acts.
Click here for tickets and performance schedule.
Click here for Chicago Improv Fest's main site, full schedule, tickets and more.
Follow CIF on Facebook here.

CIMMfest Kick Off This Thursday-Queens of Country Film

ACTORS LIZZY CAPLAN & JOE LO TRUGLIO
ATTEND CHICAGO PREMIERE OF QUEENS OF COUNTRY FILM,
THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 12
***OPENING NIGHT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL MOVIES & MUSIC FESTIVAL

WHO: Actors Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Bachelorette) and Joe Lo Truglio (Wanderlust, Super Bad)… 

WHAT: will attend the Opening Night of the 4th Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, featuring the Chicago Premiere of their film, Queens of Country… 

WHEN: Thursday, April 12

7pm - film screening; 8:15pm - Q&A 

WHERE: Wicker Park Art Center, 2215 W. North Avenue

MORE: Also in attendance are directors Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke, and producer Chris Topper McDaniel.

Queens of Country stars Lizzy Caplan as the prettiest girl in a small Arizona town, obsessed with old time country stars, who finds a lost iPod filled with songs that speak to her sensitive heart. Jolene Gillis is convinced the owner is her soul mate and she is thrust into a sexy, heartwarming and hilarious adventure of mistaken identities, ATVs, line dancing competitions, kidnappers, time machines and doppelgangers. 

Queens of Country is among the 50+ films from over 20 countries that will be screened at the 4th Chicago International Movies & Music Festival taking place throughout Wicker Park and Logan Square through Sunday, April 15. For more information, visit www.cimmfest.org.

Play Locally-April Highlights: Theatre Openings, Music and #Giveaways

It's an eventful, event filled April in Chi-Town. 

Scroll All The Way Down For A Month Full of Adult & Family Friendly Highlights Below Including 21+ punk & metal shows, Ticket Give Aways, original video interviews, live kids' show footage, Beat Kitchen Concerts for Kids, Bloodiest vinyl release, C2E2, CIMMfest 2012, Human Nature The Motown Show, 20 FREE copies of Just Kids book by Patti Smith, Prong, recommended bands at Cobra
Lounge & Empty Bottle, Reggies, Schubas, & Sub-T, Theatre openings, CD releases, and more:

FAMILY FUN: 





Sunday 4/15   Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids features The Boogers (Ramones style punk for the punk kin) at noon.   ChiIL Mama's stoked to sponsor the series aimed at birth through 10 year olds with parents.   Infants are free.   Everyone else is just $6!   Win 4 free tickets right here, to see The Boogers.   We pick new winners weekly and have 4 free tickets to all kids' shows at Beat Kitchen and many other venues throughout Chicago.   Then check out ChiIL Mama's YouTube Channel for loads of live Boogers show footage and our exclusive video interview with the band.

*Wait
for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through
RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on
the actual page title and it should pop right up).   Entries are easy.   Winning rocks!   

CIMMfest 2012 is Coming Up Fast!

CHICAGO PREMIERE OF QUEENS OF COUNTRY

WITH APPEARANCE BY LIZZY CAPLAN, JOE LO TRUGLIO, AND MORE, LAUNCHES

4TH ANNUAL CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL MOVIES & MUSIC FESTIVAL

AT VARIOUS VENUES AROUND CHICAGO, APRIL 12-15

Individual Tickets On-Sale Now!

ChiIL Live Shows will be there and have reviews and photo filled recaps all weekend.   The features in red are some of our favs.

The Chicago Premiere of Queens of Country with a special appearance by Lizzy Caplan, Joe Lo Truglio, and Matt Walsh; appearances by other filmmakers, actors, and musicians including Horatio Sanz, Irvine Welsh, and Bobby Bare Jr.; several World and U.S. Premieres; three film series: “British Invasion,” “Punk Around the World,” and “Always for Pleasure and More: Six Music Films by Les Blank”; a rare performance of “Rapper’s Delight” featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee, founding members of The Sugarhill Gang; special events and live performances; and much more highlight the 4th Annual Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest). The four-day festival annually brings together filmmakers, musicians, and devotees from around the world for a celebration of movies and music at various venues around Chicago’s Wicker Park and Logan Square neighborhoods, including the recently renovated Logan Theatre, Thursday, April 12 – Sunday, April 15.


More than 50 films from over 20 countries will be screened including features, documentaries, shorts, concert films, animation, and music videos, all of which have music at their center. Supplementing the films will be live performances, numerous appearances by filmmakers and actors, incredible DJ/VJ events, a Rock Poster Show, panel discussions, and more. The complete schedule of films, events, and locations is available on www.CIMMfest.org.

“Now entering our fourth festival we are excited to showcase an even wider range of films and live performances, including Brit and Punk rock, Improv, and Broadway, all across Chicago’s vibrant Wicker Park and Logan Square neighborhoods,” said Josh Chicoine, CIMMfest Co-Director, with Ilko Davidov. “CIMMfest is unique in that we truly aim to highlight the crossover of film and song, shedding light on the interconnectedness of all people, around the world, through the lens of music and moving image. Along with our board of directors, partners, sponsors, friends and supporters, we are thrilled to be curating these amazing four days in April!”

Festival highlights include:

    •    This year’s Opening Night film will be the Chicago Premiere of Queens of Country (Dirs. Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke) at Wicker Park Arts Center, 2215 W. North Avenue, on Thursday, April 12 at 7pm. Starring Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls), Ron Livingston (Office Space), Joe Lo Truglio, and Matt Walsh, the film is about a spacey line-dancing queen who falls in love with the owner of a lost iPod because the music on it touches her soul, thus launching a deeply weird plot that leads to kidnappings, time travel, doppelgangers, and Joe Lo Truglio in a dress. Lizzy Caplan, Joe Lo Truglio, Matt Walsh, and directors Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke will be in attendance for a post show Q&A.


    •    Closing out this year’s festival will be the exclusive work-in-progress preview of Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost): A Film about Bobby Bare Jr. (Dir. William Miller) at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, on Sunday, April 15 at 7pm. The film is a compelling look at the hard life of a touring musician who, despite his famous pedigree, still has to worry about feeding his family while trying to connect with his fans and follow his muse. Following the film will be a performance from “shit-hot honky-tonk” legend Lawrence Peters with his Outfit and then the film’s star, Bobby Bare Jr.


    •    A rare performance of “Rapper’s Delight” featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee, founding members of The Sugarhill Gang, in support of the documentary, I Want My Name Back, at Wicker Park Arts Center on Friday, April 13 at 7pm. The film follows the rise, fall, and comeback of the band. Director Roger Paradiso will also be in town for a post-screening Q&A.


    •    The Chicago Premiere of High Road at the Logan Theatre on Friday, April 13 at 7pm, directed by Matt Walsh, founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade. The film captures the disillusionment and resilience of the Millennial Generation and features several well known comedians. Lizzy Caplan, Horatio Sanz, Joe Lo Truglio, Zach Woods, and Joe Nunez will all be in attendance for the screening along with Walsh.


    •    The unique opportunity to see films screened with live music accompaniment, including Hubble’s Hubble and the Chicago Premiere of The Three Grace(s) Triptych (Dirs. Nicola Kuperus & Adam Lee Miller) at Wicker Park Arts Center on Friday, April 13, and the World Premiere of SciFiSol (Dir. Joseph Richard Lewis) at Wicker Park Arts Center on Saturday, April 14. Hubble’s Hubble at 9:30pm, pairs the minimalist, loop-based solo guitar music of Ben Greenburg with images from the world’s most famous telescope. Following, at 10:30pm, will be the The Three Grace(s) Triptych, accompanied live by ADULT, an avant-garde horror trilogy comprising three separate, but interconnected, short films—Decampment (2008), Traditions (2010), and Possession(s) (2011)—that reflect the dark, unsettling themes found in ADULT’s unique brand of dance music. SciFiSol, known as the first “silent movie super hero video game musical,” is about a lonely video game designer whose most recent creation starts to take over the world and will feature a live accompaniment by The Underground Multiplex and Melody Nife at 10:30pm. 


    •    Coming off successful showings at SXSW will be the Chicago Premieres of Charles Bradley: Soul of America (Dir. Poull Brien), at the Logan Theater on Friday, April 13 at 9pm, and Just Like Being There (Dir. Scout Shannon), at Wicker Park Arts Center on Sunday, April 15 at 3:15pm. Charles Bradley: Soul of America is the story of Charles Bradley and how at the age of 62 he reached a point where he could share his story and music with millions of listeners. Just Like Being There is a look at the expanding scene of rock show posters and the artists who make them including Daniel Danger, Jay Ryan, and local hero Steve Walters who designed the CIMMfest poster.


    •    The exclusive work-in-progress preview of Parallax Sounds (Dir. Augusto Contento), a contemplative film that examines the relationship between Chicago’s dynamic urban landscape and the trailblazing musicians who defined its underground sound from the 1990s into the future, at Wicker Park Arts Center on Saturday, April 14 at 5:30pm.


    •    A special presentation of Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy (Dir. Rob Heydon), a dark romantic comedy based on the controversial, bestselling book of the same name by Irvine Welsh, at Logan Theater on Friday, April 13 at 9:30pm. Director Rob Heydon and writer Irvine Welsh in person.


    •    A performance by the raucous, rowdy performance gang, Sister Spit, at Wicker Park Arts Center on Saturday, April 14 at 8pm. This multimedia explosion of taste-makers, novelists, luminaries, chanteuses, performance artists, poets and filmmakers will feature authors Michelle Tea (Valencia, Rent Girl) and Dorothy Allison (Bastard out of Carolina, Cavedweller), Mx Justin Vivian Bond, “the greatest cabaret artist of (v’s) generation” according to The New Yorker, and more!


    •    “British Invasion” featuring the World Premiere of This Band Is So Gorgeous! (Dir. Dunstan Bruce) at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 1pm, about Sham 69, the first important UK punk outfit to play in the land of Mao and managed capitalism; the Chicago Premiere of The Beat Is the Law: Fanfare for the Common People (Dir. Eve Wood) at The Society for Arts on Saturday, April 14 at 9:15pm, which traces Pulp’s long, slow, remarkable rise against a backdrop of political and creative ferment in a city that battled with Thatcher and gave rise to industrial funk and house as well as Britpop’s misfit messiahs; and the Chicago Premiere of The Posters Came from the Walls (Dirs. Jeremy Deller & Nick Abrahams) at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 11:15pm, highlighting the devout fan base of Depeche Mode.


    •    A film series focusing on niche genres such as “Punk Around the World” featuring the US Premieres of Pank: The Rise of Punk in Chile (Dir. Martín Núñez) at the Logan Theater on Sunday, April 15 at 1pm; Punk in Africa (Dir. Deon Maas, Keith Jones) at the Logan Theater on Sunday, April 15 at 3:15pm; Punk’s Not Dead (Dir. Vladimir Blazevski) at The Society for Arts on Saturday, April 14 at 5pm; and the Chicago Premiere Sons of Norway (Dir. Jens Lien) at The Society for Arts on Sunday, April 15 at 5:30pm.


    •    “Always for Pleasure and More: Six Music Films by Les Blank” featuring a six-film retrospective of the music documentaries of America’s greatest documentarian, Les Blank, at the Logan Theater. The films include: Ziveli! Medicine for the Heart (1987) and A Well Spent Life (1971) on Friday, April 13 at 7pm; Spend It All (1971) and Dry Wood (1973) on Saturday, April 14 at 5pm; and Dizzy Gillespie (1965) and Always for Pleasure (1978) on Saturday, April 14 at 9:30pm. Les Blank will be in attendance for all screenings.


    •    Three shorts programs: Shorts Program 1: Variety Is the Heart of CIMMfest featuring Two Sisters, Audiogram, Heart of Rhyme, Mo Kenny’s “Eden,” and Below New York at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 1pm; Shorts Program 2: Roots-Rock Gods and Welshmen featuring Approximately Nels Cline, One Big Holiday, and a sneak preview of Joe Angio’s upcoming film Revenge of the Mekons at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 3pm; and Shorts Program 3: North and South of the Border featuring Narcocorrido and Hamac Caziim at Wicker Park Arts Center on Sunday, April 15 at 1pm.


    •    The Chicago Premieres of Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (Dir. Jesse Vile) at The Society for Arts on Friday, April 13 at 7pm, a documentary about legendary rock guitarist, Jason Becker, a child prodigy diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease who is still alive, writing music using his eyes; Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story (Dir. Tony D'Annunzio) at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 3pm, the story of The Grande Ballroom, the epicenter of Detroit’s rock music scene in the late ‘60s, told by the artists who helped create the legend; Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots (Dir. Mark Ford) at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 7:15pm, a feature length documentary executive produced and narrated by hip hop legend Snoop Dogg that captures the connection between the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 and rap music; The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best (Dir. Ryan O’Nan) at the Logan Theater on Saturday, April 14 at 7:15pm, a multihyphenate road trip about Alex, a pathetically down-on-his luck singer-songwriter, who hits the road with a self-described “musical revolutionary”; Fluchkes (Dir. Ofer Inov), a feature documentary about an inspiring group of women artists in their 70’s who refuse to let age get in the way of their art at The Society for Arts on Sunday, April 15 at 1pm; One Night Stand (Dirs. Elisabeth Sperling & Trish Dalton) at the Logan Theater on Sunday, April 15 at 1pm, a documentary about the 24-hour musical festival in New York, featuring Rachel Dratch, Roger Bart, Nellie McKay, and Cheyenne Jackson; and more!


COMPETITION
For the fourth year, most films will be up for competition, with awards given to the Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Fictional Feature, Best Short Fiction, and Best Music Video. The esteemed jury consists of: Allison Anders (Filmmaker, Border Radio, Gas Food Lodging), Keirda Bahruth (Filmmaker, "Bob and the Monster", Best Doc at CIMMfest'11), Warren Cohen (Executive Producer, VH1 Rock Docs), Jon Langford (Artist/Musician), Marty Lennartz (WXRT Radio Personality), John McNaughton (Filmmaker, Mad Dogs and Glory), Dave Watson (MusicFilmWeb), and Irvine Welsh (Author, Trainspotting).


FESTIVAL TICKETS & VENUES
Single tickets are now on-sale and priced at $7-$10; most special events are $15. Concerts are priced by the venues. Tickets for all screenings and events are available at www.CIMMfest.org.

Festival venues include: Debonair Social Club (1575 N. Milwaukee), Double Door (1572 N. Milwaukee), Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia), The Logan Theater (2646 N. Milwaukee), Rodan (1530 N. Milwaukee), The Society for Arts (1112 N. Milwaukee), and Wicker Park Arts Center (2215 W. North Avenue).

The 2012 CIMMfest is sponsored by the DePaul School of Cinema and Interactive Media.

ABOUT CIMMFEST
The mission of the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest) is to highlight the crossover of film and song through the production of an annual four-day, multi-venue festival in the city of Chicago. Ultimately, we strive to shed light on the interconnectedness of all people, around the world, shown through the lens of music and moving image, both recorded and performed live. All of the films screened at CIMMfest have music at their center: short and long form documentaries and narrative fiction; concert films; animation; music videos, along with related performances and concerts, art exhibits and panel discussions, presented at historic and famous venues around Chicago. Operating as a non-profit organization, we mean to provide a platform for filmmakers and musicians to present their vision and a connection point for like minded artists, directors, producers, fans, and aficionados to come together for a celebration of movies, music, and great times in the greatest city on earth -- Chicago! For more information or to get involved visit www.CIMMfest.org. CIMMfest is a 501C-3 organization.