By Fiona Good-Sirota By Fiona Good-Sirota | June 6, 2024 | Lifestyle,
A24's A Different Man
Windy City film buffs can skip a trip to Park City, Utah, and still get a taste of the Sundance Film Festival—without leaving Chicago. From June 28 to 30, the local cinema scene welcomes the inaugural Sundance Institute x Chicago 2024 screening series. The programming features a curated lineup of four feature films from the January 2024 Sundance Film Festival and panel discussions with local and international filmmakers, including Sundance Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez, Chicago-based filmmaker McKenzie Chinn, Jonah Zeiger of the Chicago Film Office and more.
“Chicago’s dynamic cultural scene is an ideal backdrop for this special collaboration with the Sundance Institute,” says Rich Gamble, interim president and CEO of Choose Chicago. “We are proud to partner with the City of Chicago and the Sundance Institute to produce a new, only-in-Chicago experience that celebrates diverse storytelling and supports our brilliant local community of filmmakers.”
Luther Vandross, Luther: Never Too Much
Director Dawn Porter’s biopic on singer and producer Luther Vandross, Luther: Never Too Much, will kick off the Sundance Institute x Chicago 2024 screening series on June 28 and 29. With a cast of Hollywood titans, including Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey and Patti LaBelle, the film follows the Grammy award-winning artist’s career and documents the highs and lows of his personal life.
Julian Brave NoiseCat's Sugarcane
Sugarcane, the breakout film from writer, activist and director Julian Brave NoiseCat, is next to premiere on June 29 and 30. The documentary investigates missing person cases and examines abuse allegations involving Joseph’s Mission residential school near the Sugarcane Reservation of Williams Lake in British Columbia.
A24’s black comedy and psychological thriller A Different Man also debuts to Chicagoans on June 29 and 30, brought to life by acclaimed director and screenwriter Aaron Schimberg. In it, an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis (Adam Pearson) receives reconstructive facial surgery and becomes fixated on the man who portrays him in a stage production (Sebastian Stan).
Caroline Lindy’s Your Monster
Caroline Lindy’s directorial debut, Your Monster, screens June 29 and 30. The dark romantic comedy follows actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) as she discovers an unsightly yet endearing creature under her bed.
“We are honored to invite the Chicago community, in a city known for its deep appreciation of the arts and culture, to experience a taste of the Sundance Institute for a few days next month,” says Eugene Hernandez, festival director and head of public programming at Sundance Institute. “We’re excited and looking forward to engaging with emerging artists and film lovers from Chicagoland and beyond through screenings, workshops and speaking programs.”
Chicago is the first U.S. city to host an independent artist and film weekend in partnership with the Sundance Institute outside of Park City, Utah, host of the renowned Sundance Film Festival. The event will take place at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Logan Center for The Arts and the Davis Theater, developed in partnership with Choose Chicago, the Chicago Film Office and advisory board members.
“On behalf of the 44 members of the Chicago Alliance of Film Festival (CAFF), we are extremely grateful for this meaningful support from the Sundance Institute and Choose Chicago,” says Karen Cardarelli, executive director of Facets Multi-Media and a representative of CAFF. “These funds will be redistributed to member organizations through a regranting process. The much-needed support will help our members further CAFF’s collective goal to enhance the cultural and economic vitality of our communities.”
Additional information regarding the Sundance Institute x Chicago event, showtimes, programming and ticket sales can be found here.
See also: The Ultimate Guide To Chicago's Magnificent Mile
Photography by: A Different Man, Sebastian Stan, photo credit Matt Infante; Luther Vandross, photo credit Matthew Rolston; Sugarcane, Julian Brave NoiseCat competes at the Kamloopa Powwow in Canada, Credit Emily Kassie, Sugarcane Film LLC; Your Monster, starring Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey, photo credit Will Stone