Teresa Moore is a Chicago-based filmmaker, entrepreneur, and actor and co-founder and executive producer of Film in a Bag Productions, a video production company founded by five filmmakers dedicated to storytelling and sustainable creative work. She is also a comedian, commercial voiceover and actor, and member of the Alliance of Women Directors. Moore co-hosts the Urban Pebble Podcast with Adam Rebora, exploring independent filmmaking in Chicago and the creative journeys of filmmakers.
Through Film in a Bag’s ambitious 12 for 12 project—12 films in 12 months—Moore and her collaborators are challenging themselves creatively while building connections with Chicago-area artists, businesses, and communities. In this interview, she discusses the company’s origins, the 12 for 12 project, and why she believes Chicago is a filmmaking destination in its own right.
Could you talk a little bit about how Film in a Bag Productions got started, what inspired you to start it, and what the mission is?
Film in a Bag Productions was started by five filmmakers. The inspiration was really to create a company that would let us practice our craft and make art while also allowing our love of filmmaking to support us.
A lot of people get into film thinking, “I hope I can support myself someday.” We were like, “All right, let’s see if we can, friends. Let’s do this.” We wanted to bring all of our different artistic qualities together and see if that was viable as a business while still allowing us to make art with the people we love working with and meet new people.
Can you talk a little bit about your team members?
Adam Rebora and I co-founded the company, and then Daniel Mashburn, Nick Cartwright, and Austin Millet joined us. All five of us are co-owners and equals.
Adam and I met doing improv and discovered that we also loved acting. We spent about 10 years working through our own little film collective, writing, learning, and making things. He’s done a lot behind the camera, while I’ve worked both in front of and behind the camera, mostly producing.
Every person brings something really special to the table, with a distinct artistic identity and way of expressing themselves. We’re powerful together, but each person is also a wonderful artist in their own right. We feel very lucky.
And what would you say is the mission?
The mission is really about making art. Can we make art that lifts everybody together and sustains us?
The special thing is that you’re not getting some cookie-cutter template. You’re getting artists who care about what they’re producing. Storytelling is our bread and butter.
If you think about how most businesses sell themselves, they’re telling a story. So who would you trust with your story? You come to the storytellers. That’s where we slot in.
The corporate work has been really rewarding, and it hasn’t been devoid of art because everything we’re approaching is storytelling-focused. Building the company has been a really big journey and, not going to lie, a challenge.
Can you talk about the 12 for 12 project?
The 12 for 12 is 12 films in 12 months. We made it up as a structuring tool for our year, but what’s been lovely is that it’s given us direction.
Each of us writes and directs a couple of the films, and we’re all trying to make everybody’s visions come to life. I might source locations and direct one film, script supervise another, and produce a third.
We’ve gotten a lot of locations through the business relationships we’ve developed. It’s essentially, “Can we tell this story in your space? Do you like it? Great. Then we’ll tell the story there.”
We’ve had a lot of community involvement because of that. We’re making art in these businesses’ spaces, not advertisements, but they’re just as excited about it. They get to see their location in a film, have some say in the process, and sometimes even appear in the credits.
The 12 for 12 was originally envisioned as a marketing tool for Film in a Bag, but it’s also an excuse for us to play. It’s become a really lovely way to connect with the community.
Each film also gives us an artistic challenge. Everyone brings a different idea to the table—special effects, unusual camera work, new storytelling techniques. We have one film where the actors wrote the script through a Meisner process and another that’s an adaptation of something written years ago but completely reimagined for a new location and cast.
There’s a huge variety because everybody is bringing something different.
Are you planning to release the films on YouTube or distribute them through festivals?
Every film gets released on YouTube, but we don’t want that to be the last step. We’re looking at film festivals and potentially the American Film Market. We may use some of these films as proof of concept for features, package them as an anthology, or even tour them as an anthology.
We’re also interested in screenings at some of the locations where we filmed. For example, we filmed at the Wings and Wheels Museum in Poplar Grove, which has an event space. It would be great to screen the film there and bring together everyone from the surrounding community who helped make it happen.
We’re trying to make the 12 films, but we’re also trying to tell the story of the project through behind-the-scenes content. We’ve bitten off quite a lot, and there are only five of us.
Can you talk about some of the individual films you’ve done?
The first film I did this year was “Crossword Clues,” which takes place at the Wicker Park Inn. It’s about a spy who shows up for her first day of work and starts discovering things about her workplace and the people she works with. She begins having second thoughts, and you watch the story evolve.
I also have “Corpse Pose,” another spy story. I had originally written the script years ago for a different location, but the production fell apart when the camera stopped working on the day we were supposed to film.
I loved the story, so I rewrote it for the Hairpin Arts Center in Logan Square. One character overlaps with “Crossword Clues,” so if you’re paying attention, you can see that the two spy stories connect.
We also had to combine a yoga class with spy tension. Two spies are trying to kill each other while everyone else is doing yoga. It sounds like a comedy, but it’s actually a drama.
Were there any other projects you wanted to touch on?
There are so many. We started the year filming three back-to-back in January at Book Club Chicago. One of them, “Deja Vu, “was also filmed at the Wicker Park Inn and has gotten a lot of views on YouTube.
We recently released “Dead and Breakfast,” filmed at Ray’s Bucktown B&B. We took a memorable character from a previous 48 Hour Film Project film and gave him his own story. Ben Bishop stars in it.
We also have “Source Connection,” a darker, thoughtful piece that leaves you wondering what the characters are protecting and whether everyone is safe.
Then there’s “Spa Day,” which we filmed at Self-Care Spa and Lounge. It’s about a guy who gets a spa gift certificate from work but is so nervous about the experience that he keeps trying to leave and won’t stop talking—the exact opposite of a spa experience. Eventually, he has a great time.
We’ve really lucked out with our locations and community connections. Two business owners have even appeared in our films. If you’re donating your space, you want to be proud of what we can make there, too.
Chicago has a strong filmmaking community and DIY spirit. What are your feelings about filmmaking here?
When I first came to Chicago, I thought I’d eventually go to New York or L.A. I thought Chicago was a stopover city. Now I think Chicago is the destination.
We have excellent talent and people with incredible technical skills. We have all the tools. What we’re still building is infrastructure, and I think that’s the challenge.
But I love it here. We’ve made films in the middle of winter and the middle of summer. The weather isn’t really the issue. You can walk any distance if you have the time, and you can be outside if you have the right clothes.
This is home now. The biggest draw is the people I’ve met and the people I get to build with. We have wonderful, creative people who are so willing to give.
Networking has shown me that we can make things that are fantastic here. We can have airplanes in movies. We can have school buses. We can have inns with exceptional character. We have all these spaces, places, tools, and people who want to help and be part of it.
I’m very proud to be here in Chicago. I feel very lucky, and I’m really happy to be here. I think this is the place to be.
