Crafting Real Stories in Sound — The Artistic Journey of Yuxin Lu
Cinema Femme had the opportunity to speak with sound designer and composer Yuxin Lu. Based in Chicago, Yuxin is a dynamic and multidimensional audio artist whose journey spans continents and disciplines. Before they ever opened a DAW or built a soundscape, they trained as a classical pianist performing across Europe and the U.S. That musical […]
Honoring a Trailblazer: Dr. Christine Houston and the Origins of 227
When 227 premiered on NBC in 1985, it was more than just a new sitcom—it was a cultural moment. Centered on the lives of a middle-class African American family, the series offered warmth, humor, and authenticity at a time when such portrayals were scarce on primetime television. With over 18 million weekly viewers and a […]
Behind the Chair: Kala Bradford on Barbershop Culture, Community, and Creativity
Cinema Femme sat down with Kala Bradford—filmmaker, creative strategist, and founder of Media Maven Studio—to talk about her upcoming event, Behind the Chair: Cross-Industry Event will take place on Saturday, September 27, at Kinowerks in Chicago. Rooted in her documentary series The Executive Barber, the project celebrates the cultural power of barbershops and expands into […]
In the Direction of Healing: Kat Blade, Danyelle Monson, Jordan Rivers and Cara Winter on “Cottage Grove”
Sometimes the most meaningful interactions can take place in the unlikeliest of locations. Consider the central relationship in George Ellzey Jr.’s riveting short film, “Cottage Grove,” between a young man, Emmanuel (Patrick Agata), and his father, Senior (Sean Blake), who has suffered a stroke. The film’s action takes place primarily in the parking lot of a […]
Chicago local Brittani Ward on her feature debut “Single Car Crashes”
I had the opportunity to speak with Brittani Ward about her feature debut “Single Car Crashes.” The film is produced by Chicago indie powerhouse Angie Gaffney. The film stars Trevor Morgan, Lindsey Morgan, Paulina Olszynski, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Chris Lee, Billy Dec, Charín Alvarez, and Billy Zane. Just like the women behind the camera stood out […]
The Liberation of the Work: A Conversation with Jada-Amina, Lead Curator of Black Harvest Film Festival
I’ve been fortunate to interview some of the up-and-coming female programmers who have come out of Chicago. Earlier this year, I spoke with Imani Davis, who now is a programmer at the American Cinemateque in Los Angeles. Last week, I talked to a poetic soul, and the new lead curator of the Black Harvest Film […]
Video Interview: Chicago Spotlight award-winner Margaret Kellas on her film “this is not the morning i thought i was going to have”
Margaret Kellas, director of the short “this is not the morning i thought i was going to have,” is the recipient of the 2023 Cinema Femme Short Film Fest Chicago Spotlight Award! Chicago Spotlight Award: Awarded to a Chicago-based filmmaker recognized for the exciting work they are doing in the Chicago filmmaking community. Chosen by […]
Filmmaker Colette Ghunim heals and perseveres with “Traces of Home”
I’ve known Colette Ghunim for a while now through her previous leadership with Mezcla Media Collective, an organization that “ensures women and non-binary filmmakers of color can actively participate in Chicago’s bustling media production scene”. Likewise, Colette is the co-director (along with Tinne Van Loon) of “The People’s Girls” (2016), a short documentary that explores […]
Introducing ‘The Call Sheet,’ a new magazine devoted to elevating emerging voices in film
Working closely with Chicago’s creatives, The Call Sheet magazine takes you behind the scenes on the filmmakers of today. Through this unique partnership between two of the city’s femme-led film organizations Cinema Femme and Camera Ambassador, our magazine will spotlight some of the raw and powerful talent emerging from the current filmmaking landscape! Chicago femme-led […]
ChiFilmFest 2022: Interview with Mercedes Kane about her doc “Art and Pep” that elevates the Chicago LGBTQIA+ community
Buy your tickets: https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/art-and-pep/ Cinema Femme kicks off its 2022 ChiFilmFest coverage by speaking with filmmaker Mercedes Kane about her doc “Art and Pep”. We talked about why this film is so important, especially now as our government has been stripping away some of our progressive laws. Also, there has not been a lens like […]
Clare Cooney makes her directorial feature debut with “Departing Seniors”
To deem a filmmaker as scrappy is the highest compliment. Clare Cooney continues to evolve in her many abilities as a filmmaker and artist, and has always has embodied the essence of the term “scrappy.” Her evolution over the past years is making her more in demand as a filmmaker. Her friend Jose Nateras came […]
A Look Back: The Women of Wakanda
The message of “Black Panther” is that the potential and influence of women must not be ignored or discounted. From the strategic actions of Nakia as an undercover spy and refugee saviour on a personal mission who will not abandon her calling, to the knowledge centre of Shuri, who has the final words of the film when she says to the injured Westerner Sergeant Barnes, “Come, there is much more for you to learn,” all the women excel as examples of depth and variety of the Black woman.