Loosening the Knots: Madison Young on “By the Roots”
After seeing Chicago’s BDSM community turn out in huge numbers for a euphoric preview screening of Harry Lighton’s acclaimed movie “Pillion” earlier this year, it’s clear that Madison Young’s equally riveting film, “By the Roots,” is destined to be embraced by audiences in the Windy City. On the heels of her own brilliant debut feature, […]
Two Ends of Reality: Martha P. Nochimson on “Quantum Screens: Nonlinear Universes in Film and Television”
As I spent twelve hours in the hospital last week, waiting for my dad to recover from his long-belated knee replacement surgery, I found a liberating mode of escapism in devouring author and professor Martha P. Nochimson’s latest marvelous book, Quantum Screens: Nonlinear Universes in Film and Television. On the basis of its delicious theories […]
Transitioning Together: Amy Jenkins and Adam Sieswerda on “Adam’s Apple”
As someone who was born four decades ago, any fragments of home movie footage that exist from my childhood—most of which was recorded on a cumbersome camcorder borrowed from my aunt—are priceless. Thanks to the new millennium’s technological advancements, people born within the past quarter century can have the entirety of their evolution from child […]
Slamdance 2026: Jessica Barr and Ryan Simpkins on Their Stunning Single-Take Film, “The Plan”
The sun is just beginning to set as the twenty-something characters in Jessica’s Barr’s mesmerizing new film, “The Plan,” start to congregate in an East LA apartment. The calmness of the setting gradually proves to be deceptive, as the mounting tension within these friends—particularly Evan (Ryan Simpkins)—threatens to erupt. With the helicopter blades of an […]
Sundancing on My Own: My Four Extraordinary Days in Park City
Sundance has always been a festival I had admired at a distance. How Robert Redford had gone about using his platform to launch the careers of countless filmmakers for over four decades had always left me in awe. So many of my favorite films had premiered at Redford’s festival nestled in the snow-capped mountains of […]
Being Fully Present: Alicia Witt on David Lynch, “Longlegs,” Her New Concert Tour and More
A longtime holiday wish of mine will be granted this month when I finally get to see one of my favorite actors perform in person. As part of her “Spending Christmas” tour, Alicia Witt will be putting on a holiday concert at Evanston SPACE, featuring tunes from her wonderful album, “I Think I’m Spending Christmas […]
A Call for Peace and Human Connection: Hikari on “Rental Family”
As I sat in my favorite movie palace, the Music Box Theatre, waiting for my wife—Cinema Femme founder Rebecca Martin—to arrive for that evening’s eagerly awaited Chicago International Film Festival screening of Hikari’s “Rental Family,” I overheard the woman next to me mention her plans to see my all-time favorite film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” […]
Look for the Signs: Christy Salters Martin and Lisa Holewyne on “Christy”
I went into David Michôd’s biopic “Christy” knowing nothing about its titular boxer. I knew I would be interviewing the film’s real-life subject, Christy Salters Martin, the following morning, and was delighted to see her in attendance at the press screening. She was accompanied by her wife, Lisa Holewyne, who had formerly been her adversary […]
Kick Out the Conventions: Agnieszka Holland on “Franz,” “The Secret Garden” and More
With the 61st Chicago International Film Festival nearly in the rearview mirror, there are so many memories from the past several days that I know I will be cherishing for years to come. Yet the one that stands above them all is the half-hour I got to spend last weekend speaking with one of the […]
It Was All a Miracle: Embeth Davidtz on “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight”
I was ten years old when Danny DeVito’s euphoric screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel Matilda arrived in theaters. I had read the book so many times that the cover had fallen off, and in the character of Miss Honey, I found an embodiment of all the teachers who had been an invaluable, nurturing […]
A Profound Experience of Rewriting: Eva Victor on “Sorry, Baby”
As annoyed as I was about Barry Jenkins, one of the greatest filmmakers working today, recently helming a prequel to the worst Disney remake in history, the Oscar-winning director of “Moonlight” has also been helping launch some of the most exciting careers in modern cinema over the past few years. I’m thinking specifically of Charlotte […]
He Believed in Me: Sabrina S. Sutherland on Her Favorite Person, David Lynch
It’s difficult to put into words the gratitude I have for Sabrina S. Sutherland. The collaborations she forged with filmmaker David Lynch, particularly over the last decade, have transformed my life in ways I never could have anticipated. Sutherland executive produced Lynch’s 18-part masterpiece, 2017’s “Twin Peaks: The Return”—or as she prefers to call it, […]