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, […]
Sundance 2026: “The Moment,” “The Gallerist,” and “Run Amok”
Whether a creator or observer, one’s relationship with art dictates a host of qualities: values, ambitions, fantasies, etc. That umbrella term – art – can be composed of so many practices, each with their own idiosyncrasies and standards. The three films outlined in this dispatch dissect the arts (music, fine art, and theater) as mirrors […]
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 […]
Patti Vasquez brings representation onstage and behind the mic
Patti Vasquez is a renaissance woman: She’s the host of “The Patti Vasquez Show” on Chicago’s WGN Radio, a stand-up comedian, and the founder of With Kind Words, a consulting company for health care providers. Patti brings her passion and love for people into her comedy, her radio show on WGN, and her writing. I […]