Upcoming Networking Events and Other Opportunities!

July 2015 Chicago Creatives Cocktail Party Hosted by IFP/Chicago - July 28th JULY CHICAGO CREATIVES COCKTAIL PARTY HOSTED BY IFP/CHICAGO July 28, 2015 5:30-7:30pm Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL  60654 Join us for a happy hour (or two) of networking with members of Chicago's film, television, and new media production community. Admission is free-of-charge for this networking event... Read more IFP/Chicago Member Screening Series IFP/Chicago kicked off our first Rough Cuts Session screening on July 8, at  Tribeca Flashpoint Academy with IFP/Chicago member Nathan Deming's short film "Crazy." A screening of the film was followed by a discussion and critique with other IFP/Chicago members. These discussions benefit not only the filmmaker, but all present as we engage with each other and learn from one another. We will be kicking off our Member Screenings of completed work on August 17, at 6:00PM at the Chicago Cultural Center. This event is free and open to the public. Stay tuned for more details. Have a project for us to consider?  CLICK HERE to tell us about your project.  You must be a current IFP/Chicago member to participate.  Not yet a member or need to renew?  CLICK HERE to join or renew right now. 23rd Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival Dates and Call For Submissions Announced! The 23rd edition of the Chicago Underground Film Festival will be returning to the Logan Theatre June 1-5, 2016, for another year of screenings, parties and conversations. Call for submissions opens July 15.  Submit your film through Film Freeway,                                                                    Withoutabox, or at www.cuff.org.  IFP/Chicago members receive 50% off regular submission fees to the Chicago Underground Film Festival. Email kbyrne@ifpchicago.org for more information. Save The Date! August 31 - IFP/Chicago will be having a Fall Kick-off and Fundraising Party at Lagunitas Brewing Company. There will be food, drinks, entertainment and more! Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information! Discounts for IFP/Chicago Members to the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival July 19-26, 2015 The Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival (BWiFF), kicks off Sunday, July 19th for its sixth year with its Blue Carpet Opening Night at the Star Cinema Grill in Arlington Heights at 7:00 pm.  IFP Chicago members get $2 off regular ticket prices at the door. Just present your IFP Chicago member card at purchase. More details on the festival, the full schedule and program can be found online at www.bwiff.com.  IFP/Chicago Member Profile: Mike Houlihan, Irish American Movie Hooley Mike Houlihan Mike Houlihan of the Irish American Movie Hooley How long have you been a member? I have been an IFP member, on and off, since 2005. Why did you join IFP? I joined IFP to connect with not only the Chicago filmmaking community but to avail myself of the many resources IFP makes available to members. What does it mean to you to be a filmmaker in Chicago? How does Chicago inform/influence your work? Chicago plays a role in every film I make, all of them have been shot in Chicago, beginning with my first feature, Tapioca, which we shot on the streets of Chicago in 2006. I'm a very proud Irishman from the Southside of Chicago and I was shaped by the neighborhood I grew up in, my Southside pals from high school and my ever expanding family of friends and artists here in Chicago. Other than the dozen years I spent in New York City acting from 1973-85, my entire career has been here in the great city of Chicago. What projects are you currently working on? I'm currently working on The First Annual Irish American Movie Hooley, a film festival I have founded with my company, Hibernian Transmedia NFP and the Gene Siskel Film Center. I encourage all IFP members to submit their Irish American films for potential premiere with our festival in September. More information on the Hooley festival is available at http://hiberniantransmedia.org/movie-hooley/. Send me your movies! Hibernian Transmedia also produces a couple of Irish American radio shows each week in Chicago, The Skinny & Houli Show on WCEV 1450AM and The Houli's Hooley on WSBC 1240AM, broadcasting every Saturday and also available by podcast. I continue to co-host The Skinny & Houli Show every week on WCEV 1450AM every Saturday from 3-4PM and podcast at http://skinnyhouli.com. I also have a few film projects in development through Hibernian Transmedia. I'm working on a book right now about my work with the Chuy Garcia Campaign for Mayor last winter, which introduced me to a multitude of Chicago political characters. I hope to have the book, "Get the Money, My 82 Days on the Campaign Trail in Chicago," out by the end of this year. I've been a columnist for the Irish American News since 1996 and continue to write my column, Hooliganism every month in that paper and online at www.mikehoulihan.com. What was the last movie you saw? The last movie I saw was "One for the Ditch," a very funny documentary by Paddy Hayes about irrepressible Irishman Mike Malloy, who survived over twenty attempts on his life in depression-era New York. He's the Rasputin of the Bronx. One for the Ditch is under consideration to premiere in Chicago this September at the First Annual Irish American Movie Hooley.   Call for entries for the Irish American Movie Hooley are open until July 31. Submit here: http://hiberniantransmedia.org/movie-hooley/ Member News We want to hear from you! Current IFP/Chicago members, please let us know what you are working on, any casting calls, screenings and other news by emailing info@ifpchicago.org. Irish American Movie Hooley September 25-28, 2015 Call for Entries open until July 31! We are out to discover the next John Ford, Ed Burns, Preston Sturges, John Huston, or John Patrick Shanley, i.e.; Irish American filmmakers who epitomize Irish American pride, bravado, and legendary storytelling. More info and how to submit at  http://hiberniantransmedia.org/movie-hooley/ Hurry, final deadline is July 31st and we want to see your films! Elevated Films Launches 2015 Summer Roof Top Series - Premieres PEOPLE PLACES THINGS at Lincoln Park Whole Foods Elevated Films, The Film Arcade, and Whole Foods launch the 2015 Summer Roof Top Film Series. The outdoor film series will kick off with the premiere of the Sundance selected PEOPLE PLACES THINGS at 7:30 PM, on Wednesday August 5, at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Garage Rooftop located at 1550 N. Kingsbury in Chicago. Read more... Member Benefits Being a member of IFP/Chicago has its perks! Movie Magic Screenwriter and Dramatica software are available for purchase to IFP/Chicago members for only $99 each.  If you would like to purchase one or both of these software packages, please send an email to info@ifpchicago.org to receive the promo code for purchase. This offer is good through the end of August! Our friends at Fandor are giving current IFP/Chicago Members a 50% discount for a one-year subscription of their streaming video services. Current members, please email info@ifpchicago.org to receive the discount code.  2015 Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival Free Guest pass to the 2015 Hell's Half Mile Film and Music Festival for all IFP/Chicago members! To receive a guest pass, please send an email to kbyrne@ifpchicago.org. Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival takes place September 24 - 27, 2015, in Bay City, Michigan. MAXIMUM SCREENWRITING SEMINAR SPECIAL OFFER FOR IFP MEMBERS On Sat. July 25-Sun. July 26, Chicago Screenwriters Network (CSN) presents Jeff Schimmel's Maximum Screenwriting seminar at Loyola University (Rogers Park campus).   As a courtesy, CSN will extend to IFP Chicago members a 20% discount on the standard $289.00 registration fee (i.e., the same discount that CSN annual members receive). Email kbyrne@ifpchicago.org to receive the discount code. The deadline for this discount is 11:59pm Monday, July 13th. Not yet a member or need to renew?  CLICK HERE to join/renew today! IFP/Chicago's Fiscal Sponsorship Program  IFP/Chicago's Fiscal Sponsorship program was created to assist members applying for these funding opportunities. Additionally, this arrangement enables individuals to take contributions to sponsored projects as charitable contribution deductions on Federal tax returns.     Click here to download our current application.    To participate in IFP/Chicago's Fiscal Sponsorship program, you must be a current member of IFP/Chicago.  Not yet a member or need to renew?  CLICK HERE.  Questions?  Email us! Get involved! Volunteer for IFP/Chicago! Independent Filmmaker Project Chicago (IFP/Chicago) is currently looking for volunteers and interns to be a part of building Chicago's independent film community! Help IFP/Chicago continue to grow, and get hands-on experience with event coordination and staffing, office admin and website management, social media management, and much more! Become a volunteer! Sign up here for more information. New and renewing members! We'd like to welcome (and welcome back) the following members:   Jason Culver, Erica Duffy, Tony Green, Thomas Haigh, Lei Dede Johnston, Susan Linker, Jack Puisis, Laurie Rosenow, Dane Shubert, Logan Stone, Ben-Hur Uribe, and Kat White IFP Chicago members get a bevy of benefits including free and discounted admission to events, vendor discounts and much, much more!  Click here to become a member today!   The Documentary Summit Postponed until October 3-4, 2015