Soldiers
In a time of political turmoil, a striking factory worker struggles to find sexual satisfaction. As unrest turns to violence, his desire takes him down an unexpected path.
The Ladies Man
Because of his salacious language, late-night radio advice-show host Leon Phelps, along with his sweet and loyal producer Julie, is fired from his Chicago gig. Leon gets a letter from a former lover promising a life of wealth, but he doesn't know who she is. Can Leon find his secret sugar-mama? What about Julie?
Sam Wants Her Sweater Back
Three queer friends launch a half-witted heist to steal back a sweater from one of their exes. But recovering from heartbreak isn't quite the slick-lit, neon-noir adventure one of them imagines.
Prom King
The Prom King goes on a journey of self discovery.
For Those That Lived There
Amidst the ivy-draped remnants of once-notorious public housing projects, FOR THOSE THAT LIVED THERE weaves a visual tapestry, navigating the poignant impacts of gentrification, the displacement of Black legacies, and the emergent migrant narratives. Against Chicago's ever-evolving skyline, this evocative exploration immerses audiences into the soul of a neighborhood transformed.
Do You Wanna Dance?
A dance instructor is sentenced to community service teaching the elderly to dance at a church, where he also falls for a rich parishioner’s daughter.
All the Broken Flowers
When an underachieving writer spontaneously hosts his former best friend on a layover, he is forced to grapple with their complicated past and confront the faults in his own relationship.
Rough on Rats
Rough on Rats is inspired by the real-life crime story of “Tillie Klimek, the Black Widow of Chicago. With a body count that rivals Richard Speck and John Wayne Gacy, Tillie dispatched 20 husbands and lovers by feeding them hearty soups and tasty candies laced with arsenic.“
Blowfish
A drifting young high school dropout gets himself employed at a suburban fish store, where he decides to steal a rare and valuable pufferfish that will help him start his life afresh. In his efforts to sell the precious item to a wealthy collector, the scheme begins to deteriorate into paranoia, dangerous situations, and unhealthy relationships. When faced with the results of his dishonesty, he must confront himself and understand the true consequences of his actions.
Chicago in the Spotlight: A Retrospective with the Cast and Crew
Stars, director and producers of Chicago (2002) are interviewed about the film with a decade of hindsight.
House Music: A Cultural Revolution
House music is a genre that connects, uplifts, and unites people. It resonates globally and is prevalent on the world’s biggest music stages. Born in Chicago, this sound developed during the turbulent 1970s when a group of predominantly gay Black artists, who faced constant harassment, pioneered a new type of dance music at underground venues. House music became the anthem of safe spaces, free from the racism and homophobia of the outside world, ultimately igniting a cultural and musical revolution.
Things Are Tough All Over
Amid the Great Recession of 2008, a Chicago family struggles to keep their heads above water. Nicole and Rodney Neal draw on the power of faith, family and friends as they cling to hope.
Share the Care
An anti-littering public service announcement from the Chicago Park District
When the West Side Burned
In the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968, chaos erupted on Chicago’s West Side. Grief turned into anger as protests, riots, looting, and fires consumed some neighborhoods. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available.
Crust Fund Pizza: The Motion Picture
This documentary short profiles John Carruthers' Crust Fund Pizza project, which slings alley pizzas for the benefit of the people who make Chicago a better place to live. Benefiting a variety of local nonprofits, since August 2020 Crust Fund Pizza has raised more than $115,000–fueled by word of mouth, social media FOMO, and Chicagoans’ obsession with all things pizza.
Becoming a Rose
This Rose will forever be Chicago Red.
The Boss and the Bulldozer
Chicago mayor Richard J. “Boss” Daley had a lofty vision for Chicago’s downtown. Over the course of his 21 years in office, Daley’s ambitious urban renewal initiatives were the foundation of the city’s infrastructure and at the same time displaced the poor and people of color while perpetuating racial segregation. Audio-narrated descriptions are available.
Fired-Up! “Public Housing is My Home”
Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) introduces tenant management into Chicago Public Housing at Cabrini Green, Ida B Wells developments. Bertha Gilkey worked with tenets. Seen nationally on PBS.
The Rise and Fall of the Mail Order Giants
In an age before online commerce and Amazon, the catalog was king – and two Chicago mail order giants were responsible for making goods and services accessible to the masses. Chicago Stories traces the histories of Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward and the rivalry between the two bold innovators who founded them and forever changed the way we shop. Audio-narrated descriptions are available.
My Christmas Valentine: I Forgot Christmas!
Everyone in the town of Yuletide, Arizona celebrates Christmas year-round. Everyone, that is, except town scrooge Penelope Roche Duplossier. But when a freak coconut bonking accident on New Year’s Eve wipes Penelope’s memory of Christmas, a local reporter helps her discover the true magic of the season.