2023 Films and Events

A time capsule of a year unlike any other, 2020 Chaos and Hope features a diverse group of individuals and renowned experts as they reflect on the year 2020. The film brings us face-to-face with the dramatic and emotional moments of the year – COVID-19, racial strife, political unrest, truth under fire, and increased economic disparity, all gathered into the perfect storm. Where do we go from here? It’s up to us to decide.

Art and Pep are the owners of the iconic Chicago bar Sidetrack. And they're also civil rights leaders who have been fighting for LGBTQ+ equality for decades; their activism focuses on their struggle to live and love freely. From being on the frontlines of the AIDS crisis to co-founding Equality Illinois, Art and Pep have been leading the fight all along, making Illinois one of the most progressive protectors of LGBTQ+ rights in the country. ART AND PEP is a look back at the long struggle for equality and the fight to love freely - and a look ahead at the work being carried on by a new generation of activists.

This film takes us on a tumultuous journey from the height of T. Rex mania in 1970s Liverpool to the present-day poignancy of what would have been Marc Bolan's 75th birthday. It captures the heady exhilaration of glam rock mania through the experiences of a group of over-excited kids from a local children's home before a devastating road accident changes their lives forever. Years later, still clinging to the adoration of her childhood idol, survivor Penny takes her best friend and fellow Marc Bolan fan to visit his shrine in London, where a chance encounter there catapults her back to the horror she had tried so hard to forget. Bolan's Shoes is a joyful celebration of seventies culture and brims with the energy of that vibrant era, but, like Marc Bolan's legacy, its retro glitter is dimmed by the tragic repercussions of that deadly road accident. Light-hearted comedy and supernatural chills abound in this inspirational story that explores the enduring legacy of childhood trauma and the life-affirming power of music.

A cook in his heyday, Camilo is now a worn-out fifty-year-old who works for a cleaning company. He is looking for a way to get back on track when an opportunity to rediscover his culinary passion finally presents itself. Everything is in place for this new beginning when Camilo receives a visit from his daughter Tania, with whom he has cut ties. She tells him that he is a grandfather and asks him to take care of her child while she undergoes her umpteenth stint in rehab. The arrival of this grandson will upset Camilo’s plans to get his own life back on track. There is a new beginning for him, but not the one he imagined.

On a blisteringly hot summer day, psychotherapist Ina notices something about her is amiss. But she doesn't have time to worry about it: patients are waiting at the practice, her daughter is threatening to move in with her father, her boyfriend wants to emigrate to Finland, and her self-centered mother is celebrating her 70th birthday. Ina wants to please everyone, but then a life-altering discovery changes everything.

Lakelands takes place in a small town in the midlands of Ireland – the sort of place where Gaelic football is religion and identity is defined by what one can do on the pitch. The film tells the story of Cian Reilly, a young Gaelic footballer who struggles to come to terms with a career-ending injury after a violent attack on a night out. At the same time, he begins a friendship with Grace, a nurse who is back in town to look after her ailing father. Cian tries to find meaning in other areas of life, but the pull from the team and pressure from the town is too strong. He soon finds himself risking it all by returning to football against the doctor’s orders and considering seeking retribution against his assailants. The film depicts youth culture in the midlands that hasn’t been seen in Irish cinema ever before.

A long-distance couple meet in a small town between them once a month in an attempt to save their relationship. Over the course of six months, they begin to lose grip on what they once had.

In filmmaker Maggie Contreras' directorial debut, five incredible women from around the world gather in Paris for "La Maestra," the only competition in the world for female conductors, to show the world the singular talent that unites them and which, for far too long, has been considered the pursuit of only men. Mothers, daughters, rebels, leaders – over four days, each take to the stage to compete: a mother of young twins from Athens, determined to show her kids anything is possible; a Ukrainian doing all she can to focus on her art and the competition in front of her while Russia invades her home country; a Polish student just starting out; a newlywed American grappling with the decision to start a family; and a French immigrant returning to the city that closed its doors to her many years ago. Personal stories of survival, passion, and perseverance are woven together with the drama and excitement of this one-of-a-kind event. The struggles and triumphs of the gifted artists in MAESTRA offer a microcosm for the challenges faced by women in every industry and in every walk of life today, while also providing valuable insights into how we may conduct ourselves as we create a new movement for a more equitable future.

When Randi is diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband Brian, a conservative Midwest family man, embarks on an extraordinary journey to boost her morale that turns into a homespun prosthetic nipple business. All while, they must fly under the radar of their friends, their church, and their five children.

In this coming-of-middle-age comedy, two brothers make a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles in order to move their somewhat estranged father into a retirement home.

An emerging crisis in one of the last remaining rainforests in Central America ignites a heroic mission in PATROL. When illegal cattle ranchers decimate large swaths of rainforest, indigenous rangers join forces with an American conservationist and undercover journalists to expose the dark world of conflict beef.

Discover the life and music of jazz luminary Ron Carter, the most recorded bassist in history. Filmed over the course of six years, Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes invites viewers to meet the gentleman behind the bass. Best known as the rhythmic force in Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet, Carter has since amassed more than 2,500 musical credits over a prolific six-decade career. His unmistakable melodies and timbre accompany the likes of Chet Baker, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Paul Simon, and A Tribe Called Quest. Carter approaches every challenge with immovable grace and dedication, even in the face of discrimination and great personal loss. The film reflects on his early rejection as a Black musician in the white classical canon and how that experience shaped his career. “No one is gonna tell me what I cannot do,” he states in the film. “They may tell me I can’t work there. They may tell me I can’t go in their front door. But they’re not telling me what I can’t do.” Carter’s adaptability contributed to the breadth of his innovation. He revolutionized the bass’s role in modern music and set an example for Black musicians across all genres. In a rare private moment, Carter shared, “As offensive as being called a colored boy is, there have been times when I have been glad to be called that. I played Carnegie Hall. And I got to Carnegie Hall being a colored boy. I can live with that.” Featuring original concert footage and candid interviews with jazz legends such as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Stanley Clarke, and newcomer Jon Batiste, Finding the Right Notes is a vibrant portrait of one of America''s great musical trailblazers. “He’s creating his legacy every day. I think he’s been doing that for a long time. Every bass player today, whether they know it, like it, or whatever, when you play jazz bass, there’s a bit of Ron Carter in everyone.” - Stanley Clarke, bassist “Playing with Ron, that was one of the dreams I had. I mean everybody knew he would be the next guy in line to be the top jazz bass player.” - Herbie Hancock, pianist “The beautiful thing about jazz and maybe about all music is that it lends to individuality. You can identify Ron if you hear some music for a few moments, you can listen: ‘oh yeah, that’s Ron Carter.’” - Sonny Rollins, saxophonist From seven-time Emmy Award-winning director Peter Schnall, “Through six extraordinary years of filming and traveling together, Ron never ceased to amaze me with his warmth and grace. This project pulled me into a world I knew very little about - yet who better to journey with through that world than one of the great gentlemen of jazz? Everyone has heard sir Ron’s music, now they can finally hear his story.”

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

After escaping a kidnapping, Meg travels with her husband, Scott, to his family’s isolated compound in Cape Cod. When they arrive, they discover they are not alone on the property. Scott’s odd aristocratic cousin, Madelin, is staying next door. Soon, Madelin’s presence is inescapable and Meg and Scott’s already fragile relationship begins to fracture. All the while, Meg is haunted by vivid nightmares, visions of an old woman in the woods, and a growing suspicion that Scott is hiding something.

A small town reels from the sudden and mysterious death of ''Feral Boy,'' a local legend since his discovery in the woods as a child. Father Moss, a priest with a loose grip on the faith, attempts to counsel the forlorn couple that raised the boy. As the answers are revealed, he finds parallels between this grisly incident and his own recurring nightmares, haunted in both sleeping and waking hours.

When filmmaker Alex Rappoport met then-79-year-old abstract artist Peter Bradley in the winter of 2020, Bradley hadn't sold many paintings, nor had he had a major show in over four decades - yet he still painted every day in a shipping container studio heated by a wood stove. Over time, the pair recorded Peter's fascinating story, seemingly overlooked in art history. Bradley was the first Black haute art dealer in New York - likely the first Black abstract artist represented by a major New York gallery - and curator of what is considered the first integrated modern art show in America. Talented, willful, and arrogant, Bradley lived life to its fullest - until he fell upon hard times in the 1980s that nearly ended his career. At once an intimate portrait and a deep study of the creative process, WITH PETER BRADLEY is situated entirely at the artist’s rural home and studio, and unfolds over the course of changing seasons. The sole figure on screen, Bradley narrates his life in a series of conversations: often provocative, sometimes bitter, and full of surprises. We meet the artist at a critical juncture - deeply committed to the expressive power of color, painting gorgeous pictures at a prolific pace, but without an audience to appreciate them. Despite this lack of recognition, the film is buoyed by Peter’s exuberant spirit and warm sense of humor.