IFP/Chicago Hosts Chicago’s Hippest Film Event of the Year

CHICAGO (June 12, 2008) – IFP/Chicago announces it’s 2nd Annual Independent Film Gala will be held on Friday, September 19th, 2008 at Primitive (130 N. Jefferson, Chicago, IL 60607). The evening will begin with a VIP reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by regular admission at 6:30 p.m. Last year’s event brought together over 300 industry guests, including our Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Robert Townsend, and raised over $70,000 in support of the valuable mission of IFP. Harold Ramis will serve as the Honorary Gala Chair this year. The emcee and honorees for the 2008 Independent Film Gala will be announced on the IFP website at chi.ifp.org in the coming weeks.

In addition to food, drinks and entertainment, there will be both silent and live auctions. The 2007 Independent Film Gala’s live auction items included such items as a walk-on role in the new Harold Ramis film, The Year One, starring Jack Black; a trip to New York City that included tickets to ’The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ with hotel and airfare for two; two all-access passes to the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival, including tickets to opening and closing night films; and two tickets to the Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Reception with hotel and airfare for two. There was also a ‘split the pot’ raffle in which ticket the winner took home $5,000! This year’s auction items will include bigger and better items to be announced throughout the summer.

All proceeds will go to expand IFP/Chicago’s services and programs, including the highly-regarded Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF), the intensive Producers’ Workshop Series, the Production Fund Short Film Grant, and the two-time Emmy-winning Summer Production Mentorship Program, which adds a second school this summer, doubling its size. This program takes students through the script-to-screen process of producing a short film that they write, direct and edit themselves, and has been a huge success, garnering several awards, including the two national Student Emmy’s, a cover story in the Chicago Tribune, and most importantly, new skills, confidence and dreams of the future for the underserved participants in the program.

IFP/Chicago is equally thrilled to announce it is assuming control of the “defiantly independent and deliberately scandalous” (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune) Chicago Underground Film Festival. The festival’s mission is to support and promote innovative films and videos that dissent in form, technique, or content from the ‘indie’ mainstream and to create a community for makers and audiences of adventurous work that entertains, pushes boundaries, challenges viewers and transcends expectations. CUFF has long been a benchmark of Chicago’s cultural scene, bringing the independent film and music worlds together for a five-day gathering of the young, creative, counter-cultural audiences in Chicago.

To date, the 2008 Independent Film Gala sponsors include Master Transcription, Eastman Kodak Company, Flashpoint Academy, Primitive along with Media Partner, NBC5. The extraordinary Host Committee for 2008 includes Roger and Chaz Ebert, , Bob Borchardt, Thea Flaum, , Mike Foster and Kat White. For more information about sponsorship, joining the Host Committee or becoming a part of the 2008 Independent Film Gala please contact Colleen O’Neill, Director of Development, at coneill@ifp.org.

About IFP/Chicago
IFP/Chicago is a non-profit organization committed to the idea that independent film is an important art form and a powerful voice in our society. We provide resources, information and avenues of communication for independent filmmakers, industry professionals and independent film enthusiasts in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. We encourage quality and diversity in independent production and assist filmmakers at all levels of experience in realizing their unique vision.