Austin Powers Star Himelstein Headlines May 3rd Premiere of
The Midwest Independent Film Festival (MWFF)
CHICAGO – AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER star and 18-year old Buffalo Grove native Aaron Himelstein will be presenting the Midwest Premiere of his haunting dramatic short, SUGAR MOUNTAIN, at the inaugural Midwest Independent Film Festival (MWFF), on Tuesday, May 3rd. This gala event will be held at Chicago’s beautiful Landmark Century Centre Cinema Theater, 2828 North Clark.
Himelstein, who is currently a regular on the CBS drama, JOAN OF ARCADIA, describes his short as being “essentially about how we are forced to grow up as we age and the way we never quite let go of our innocent, childhood years. But never the less, there is always a moment when we have to grow up and let go of our teddy bears. For some it’s much too early.”
Program highlights include a visit from Eightball Films director Morocco Vaughn, who will be on hand to present his music video, HIGHER (from Chicago rap legends Do or Die featuring Grammy winner Kanye West) and a rare film interview with John Landis, from D.P. Carlson’s doc, CHICAGO FILMMAKERS ON THE CHICAGO RIVER.
Formerly Chicago Community Cinema, The Midwest Indie is a monthly film event dedicated to showcasing emerging directors, powerful artistic visions, and strong cinematic stories from the eight-state Midwest region. These exceptional films combine with an exciting social atmosphere and state-of-the-art screening venue to create one of the premier festivals in the Midwest. For more information, please visit http://www.midwestfilm.com.
On Tuesday, May 3rd, the pre-screening reception begins at the Landmark Theater, 2828 North Clark, at 6 pm. Then join host Mike McNamara as our inaugural program begins promptly at 7:30 pm. Post-screening reception will be held at Monsoon, 2813 N Broadway, http://www.monsoonchicago.com.
The inaugural lineup for The Midwest Independent Film Festival:
MIDWEST PREMIERE: SUGAR MOUNTAIN. Filmed in Indianapolis by Buffalo Grove, IL native Aaron Himelstein (Austin Powers, Joan of Arcadia), SUGAR MOUNTAIN is the haunting story of a tortured teenager who desperately wants nothing more than to have his friend back. The film stars Luke Eberl (Planet of the Apes, Cold Case) and Christopher Marquette (The Girl Next Door, Joan of Arcadia).
MUSIC VIDEO: HIGHER. From Chicago rap legends Do Or Die, featuring Chicago producer and Grammy winner Kanye West. This piece was directed by Morocco Vaughn of Chicago’s Eightball Films, who will be on hand to present the video and field questions from the audience.
ANIMATED SHORT: THE CLAN. Loving dangerously. A hilarious flash animated short from director George Eckart, featuring Dan Bakkedahl and Celeste Pechous.
FILMMAKER INTERVIEW: JOHN LANDIS. Chicago Filmmakers on the Chicago River from D.P. Carlson reviews the careers of movie makers indigenous to Chicago. This month’s featured interview is with BLUES BROTHERS director John Landis.
STUDENT FILM: MINDY. A touching 16 mm film from graduate student Ai Lene
Chor and cinematographer Fred Miller.
