Cine-Cast

(Mini) Episode #24 On this special episode of the Cine-Cast, co-managing editor Kat Sachs interviews filmmaker Ira Sachs in advance of his new film, PASSAGES, opening at the Music Box Theatre. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: www.cinefile.info/subscribe

Episode #23 On this special episode of the Cine-Cast, co-managing editor Kat Sachs interviews London-based non-fiction filmmaker Charlie Shackleton about his 2021 film THE AFTERLIGHT (82 min, 35mm), which screens Wednesday at 7:30pm, at Northeastern Illinois University, as part of the Chicago Film Society's new season. Sachs and Shackleton chat about TikTok, what makes this a particularly unique screening, and why the print's first real scratch will be a rite of passage. This event is the essence of Crucial Viewing—it’s a singular film-going experience that you're unlikely to encounter again. Preceded by Paul Weiland's 1991 short MR. BEAN GOES TO A PREMIÈRE (6 min, 35mm), selected by Shackleton from the Chicago Film Society's collection. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: www.cinefile.info/subscribe

Episode #22. In anticipation of the "Highs and Lows" series starting February 12 at the Music Box (which comprises eight double features of a lowbrow movie paired with an art film), Cine-File editors Ben and Kat Sachs talk high and low cinema with series programmers Will Morris and John Dickson (who's also a Cine-File contributor). The discussion topics range from Robert Bresson to '90s teen comedies, with considerations along the way of critic Robin Wood, programmer Henri Langlois, and the 1980s work of Francis Ford Coppola. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: www.cinefile.info/subscribe

For episode #21 the whole gang is together to discuss everything worth discussing about the year in film that was 2021. Films covered: NORTH BY CURRENT - 02:05 OLD - 09:20 ZEROS AND ONES - 16:25 ZOLA - 26:50 SPENCER - 34:35 WEST SIDE STORY/TICK TICK BOOM - 42:40 MEMORIA: 1:05:45 WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY/DRIVE MY CAR - 1:20:55 Misc Films - 1:36:05 POWER OF THE DOG - 1:39:45 More Misc Films - 1:52:00 Participants include: Cody Corrall, John Dickson, Megan Fariello, Marilyn Ferdinand, Jonathan Leithold-Patt, Ben Sachs, Kat Sachs, Michael Glover Smith, and Drew Van Weelden. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: www.cinefile.info/subscribe

To kick off Episode #20 of the Cine-Cast, Associate Editor Ben Sachs talks with contributors John Dickson and Steve Erickson about a wide range of new releases and upcoming revival screenings. The conversation touches on everything from Fritz Lang's RANCHO NOTORIOUS (screening on 35mm at the Music Box Theatre the first weekend in October) to James Wan's MALIGNANT (now playing in general release), then settles into a far-reaching discussion of WIFE OF A SPY, the first period piece by Cine-File favorite Kiyoshi Kurosawa (that film opens at the Gene Siskel Film Center on September 24). Next, Associate Editor Kathleen Sachs and contributor Megan Fariello interview experimental filmmaker Jennifer Boles about her short THE REVERSAL, which will play on a loop on the limestone wall of the McCormick Bridgehouse and River Museum on the Chicago Riverwalk on the night of September 30. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: www.cinefile.info/subscribe

With Episode #19 of the Cine-Cast, we celebrate the reopening of one of our favorite venues in Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center! The episode begins with a conversation between Associate Editor Ben Sachs and contributors Edo Choi, Megan Fariello, and Marilyn Ferdinand about one of the movies playing this month at the Siskel, ANNETTE. Sure to be one of our favorite films of 2021, ANNETTE marks the long-awaited collaboration between French director Leos Carax (THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE, HOLY MOTORS) and American songwriters-turned-screenwriters Ron and Russell Mael. The podcast continues with an interview between Megan and the Siskel's new Director of Programming, Rebecca Fons. They discuss the reopening process, how film exhibition has adapted during the pandemic, and the exciting upcoming programming available through the Siskel.

Episode #18 of the Cine-Cast opens with associate editors Ben and Kathleen Sachs and contributors Megan Fariello and Josh B. Mabe discussing all things VHS, from the democratization of cinephilia to TikTok filters. Next, contributors Mabe and Raphael Martinez chat with filmmaker Joe Swanberg about his new VHS rental pop-up operating out of Borelli's Pizza on Lawrence Ave. Finally, in a "Friends of Cine-File" segment, contributor Marilyn Ferdinand interviews her longtime partner Shane Truax about his experience working in a video story and his reminiscences of the medium. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com Sign up now to receive Cine-File's Cine-List via email every Friday: https://www.cinefile.info/subscribe

Episode #17 of the Cine-Cast opens with Associate Editors Ben Sachs & Kathleen Sachs discussing the new Golden Bear winning Iranian film by Mohammad Rasoulof, THERE IS NO EVIL. Next, contributors Megan Fariello & Josh B Mabe chat with Music Box Theater's operations manager Kyle Cubr about the ups and downs of the movie theater business during the pandemic, and shares the theater's reopening strategy and very exciting upcoming programming. Finally, in a new closing segment to the podcast, we chat with a friend of Cine-File to discuss a recent film they watched that they want to share with you! Sharon Gissy, the organizer of the Mental Filmness film festival (mentalfilmness.com) comes on to discuss Chantal Akerman's radical musical THE GOLDEN EIGHTIES. Don't forget to read the Cinefile Cinelist every week at www.cinefile.info The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

Episode #16 of the Cine-Cast finds us talking about movies about talking! To begin, Associate Editor Ben Sachs and contributor John Dickson reflect on some new and old movies available to Chicagoans in early May before delving into MALMKROG, a divisive, 200-minute philosophical gabfest written and directed by Romanian New Wave stalwart Cristi Puiu and which has been available to stream on MUBI.com for the past month. (Ben also wrote about it for this week's Cine-List—see below.) Next, Ben joins contributors Scott Pfeiffer and Michael Glover Smith to discuss Éric Rohmer's final film cycle, the Tales of the Four Seasons, which was recently restored by Janus Films and has been available to rent through the Music Box Theatre for several weeks. This wide-ranging discussion addresses not only Rohmer's late period, but also his evolution as a filmmaker, his pioneering work as a film critic, his days as a schoolteacher, and his mysterious private life. Don't forget to read the Cinefile Cinelist every week at www.cinefile.info The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

For Episode #15 of the Cine-Cast, some members of the C-F gang (Associate Editors Ben and Kathleen Sachs, contributors John Dickson and Megan Fariello) have a long talk with New York-based critic Scout Tafoya, author of a new critical study of horror director Tobe Hooper (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, POLTERGEIST, LIFEFORCE). The conversation touches on nearly every phase of Hooper's storied career, with a focus on the artistry that directors can smuggle into disreputable cinematic material. But before the group talks Hooper, we round up some notable recent arthouse releases (Sky Hopinka's MAŁNI, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese's THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT'S A RESURRECTION) and delve into the current blockbuster GODZILLA VS. KONG. Don't forget to read the Cinefile Cinelist every week at www.cinefile.info The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

Don't forget to read the Cinefile Cinelist every week at www.cinefile.info Episode #14 of the Cine-Cast is all about the Chicago Latino Film Festival! To start, Associate Editor Ben Sachs speaks with contributors Megan Fariello and Marilyn Ferdinand about this year's line-up, with each participant recommending some of their favorite films on the slate, before reflecting on the festival as a whole. Then, Ben and fellow Associate Editor Kathleen Sachs interview CLFF founder and executive director Pepe Vargas about the history of the festival, the programmers' criteria for selecting films, and what viewers can learn from the festival about Latino culture. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

Last month in Cine-File's Cine-List (www.cinefile.info), contributor Scott Pfeiffer recommended John Huston’s THE DEAD, thereby setting off a long, spirited email conversation about Huston's career between several of our writers. On Episode #13 of the Cine-Cast, we continue that conversation in audio form, as Pfeiffer, fellow contributors Edo Choi, John Dickson, and Marilyn Ferdinand, and Associate Editor Ben Sachs delve into Huston’s work, critical reception, and legacy. But first, Sachs and contributor Megan Fariello discuss a few recent online releases of note, focusing on one of our favorite new movies of the year, Ephraim Asili’s THE INHERITANCE (which is currently available for rent through the Gene Siskel Film Center).

Cinefile (www.cinefile.info) is pleased to revive our no-longer-dormant Cine-Cast with this very special Episode #12! To start, Associate Editor Ben Sachs and contributors John Dickson and Megan Fariello talk about recent virtual screenings of note hosted by Chicago venues. Then, Sachs and Dickson interview legendary independent filmmaker John Sayles, who is currently partnering with the Gene Siskel Film Center to discuss five personally selected films of his every Monday night in March. This wide-ranging conversation covers Sayles' early work as a screenwriter for such genre directors as Lewis Teague and Joe Dante; some of his aesthetic choices as director; his curiosity about how different regions of the U.S. influence how people talk; and his longstanding interest in Chicago history. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

On episode #11 of the Cine-Cast, Cine-File contributors take it on the road with this remote-heavy edition. On this episode, contributor Marilyn Ferdinand discusses filmmaker Patrick Wang and his upcoming film A BREAD FACTORY, playing at the Gene Siskel Film Center (April 12-17) and Block Cinema (May 4), and contributor Michael Metzger interviews filmmaker Nellie Kluz at the Onion City Experimental Film & Video Festival. Engineered by contributor Harrison Sherrod. Produced by Mabe and Sachs. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

On episode #10 of the Cine-Cast, associate editor Kathleen Sachs and contributor John Dickson discuss the upcoming Christian Petzold matinee series and the Harmony Korine retrospective at the Music Box Theatre; Sachs, Dickson, and contributors JB Mabe and Alexandra Ensign chat about the Onion City Film Festival, taking place March 21-24, and the Chicago European Union Film Festival, starting Friday, March 8 at the Gene Siskel Film Center and going through April 4; and, finally, all the participants discuss the 91st Academy Awards. Engineered by contributor Harrison Sherrod. Produced by Mabe and Sachs. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

On episode #9 of the Cine-Cast, contributor Harrison Sherrod chats with fellow contributor and local filmmaker Rob Christopher about Christopher's upcoming documentary, ROY'S WORLD: BARRY GIFFORD'S CHICAGO. Associate editor Ben Sachs and contributor Alexandra Ensign cover the upcoming Chicago Film Society and Doc Films calendars. And, finally, Sachs, Ensign, Sherrod, and contributor JB Mabe discuss their favorite films of 2018. Engineered by Sherrod. Produced by Mabe and associate editor Kathleen Sachs. The introductory theme is by local film composer Ben Van Vlissingen. Find out more about his work here: www.benvanv.com

Black Harvest FF & Bergman & COMPUTER CHESS & Experimental Film (w/ Casey Puccini) by Cine-Cast

On episode #5 of the Cine-Cast, Cine-File associate editor Ben Sachs and contributor JB Mabe talk about the upcoming Ingmar Bergman series at the Gene Siskel Film Center; Ben and contributors Kyle Cubr, John Dickson and Dmitry Samarov discuss the Doc Films summer schedule; Mabe interviews Raul Benitez, film programmer for Comfort Film at Comfort Station Logan Square and lead programmer for Chicagoland Shorts Volume 4 for Full Spectrum Features; and Ben and contributor Harrison Sherrod chat about the Bill Gunn films GANJA & HESS and PERSONAL PROBLEMS, as well as cult-classic LIQUID SKY, all of which played at the Film Center in June. (The new restoration of PERSONAL PROBLEMS in now available for purchase on DVD/Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.) As always, special thanks to our producer, Andy Miles, of Transistor Chicago.

On episode #4 of the Cine-Cast, Cine-File associate editors Ben and Kat Sachs get the party started—banter ensues between the married critics; contributor JB Mabe interviews Chicago Underground Film Festival programmer and artistic director Bryan Wendorf about the upcoming festival (June 6-10), now in its 25th year; associate editor Kat Sachs interviews local filmmaker and all-around delightful human Lori Felker about her new film, FUTURE LANGUAGE: THE DIMENSIONS OF VON LMO, which is the closing night film at CUFF (Sunday, July 10 at 8:30pm); associate editor Ben Sachs and contributors Kian Bergstrom and Kyle Cubr discuss the "Stanley Kubrick: The Filmworker Series" at the Music Box Theatre, during which Ben tells a joke about Kubrick that you won't want to miss. As always, special thanks to our producer, Andy Miles, of Transistor Chicago.

On episode #3 of the Cine-Cast, Cine-File associate editors Ben Sachs and K.A. Westphal discuss recent releases and screenings they're looking forward to at the Chicago Film Critics Film Festival; Sachs and contributor John Dickson chat about the Philippe Garrel series at the Gene Siskel Film Center; contributor JB Mabe interviews the new Pick-Laudati Curator of Media Arts at the Block Museum of Art at Northwest University, Michael Metzger—they talk about upcoming programming and the direction Mike is taking within the Chicago film community; and contributor Kyle Cubr interviews Chicago Film Society co-founder Julian Antos about their new season. As always, special thanks to our producer, Andy Miles, of Transistor Chicago.