The typical showbiz story begins with a cue to exit: Young, aspiring producers move to Los Angeles or New York City, hoping to see their films go up in the country’s biggest lights. But as high-profile industry players, film schools and independent filmmakers thrive locally, Chicago’s scene is rewriting the script. To build their own Midwestern film capitol, Chicagoans are bringing the biz back to the place they’ve called home.
Early this year, news of a Wachowski Brothers building project in Chicago generated some excitement in the local film scene. The directing duo, responsible for the Matrix trilogy and recently-released Speedracer, began converting a building on the western border of Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood into a post-production facility. The facility, at 5645 N. Ravenswood, was meant to be used during the post-production phase of Speedracer. “The Wachowski Brothers are Chicago natives, and they’ve decided to come back and build a space to work on their films,” says Richard Moskal, director of the City of Chicago’s film office, which works to attract all forms of visual media production to the city. “It’s a great thing that filmmakers of this caliber have chosen to use Chicago; for the amount of time that they spend on high-tech computer elements in their films, it’s obvious that a post-production facility will be important.”
Although the Ravenswood building is still under construction – Speedracer opened in theaters on May 9 – the Wachowski Brothers’ plan remains part of a trend toward big-name film in Chicago. Scenes from The Dark Knight, the latest in the new Batman series, were filmed in Chicago. And the July 2008 release of the film will only increase the city’s buzz. Moskal’s office is responsible for connecting Chicago with the film production industry, and he knows the importance of Chicago natives building their home scene. “Natural Chicagoans have been loyal about returning,” he says. “People have been pretty adamant about coming back and saying, ‘I want to make a movie in Chicago.'” To prove this, he cites returning personalities like Vince Vaughn, Andy Davis, and the Wachowski Brothers who have all worked on their films in and around the city.
Mainstream films connected to Chicago also help the community get involved with the industry’s process. According to Ryan Jewell, managing director of Cinema/Chicago, The Dark Knight will have “a red carpet gala event” in Chicago the night after its New York premiere, with Christopher Nolan, the film’s director, at the IMAX theater. “Events like that are fun for the city,” Jewell says. “People enjoy seeing their city on screen and the big events surrounding the films, and whenever we do those things we get tons of local extras who come to see themselves.”
Big industry moves to Chicago can also boost independent film production. “The higher-level production helps to raise all boats,” says Elizabeth Donius, executive Director of the Chicago Independent Feature Project. “You want decent tax exemptions, over-the-top locations – which we have – and you want trained crews,” she says. “One of the keys is to have a decent infrastructure.” And when it comes to meeting those criteria, “Chicago is in a great place to be really competitive,” she says. “The tax exemptions are critical; you’re not in the game if you’re not competing.”
Moskal agrees that Chicago’s tax exemptions, which started in 2004 but took greater hold in 2006, place the city in a growing fiscal competition. “The state of Illinois gives tax credits to filmmakers who use any local industries in their production. Whatever industry it may be that they draw from, 20 percent of the taxes go back to the filmmakers,” he says. “The bottom line is that Illinois is offering a financial incentive to attract the film industry to the city.” And Illinois is by no means the only state offering incentives. “Chicago competes aggressively with cities around the country from New York, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and with other countries,” Moskal says. He adds that Canada used to be extremely competitive, and drew a lot of the film industry. But now even Canada is facing international competition from countries like New Zealand, the Czech Republic and Romania, among others.
And, as Donius says, “At the end of the day, production moves around based on the tax incentives.” But such incentives can’t build a local industry on their own. In April 2008, Michigan raised its film tax incentives to a very high 40 percent. Much of the Midwestern industry has temporarily moved to Michigan, but, says Donius, “It won’t help forever.” It’s necessary to put permanent, sustainable measures in place to maintain the tax incentives cause in local filmmaking, he says.
Professionally trained crews are another asset to Chicago’s local infrastructure. “You need trained crews so the tax incentives don’t just go to flying experienced people out from L.A. or New York when you’re shooting in Chicago,” Donius says. Chicago’s film schools contribute their graduates to the local industry, and their students help create a culture of film in Chicago. Columbia College, which has the nation’s largest film school, The School of the Art Institute and Northwestern contribute resources to help to build this infrastructure. “Columbia College film school graduates feed a growing community of Chicago filmmakers who have chosen to make their careers here,” Moskal says.
Students also contribute to the film festivals that bring moviemakers from all countries and genres to show their films in Chicago. According to Moskal, Chicago has 28 film festivals, spanning several genres. And, whether large, like the Chicago International Film Festival or the Chicago Latino Film Festival, or small festivals, Moskal says they all contribute to a community that appreciates film as “an art and an industry.” “Film festivals and film schools are creating a natural network for new filmmakers who may want to produce their films in Chicago,” he adds. “That builds up a creative and technical infrastructure in the city that’s important to us to be able to host the industry.”
Jewell, whose organization presents the Chicago International Film Festival, agrees that working with students and community members is important to increasing appreciation for all types of film. “Festivals are more about discovering new work and films that don’t get distributed in the U.S.,” he says. “Festivals get everyone excited, and kick-start interest in upcoming films.” Cinema/Chicago is currently working to plan its Cineyouth festival, scheduled for June 20-21, which will showcase the work of filmmakers under 20 years old. They received more than 250 submissions divided amongst 100 categories to compete for the festival’s awards. “Such a vibrant film student community adds the younger element to what we do,” Jewell says.
Part of the film festival atmosphere, says Donius, is making sure there are spaces for audiences to see films with more challenging content. The Chicago Independent Feature Project helps independent filmmakers develop their projects, and get their films seen by audiences. “There’s work to do in building a general audience for independent film, which asks more of a viewer in its content and its format,” she says. However, Jewell says Chicago venues are more willing to cooperate with the film industry than many other big cities. He points out the importance of having available venues to expose the public to film. Art-house theaters, like Chicago’s Landmark theaters, work with film festivals to increase film culture all year-round. “Not only does the City of Chicago nurture and foster art, but there are great venues for cinema here,” Jewell says. “Other cities are limited to corporate chains that aren’t necessarily as cooperative.”
But even with festivals and cooperative theaters in the city, Donius says it’s important for Chicago filmmakers to realize they are in a community outside the industry they’re working in. “You just need to be doubly smart about how the business works and educate y
ourself about what kind of work interests people in the industry,” she says.
So for now, Chicagoans dedicated to getting their films produced can work to make connections with local institutions and with the rest of the industry located on the coasts. “It’s easy to fall into a vacuum here,” she says. “Being in N.Y. or L.A., you’d absorb more of the way things work through daily life or day jobs. Here in Chicago, you have to be more entrepreneurial about knowing who to talk to and who you should show your work.”
Donius admits that the industry is undoubtedly larger in New York or Los Angeles, “but that doesn’t mean there’s no industry here.” she says. “If you want to work in film, the advantages are it’s cheaper here, less insane and the community is more supportive.” With the continued efforts of this supportive community, and both independent and mainstream industry movers-and-shakers, Chicago’s film industry could grow to put its own name in lights.
