Two local independent-film nonprofits, IFP Chicago and Full Spectrum Features (FSF), are partnering on a new initiative, Illinois Film Tour (IFT), with the intention of supporting diverse filmmakers and providing resources to underserved communities across the state. Funded by a $10,000 Multiplier grant from Illinois Humanities (IH), IFT enters a one-year pilot phase this spring, with Nicole Bernardi-Reis and Eugene Sun Park—president of the board of directors at IFP and the founder of FSF, respectively—cocurating the project.
For the pilot phase, Park says he and Bernardi-Reis will be reaching out to potential screening partners to discuss possible venues and the kinds of films they can screen that will excite and engage their constituencies. “At the same time,” he adds, “we’re willing to take some programming risks that challenge audiences and bring films into communities that may not otherwise have exposure to certain stories or viewpoints.”
“Beyond these existing relationships,” he continues, “we’re looking to work with venues and organizations downstate, and in other communities that fall outside the immediate cultural orbit of Chicago. We especially want to reach communities that don’t have film societies, independent movie theaters, film festivals, et cetera.”
In her role at IFP and as a documentary filmmaker, Bernardi-Reis says this is something she thinks and talks about a lot. “Film is a powerful cultural and economic driver in society,” she attests. “First off, film and television are some of the most powerful change agents in the world. Media not only reflects the world we live in, but it also shapes it. We have great potential as artists working in the midwest to tell stories that more accurately reflect the complexity and diversity of living in the United States in 2017, while also demonstrating our shared humanity.”
Bernardi-Reis agrees. “I’m also hopeful that some of these pilot programs will inspire filmmakers, or budding filmmakers, in those communities to feel supported and validated by the tour,” she says, “and that we’ll start seeing more new work through those new relationships.”
