Chicago Filmmakers mission is to foster the creation, appreciation, and understanding of film and video as a medium for artistic and personal expression and for important social and community impact. This non-profit, formed in 1973, strives to provide an opportunity for artists to make films outside the mainstream marketplace, to distribute and exhibit this work, as well as to build audiences and to increase media attention for it. Recognizing the impact of mass media in contemporary society, it is additionally their goal to provide culturally diverse audiences with alternative images to those reflected in mainstream media and to broaden access to media education to include those typically left out of the process. Chicago Filmmakers provides the following services:

Education<br>
Chicago Filmmakers offers low-cost, college-level classes in film & video pre-production, production, and post-production. The quarterly line-up features classes such as Screenwriting, Directing, Developing the Documentary, Digital Cinema Production, Motion Picture Cinematography, Final Cut Pro Editing, and DVD Authoring, among others. The diverse group of adult-learners enjoy hands-on instruction in a relaxed atmosphere and build skills that they can apply immediately toward their own productions. Chicago Filmmakers also offers youth and teen workshops and summer camps in digital video production, and their youth produced movies have been featured at both national and international screening venues.

The Co-op<br>
The Chicago Filmmakers Co-op provides low-cost access to 16mm and digital video production and post-production equipment, offers its members discounts at labs and sound studios, on filmmaking supplies and publications, and reduced rates for Chicago Filmmakers classes and workshops. Membership is $50 per year and is open to any filmmaker working on an independent, non-commercial project.

Fiscal Sponsorship<br>
Chicago Filmmakers provides fiscal sponsorship services for selected projects each year, enabling filmmakers to raise funds for their film productions through Chicago Filmmakers’ non-profit tax-exempt status.

Exhibition<br>
Chicago Filmmakers presents weekly programs in a variety of formats, such as thematic series’, festivals, juried shows, open screenings, regional shows, traveling tours, one-person shows, retrospectives, and multimedia programs. Chicago Filmmakers is one of the few exhibition venues in the city of Chicago that regularly features short works, and maintains a tradition of presenting artists in person as often as possible to discuss their work with the audience.

The Distribution Project<br>
The Distribution Project of Chicago Filmmakers is one of the few outlets in the country for the distribution of short films. The collection includes over 600 titles of independent films and videos that are distributed to universities, museums, cinemas and other venues throughout the country and abroad. The collection is particularly recognized for its award-winning animated films; it is also strong in experimental work, including films by many well know avant-garde artists.

Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival<br>
The mission of Reeling is to celebrate and increase the awareness of lesbian and gay culture by providing an affirmative showcase for the work of lesbian and gay film and video makers. The second oldest festival of its kind in the world, Reeling has become one of the most significant cultural events for the gay and lesbian communities in Chicago. Approximately 150 films and videos are shown each year, including features, documentaries, experimental shorts, and animation. Reeling just completed its 27th edition in November, 2007. Find out more at http://www.reelingfilmfestival.org/.

Staff List<br>
Brenda Webb, Executive Director<br>
Stacy Barton, Director of Education and Filmmaker Services<br>
Gail Marlow, Reeling Development Director

Reference: The Chicago Filmmakers Articles of Incorporation (1976 Chicago, IL), the Chicago Filmmakers Coop Manual (2003 Chicago, IL), and Chicago Filmmakers website at http://chicagofilmmakers.org/