Watchlist: Galentine’s Movie Marathon
The first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the phrase "February film series" might be focused on romantic relationships, however this year at FACETS we decided to do things a bit differently. In honor of the unofficial holiday Galentine's Day, celebrated on February 13th, FACETS is hosting a weekend dedicated to films about women's friendship. Whether you're a Galentine's expert or you've never heard of the holiday until now, we guarantee our slate of films for the Galentine's Weekend film series will keep you and your friends busy and entertained February 11-13, 2022. As a companion to
Playing the Long Game: Card Sharps and Pool Sharks
Writer and director Paul Schrader's newest film, The Card Counter, is showing in-person at FACETS February 4-6, 2022. For a double feature, we suggest another film where gaming is a form of confrontation: Robert Rossen’s, The Hustler (1961). THE CARD COUNTER DIRECTED BY PAUL SCRADER Celebrated director/screenwriter Paul Schrader returns to the cinema with The Card Counter, a film exploring two subjects he fixates on in his films and social media posts alike: masculinity and poker. Oscar Isaac plays William Tell, former soldier and current card sharp, a meticulous gambler making his living off of small scores traveling between casinos. After being pushed to
Watchlist: Reroute your Holiday Viewing
For FACETS’ December programming, we have a wonderful group of films that will screen in-person in early December. For more information about the screening schedules, check FACETS’ 2021 Programing Press Release. These films are your non-traditional holiday pictures that use the holidays as more of a backdrop to their stories. These directors made fantastic character-driven films that are more complex than your average run-of-the-mill Christmas story. These films go into depth about topics unrelated to the holiday season, but ultimately feel unique when the holidays are used as their framing device. For example, some make statements about the bigger picture
Staff Picks #2: Winter Watches
This month, we have been working hard to follow-up our previous watchlist of Staff Discoveries at FACETS. To continue our new tradition of our monthly Staff Picks, we’re including 10 films from staff members. This time, these picks come from the Customer Service Team and our chosen theme for this month is: “Films that take place during the winter season.” Each employee from the Customer Service department has reflected on experiences they have had with winter season films and each has chosen one of their favorites. We hope this list will comfort you during the holiday season, and that these
A Son: Exploring films of the Arab Spring
A Son directed by Tunisian filmmaker Mehdi Barsaoui screens at FACETS December 10-12 & 17-19, 2021. To buy tickets and learn more about the event check out our program listing on the FACETS website. Sami Bouajila earned a Cesar award for best actor for his portrayal of the father in A Son. As a film debut, A Son by Barsaoui creates a compelling narrative about a husband and wife at odds with each other after their son’s accident. A few months after the Tunisian Revolution, the Youssef family is vacationing in the countryside and they find themselves caught in an
Center Stage: An Exploration of Theater & Performance on Screen
Isabella, directed by Matías Piñeiro is a film that deals with a theater troupe and their staging of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure.” The main actress, Mariel (María Villar), is conflicted in her personal life. She turns to her brother and then his lover, Luciana (Agustina Muñoz), for financial support during tough times. Luciana is a more successful actor than Mariel, so she serves as a figure that keeps Mariel doubting her ambitions throughout the film. Luciana’s constant reappearances in Mariel’s life drives her further into doubt. Piñeiro jumps around in time, from days before the crucial audition, to Mariel’s life
Director Spotlight Series: Alternative Horror
FACETS' Alternative Horror Essentials series features directors who have challenged out collective notions of what a horror film can be. The series has been running all of October to sold out crowds! To learn more about the films playing and get tickets, click here. There is a certain safety in traditional horror films. When it comes to those formulas that we expect, as well as the tropes and conventions that we are comfortable with, horror is a genre that can comfort its audience while simultaneously terrifying them. When we think of horror, one may think of 80s and 90s slasher
Identity and Alienation: Exploring the Toronto New Wave
Anne at 13,000 Ft. premieres in-person at FACETS (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.) on September 17th, 2021 after an 18 month hiatus. This film explores some of what we all have come to feel through the COVID-19 pandemic, a longing for meaning after isolation. In honor of reopening and the Chicago Premiere of Canadian director Kazik Radwanski’s film, we at FACETS would like to begin by going through a brief history of the Toronto New Wave and the movement's films of past and present. Often, as film enthusiasts, when we think “New Wave” our minds jump to the Nouvelle Vague, or what
What’s New at FACETS?
We here at FACETS are pleased to announce we will be fully reopened September 17th and are so eager to welcome you all back in-person again! We will be announcing our opening film Friday, September 4. In the meantime, enter to win 10-free cinema tickets to redeem when we reopen here. Thanks to the help of all who supported our ReOpening Soon Campaign, we raised over $50,000 and are coming back better and stronger than ever this fall. Because of you, our dedicated patrons, members and supporters, we raised nearly double our initial goal of $30,000 and have been able to
Watch “Festival Faves” Under the Stars at Lincoln Yards’ Movies on the Lawn Series
FACETS will be presenting “Festival Faves” at Lincoln Yards’ Movies on the Lawn, an exclusive outdoor screening series featuring some of our new & retro favorites from the film festival circuit. Get your tickets here. With the 2021 Cannes Film Festival having just wrapped up in France, film once again took center stage in the mainstream media coverage. Although that baton has now been passed over to the Olympics, we were collectively reminded just how and why these celebrations of film are so important. Marking its 74th anniversary, the Cannes Film Festival has thrived in 2021’s information-driven, often dizzyingly fast-paced world. But how? Simply put, film festivals have an amazing ability to reinvent and reimagine the art form of cinema through the celebration of great introduction of new artists and films. Like FACETS and our local community here in Chicago, film