Host – Ray Pride (Film Critic)

Ray Pride is senior editor and film critic at Newcity, contributing editor at Filmmaker, and photographer/author of the forthcoming book Ghost Signs of Chicago.

Special Guest – John McNaughton (Director)

John McNaughton grew up in Chicago and graduated from Columbia College, Chicago, with a degree in film production and still photography. After a long line of various jobs, McNaughton found work in commercial film and video production, before making a deal with fledgling video company, MPI, to distribute his first documentary, Dealers in Death. Two years later MPI funded, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, his first feature. After watching Henry, Martin Scorsese hired McNaughton to direct Mad Dog and Glory for Universal Pictures, starring Robert DeNiro, Bill Murray and Uma Thurman. Since then, Mr. McNaughton has worked continuously directing feature films, TV pilots, episodic television, documentaries and occasionally, live theater. 

Special Guest – Steve A. Jones (Producer)

Steve grew up in Brooklyn New York and was educated at The Institute of Design at The Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Design, majoring in Animation. After being a director of animated TV commercials for many national clients such as Cap’n Crunch and McDonalds, he teamed up with director John McNaughton to produce the controversial Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer which was nominated for 6 Independent Spirit Awards. The collaboration with Mr. McNaughton continued, creating both Studio and Independent films including Mad Dog and Glory, Normal Life, Wild Things, and The Harvest.