Submissions for Beyond Chicago are now open through FilmFreeway, inviting filmmakers from around the globe — especially those from Chicago, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes region — to bring their wildest, weirdest, and most uncompromising visions to screen with one of the nation’s most passionate film communities.
“Since inception, Beyond Fest has existed in service of film fans and filmmakers that are obsessively passionate about film,” said Christian Parkes, Beyond Fest founder. “This passion isn’t something that resides exclusively in Los Angeles; for decades, Music Box Theatre has fostered and entertained some of the best audiences in the world. It’s going to be electric, having our worlds collide.”
Beyond Fest will bring to Chicago what it does best: high-energy premieres, stunning repertory screenings, iconic talent, and late-night discoveries, transforming the Music Box Theatre into a hub of packed houses, big reactions, and cinematic exuberance that can only be experienced in the communal setting of a movie theater. Championing both global and local cinema, Beyond Fest Chicago will showcase films that challenge, thrill, and unite, highlighting the full spectrum of our most electrifying art form.
“The Music Box has always been a home for bold, visionary cinema,” said Music Box Theatre Owner, Brody Sheldon. “Partnering with Beyond Fest means bringing that energy to a new generation of filmmakers and fans — the ones who make this city’s film scene the loudest, smartest, and most passionate in the country.”
Founded in Los Angeles in 2013, Beyond Fest is the highest-attended and most densely programmed genre film festival in the U.S., with its most recent edition drawing over 30,000 attendees and screening 95 features. Known for its boundary-pushing programming and in-person appearances from seminal filmmakers including James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, S. S. Rajamouli, Julia Ducournau, and Bong Joon Ho, Beyond Fest has built a reputation for fearless storytelling and ardent fan support — qualities that it's committed to bringing to Chicago.
Nestled in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood on Southport Avenue, the independently owned and operated Music Box Theatre has been the home for independent, foreign, and classic cinema since 1929. With its glowing marquee, historic main auditorium, and famously loyal late-night crowds, the Music Box stands as both a neighborhood landmark and a cornerstone of the city’s film culture.
Beyond Chicago is presented by Beyond Fest and the Music Box Theatre combining their shared mission to preserve, celebrate, and advance the cinematic arts.
Filmmakers can submit their work now via FilmFreeway (https://filmfreeway.com/BeyondFestChicago). The full lineup, guests, and special events will be announced in 2026.
For more information, visit beyondfest.com and musicboxtheatre.com
Do you Tik Tok? https://www.tiktok.com/@paulnomad
Instagram it up! https://www.instagram.com/paulnomad/
All the VIDS! https://www.youtube.com/user/IdleHandsBlog
No comments :
Post a Comment