The Filmscape Reverie

By: Maria Cieslarczyk

The Sunday morning of June 30^th , I was lucky enough to attend a Sundance Film Institute x Choose Chicago partnership event that took place right in my city. The program included panels and Sundance Film Festival screenings all weekend long throughout Chicago (from Friday, June 28 – Sunday, June 30).

The panel I specifically went to was called “The Sundance Institute Artist Programs Presentation,” in which guests learned about the various programs the acclaimed organization offers every year for aspiring and current artists (writers, directors, producers, etc.).

Additionally, there was an invigorating Q&A session that followed, with award-winning Chicagoan filmmaker (actor, writer, and director) McKenzie Chinn, whose standalone short film A Real One was a Sundance-supported feature.

The short film centers on a bright teenager from Chicago’s South Side who learns the power of true friendship during her last year of high school. After a year-long nationwide film festival run, Chinn’s film has won the 2023 Chicago International Film Festival’s GOLD HUGO award in the Live Action Short Film category, and has also qualified for consideration for the 2025 Academy Awards.

Chinn spoke of her experiences – first as an actor who attended DePaul University’s grad school program, then to her transition to a new form of storytelling during the pandemic: screenwriting and film.

I found it absolutely inspiring to not only be able to attend such an event…but also feel connected to many other local filmmakers and artists apart of the media and entertainment community. The event allowed for creative connection and education on what other Chicago-based film organizations were up to. Apart from cute freebies, my hand was getting tired from scribbling my email address on as many organization email sign-up lists as I could muster.

Oftentimes, I find myself feeling isolated from the writing and film community as I am based in the Midwest rather than more well-known areas of the industry (such as LA or New York City). I usually attend virtual events or make a trip. However, this event made me realize that not only is the city of Chicago bustling to the brim with exciting talent…the city is also working strenuously to encourage artists to band together and utilize local resources to continue to expand the industry, starting at the heart of our hometown.

I felt not only pleasantly surprised, but also extremely grateful for the work that the city is doing…one of these being partnering with the legendary Sundance Institute! I learned so much about the different programs, projects, and qualifications needed to apply or participate in such offerings. Seeing names of stars I know and love who participated in the Sundance programs in the past – like Taika Waititi and Quentin Tarantino – only added to the exciting atmosphere of possibility.

The event opened my eyes to many things. Two of these revelations are that 1.) there is such a growing vibrant film community within my own city, and 2.) the grit it takes to pursue art in its visionary form is something that connects us all.

My main takeaway from the event? Passion never dies. It may slow down, yes; or face what may feel like impossible road blocks, also true. Hell, it can even feel like we put our dreams on pause. Projects take time, life happens, and it can get tricky to balance what you love with what you need to do in order to survive.

But for many people, art is a part of that survival.

We started the event with a quote from Sundance president and founder, Robert Redford: “There will always be new terrain to explore as long as there are artists willing to take risks, who tell their stories without compromise. And Sundance will be here – to provide support and a creative community in which a new idea or distinctive view is championed.”

Funnily enough, this quote is the perfect way to end this article.

Thank you, Sundance and Chicago, for this unforgettable event! Cheers to what happens next…may new terrain continue to be explored.