Chicago's underground film fest keeps pushing boundaries
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Now in its 33rd year, the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) has emerged as the premier festival, receiving nearly 3,000 submissions from 100 countries.
Why it matters: Chicagoans receive five days of experimental work that rarely reaches the big screen.
By the numbers: CUFF features more than 100 films from 22 countries, starting Wednesday and running through Sunday.
- Four world premieres made the cut — "Nightgame," "Moth," "Woolve" and "A Stranger Has No Eyes," the closing-night film.
- Genres include documentaries, shorts, animation and narrative films.
Flashback: Bryan Wendorf and Jay Bliznick founded CUFF in 1993, followed by the first fest in 1994. That year, the festival received about 300 submissions seeking to screen at CUFF, mainly from U.S. cities.
Between the lines: What defines "underground" now is a little blurrier than when he and Bliznick started the fest, Wendorf says.
- Filmmaking technology is constantly evolving, and the tools are increasingly accessible, enabling creators to post their work on YouTube or other platforms.
Yes, but: "Truly independent and formally adventurous work can still be difficult to see, especially in a theater with an audience. That remains CUFF's role," Wendorf says.
Zoom in: Despite the breadth of submissions, CUFF remains dedicated to highlighting Chicago filmmakers and their work, including "Driven," which features the late Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick's final screen performance.
- Fitzpatrick's kids, Max and Gabrielle, wrote and directed the film.
- "The Misconceived," by a New York filmmaker, follows the reunion of a failed filmmaker-turned-carpenter and an old college friend as they renovate a home. The trailer shows the inventive, visual cacophony that emerges from the mix of styles.
What they're saying: Despite its growth over more than 30 years, CUFF maintains a sense of intimacy for underground film fans.
- "In an era when so much viewing happens alone at home, creating that kind of temporary community may be more important than ever," Wendorf adds.
If you go: CUFF opens with "Nova '78" at 8pm Wednesday at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
- The film is a counterculture convention centered around William S. Burroughs, featuring Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Frank Zappa, John Cage and others.
- Other screenings take place at Harper Theater.