July 20, 2022
GSFC Contact: Lori Hile
MFF contact:
Carlos Rogelio Diaz carlos@midwestfilm.com info@midwestfilm.com
The Midwest Film Festival (MFF) is proud to present our 13th annual celebration of creators who identify as female and gender non-conforming to showcase the work from historically underrepresented genders. The evening is dedicated to their stories, imagination, perspectives, and craft.
Join us on Tuesday, August 2nd at the Gene Siskel Film Center as part of our year-round First Tuesdays screenings series. The evening kicks off with a networking reception at 7:00 pm, the screening of the official selections at 8:00 pm immediately followed by a Q&A with the members of the artistic teams moderated by Jennifer Reeder, and finally an after-party at 10:30 pm located at Emerald Loop Bar & Grill.
Included in the evening’s lineup are films produced in the Midwest and/or produced by Midwest filmmakers. They include:
After (A Love Story) by Clare Cooney
Emergence by Rey Tang
Heartsong by Aurora Real de Asua
Jade by Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke
Luteal by Hilary Williams
Period Drama by Anushka Tina Nair & Lauryn Anthony
Rough River Lake by Mary Tilden
Skyroof by Jewells
SMOKING GUN! By Sanicole
The Chase- A photographer’s search to find transcendence in the storm by Alaina Delagardelle
Pictured at top Period Drama and After (A Love Story) below. Photos courtesy of production teams.
Start Time, 7:00pm:
Attendees are invited to network with their fellow filmmakers and peers during the first hour of the event. Vendor tables will be present and available to all guests.
Screening + Q&A, 8:00pm:
The screening starts at 8:00 pm. Afterwards, guests will be treated to a filmmaker Q&A moderated by Jennifer Reeder, with the films’ creative crew present at the event.
Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $7 for Gene Siskel Film Center members. Tickets are available at https://www.midwestfilm.com/get-tickets and at the Gene Siskel Film Center website.
MFF’s Executive Director Erica Duffy states, “I’m so happy we’ve been able to host an event for 13 years now, where communities that aren’t always represented in the mainstream have a chance to be seen and celebrated.”
Film Director, Rey Tang says “I’m so excited that Emergence will be a part of the Women and Gender Non-Conforming Screening! I’m really so honored to have Emergence take part in a collection of stellar films that subvert the traditional male gaze. It’s so wonderful to find community with folks who have been othered too long.”
Pictured left, Jade and Rough River Lake, right. Photos courtesy of production teams.
Proud sponsors of the Midwest Film Festival include: Abelcine, AICP Midwest, CineCity, Cinespace, Dictionary Films, Illinois Arts Council, Local 476,, NoiseFloor, O’Connor Casting, Optimus, Periscope, Quicksilver Color, Quriosity Productions, SAG-Indie. To support the MFF visit
About Midwest Film Festival: Midwest Film Festival (MFF) established in 2005 and formerly known as Midwest Independent Film Festival, is an organization dedicated to the independent film scene of the Midwest. MFF programs events year-round and is dedicated to strengthening the Midwest filmmaking community.
Proud sponsors of the Midwest Film Festival include: Abelcine, AICP Midwest, CineCity, Cinespace, Dictionary Films, Illinois Arts Council, Local 476,, NoiseFloor, O’Connor Casting, Optimus, Periscope, Quicksilver Color, Quriosity Productions, SAG-Indie. To support the MFF visit
About the Gene Siskel Center: Founded in 1972, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago presents to an annual audience of around 100,000 people. They engage audiences in enriching cinema that highlights diverse voices, international cultures, indie filmmakers, and the history of
cinema. The film center continues to host over 1,600 screenings and 200 filmmaker appearances each year. The film center’s name was changed in the year 2000 to celebrate the nationally acclaimed film critic, Gene Siskel.
Important Covid-19 Policy Information:
As a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center continues to follow SAIC’s COVID-19 protocols, which include wearing a mask while in the building and providing proof of full vaccination for all screenings and events at the Film Center for all guests five years of age and up. Further information can be found at: https://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/covid-protocols
