Chicago Fire Department Runs

As one of his generation's quintessential Mad Men, television commercial director Joe Sedelmaier's work was iconic, dynamic, and instantly recognizable--some twenty to thirty years later, people are still wondering 'Where's the beef?” He turned the advertising world on its brain-damaged head by casting offbeat non-actors in still-unforgettable spots. His brilliant, frequently hysterical commercials for Wendy's, Alaska Airlines, Federal Express and others were snappy slices of cultural quirk that tapped into the Cold War-fearing, corporate workaholic zeitgeist of the '70s and '80s with a sense of humor that cracked billions of smiles, sold billions of burgers, and sped up the default rhythm of time-based media.

When two parties get in a head-on collision, it's up to emergency services to free them from the wreckage. What follows is a demonstration of what their job and duties entail.

This 1978 documentary classic is an inside look at the old-style Chicago Machine politics of the Richard J. Daley era, where Alderman Vito Marzullo ran his West Side 25th Ward virtually unchallenged from 1953-1985.

This documentary takes the viewer on a journey along Halsted Street, from the southern tip of Illinois, north through various Chicago neighborhoods, to the end of the road at Broadway in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

Discover the rise and fall of the legendary department store Marshall Field’s.

The Vatican media documentary about the roots of Robert Francis Prevost in his native United States. It follows an itinerary that begins with his childhood in Dolton, through the memories of his brothers Louis and John, and continues among schools and universities, communities and parishes, featuring the voices of confreres, teachers, classmates, and longtime friends. A production of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Apostolate El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE), broadcast on the official channels of Vatican Radio – Vatican News.

The third iteration of a continuing diary film. Five years and one roll of film distilled into three and a half minutes. The filmmaker captures a distinct period in their life, living and moving from Ithaca, New York to Chicago, experiencing and exiting the pandemic, seeing friends and taking road trips. Sound captured separately on a micro cassette recorder between 2019-2022.

A love letter to the first three months of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Firefighters Chuck Ford and Larry Valentine are guy's guys, loyal to the core—which is why when widower Larry asks Chuck to pose as his lover so that he can get domestic partner benefits for his kids, his buddy agrees. However, things get dicey when a bureaucrat comes calling, and the boys are forced to present a picture of domestic bliss.

Gala is preparing for the firefighter exam when she gets her period accompanied by severe menstrual pain. Together with her father Alfonso, they must figure out how to manage the situation.

Walter Schmitt, a once-prominent Chicago hotel developer, fights to revive his stalled legacy through an ambitious international expansion. When the pressure mounts, a chance encounter with a mysterious, powerful investor sparks a high-stakes new chapter that tests the limits of his ambition.

Comedy about the members of an early 1900s fire company.

Jonah, an arrogant, semi-famous artist living in Chicago has it all figured out while living his best life until one day it's cut short as he j-walks across the street. Erin troubled by the fact that she has struck down the golden child of the Windy City and tormented by the public. Now finds herself haunted by Jonahs ghost. Both eager to move on with their lives. The pair is stuck together in a heated relationship as Erin tries to guide Jonah to the other side helping him with his un-finished business.

A small American town provides the setting for a look at the antics of a group of volunteers who comprise the area's only fire department.

Brian Roe provides a look into his world. From dating and knowing yourself to fears and musical taste. He uses humor to craft an image of a man and his vibe in his first stand-up special, That's My Vibe.

Up-and-coming artist Anisa is woefully unprepared for the pettiness and performative antics taking place at the gallery opening for her latest pieces. Everything but the artwork seems to take center stage. With an absent girlfriend and career-oriented bestie focused on their own priorities, Anisa is left to spiral alone at the end of the night.

A tour de force exercise in optical printing shot in the Chicago Loop

An ecstatic exploration of a Chicago parking garage

After their roommate commits suicide by ceiling fan, two young men try to distract themselves.

"Piano Dance shows the viewer a shadowy piano accompanied by the sound of piano music. The piano is then seen to be a toy, the headdress of a woman with hollow eyes and a pasty face who moves like a marionette in a weird dance. She is dressed as if she were a cabaret performer in black tie and tails and white gloves. The images whirl and the piano is both large and small as the camera sees it in varying scale. The protagonist does not appear to move of her own volition but by the will of another. Her dance fades, not because it is over but because we are no longer privileged to see it. One feels that it continues eternally." — Barbara Sharres, "Trance Occurrences," Chicago Reader, January 15 1982.