Event Venue: Chicago Cultural Center
Event time (screening): 6pm - 9:45pm
Event time (inspection): 3pm - 6pm
Total Audience: about 85 throughout the day
Number of people bringing films: 8
Films screened by Gauge: 8mm: about 2 Super 8: about 8 16mm: about 6 9.5mm: 2 reels brought in with projector. Was unable to screen. Guest donated pathe projector to CFA Video: 0
Number of Volunteers: 6
Anne Wells and Andy Resek (organizers) Danielle Kramer Michelle Puetz Collin Williamson Nancy Watrous
Special events/screenings: 2
Press (pre-event and post-event): FOX Chicago TV promoted the event Friday evening. Chicago Magazine newsletter, various blogs and on-line event calendars.
This year we tried a couple of new things. Although walk-ins were welcome, we inspected films by appointment. This seemed to provide more opportunity to talk with people interested in the event beforehand. We could elaborate on the mission of this event one on one. We also had live music scheduled throughout the screening night. Two piano players and an electronic keyboard player divided the night with accompanying the films.
This accompaniment worked particularly well with some 1930s footage of a nudist camp in Germany. B/W footage of beautiful bodies swimming, playing badminton, playing leapfrog, running through the woods, and generally showing off for the camera. This footage was found amongst a guy’s parents’ estate. He was more than happy for us to screen this material. There was one roll of color shot later in Canada where his parents had started another nudist colony. It was quite strange to see an elaborate costume party at the camp with a few nude bodies mingling in the crowd, sometimes only wearing shoes and socks or Mexican straw hats. The music worked beautifully with the b/w footage. Only a little Wagner would have topped the moment. Apparently during this era, nudist camps combined with athletics was common in Germany.
Nick Osborn brought in some late 20s, and 40s footage of a single Japanese family posing for formal portaitures early and then 20 years later. Beautiful and funny footage.
Finally, a woman brought in her father’s amateur footage shot on 9.5 in the Ukraine - 1926 and 1929. She also found his pather projector in the attic. She donated the projector to CFA and we are going to direct her to Cololab to transfer the footage. We will help her with the shipping and assist her in the process.
This year was really fun though we missed our colleague Andy Uhrich who was stolen away by New York. Nevertheless, the event merited a shake up here in Chicago which is exactly what Andy and Anne did, Also free fresh rolls from Europe attracted a large crowd coming from other events in the Center.
Nancy Watrous Director, Chicago Film Archives