First Tuesdays with the Midwest Independent Film Festival: Here it is... our lineup for the 2015 Advertising Community Shorts Program

Presented by AICP Midwest and a host of outstanding Midwest businesses!

Special thanks to this year's jury (full roster here)! Here's your lineup for the 2015 Advertising Community Shorts Night...

GRACE AND FORTUNE. While giving a client a manicure, Graça tells the reason she got late for work. The hot night at the forró ended up with a bucket of cold water. Written by Lapiz Leo Burnett SVP Executive Creative Director Fabio Seidl.

DOOMSDATE. WORLD PREMIERE! DOOMSDATE is the classic story of boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy and girl kill zombies while fighting about who is supposed to be doing the dishes. A ZomRomCom, if you will. Co-Created by Carissa Barecca, Kevin Sctiretta, and Jeff Hadick of The Second City Works, the corporate creative arm of the legendary Second City Theatre in Chicago. Cast includes Second City mainstage regular and current Saturday Night Live writer Katie Rich.

PONOKOMITA. CHICAGO PREMIERE! This film was shot and directed by Duncan Wolfe from One at Optimus and produced by Chicago journalist Seth Putnam. Optimus tackled all post production, including editor Max Mooney, colorist Jeff Greco, and sound designer Ben Treimer. 

IN THE WATER.  This music video for singer/songwriter Beth Bombara was designed, directed, and produced by St. Louis siblings Preston Gibson, currently a motion designer at 90 Degrees West, and Parker Gibson, formerly of Boxing Clever, St. Louis.

COUNTY STATE USA: SWEET CORN. CHICAGO PREMIERE! After robbing the town bank and having his quick-change plans fall apart, a local teen carjacks a hapless farmer selling sweet corn on the side of the road.  As they attempt to get out of dodge, the farmer decides to help the teen escape and stick it to the very bank that is foreclosing on his property.  Directed by former Fallon Minneapolis editor Jonathan Nowak, co-produced by Iowa native Steve DeVore. 

DREAMERS AND MAKERS ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE. CHICAGO PREMIERE! Intrigued by the “build it and they will come” mystique of the Jerry Run Theater the town of Cleveland, West Virginia (pop. 193), acclaimed songwriter Sam Beam of Iron & Wine traveled to Jerry Run to debut a set of never-before-performed songs. Directed & edited by Jamie Fleischel, with DP Corey Lillard and producers Katie Prentiss and Brian Gailey for Chicago-based Picture Show.  

HAPPY HOUR. CHICAGO PREMIERE! A marketing executive is forced to fire several employees, triggering a childhood memory that has shaped his entire life. HAPPY HOUR was directed by Martin Rodahl, owner of the commercial production company 71 Degrees North, and based on a short story by Jim Thompson, retired EVP from Leo Burnett.

SLEEPY STEVE. CHICAGO PREMIERE! A fuzzy bachelor has engineered his wacky morning routine with robotic precision in this charming animated short. Alongside writer-director Meghann Artes, the main collaborators are all longtime members of the Chicago commercial production community, namely actors Thomas Kelly and Michael Woods, Director of Photography Scott Thiele, Art Director Emily Carter and Assistant Director Katie Ray.

LOW KEY.  “Low Key” is the first music video forTweedy, the father-son collaboration of Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer.  This satire of the current state of the record sales in the mp3 era stars Michael Shannon, was directed by Nick Offerman of PARKS & RECREATION fame, lensed by Seth Henrikson and produced by Alec Pinkston, both from Chicago-based Odd Machine. 

TINY'S NEW HOME. WORLD PREMIERE! When a little girl's new goldfish keeps jumping out of its bowl, she decides to go on a quest to find it a new home. BoomThrift director Justin Hayward at the helm on this one, story and writing by Larry Ziegelman, Terry Ziegelman and BoomThrift EP Leigh Jones, alongside producer Laurel Ward and EP Chad Munger.

DETROIT LIGHTS. CHICAGO PREMIERE! Detroit teenager Desmond is a young ambitious artist living among an array of negative influences around him. When misfortune leaves him stuck in the pitch black streets one night, he finds himself in a near death experience that allows him to walk away with a new perspective of life, as well as his city. Directed by commercial cinematographer Danny Valdez, sound by Steven Vandeven of Static Studios.

WHERE TO GO ON YOUR HONEYMOON. This animated super-short explores the trials and tribulations of meeting the opposite sex after school in sixth grade. Directed by Christopher Jones, a Creative Producer whose recent work includes campaigns for the Chicago Bulls, with sound design from Bob Benson of ARU.

THE TAPOUT CREW. Tensions escalate at a party after two men wearing Tapout shirts are told to leave. Written and directed by Aaron Fronk, Cooper Johnson, and Vincent DeGaetano of FND Films.

REVERSAL. WORLD PREMIERE! REVERSAL is a neo-noir about an obsessed inventor determined to prevent his wife's murder.  His method: a 16mm film projector. The film was written and directed by Michael Lippert, an editor at Cutters. Producers include Adina Kwasigroch and Brittany Wagner of FCB Chicago and Brett Sechrist; art direction by Manuel Pena of Cutters Studios with color by Tyler Roth of Company 3.