Formerly known as the Filmmakers Conference, the summit was a gathering of the Midwest filmmaking community and offered panels, screenings and networking opportunities for regional filmmakers. This year’s summit featured a plethora of activities including Midwest distribution and documentary production panels; case-study workshops for films made in the Midwest including The Ice Harvest directed by a native son of Chicago, DGA Director-Member Harold Ramis, and featuring UPM and Chicago Coordinating Committee Co-chair Tom Busch. There was also a directing panel with DGA director and Coordinating Committee member Gary Sherman who recently completed a low-budget film in Chicago. Other events included an ‘Indie Expo’ featuring tech demonstrations, and information on regional festivals, organizations and companies and the Flyover Zone Short Film Festival with a premiere of the $100,000 IFP/Chicago Production Fund short film Up On The Rope directed by Paula M. Froehle.
The Summit was kicked off on November 2nd with a special tribute to DGA Director Member Harold Ramis The tribute featured a preview screening of Ramis’ new caper comedy The Ice Harvest, which stars John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid and Oliver Platt. The Ice Harvest was shot entirely in Illinois with the assistance of the State incentive programs proposed by Governor Rod Blagojevich designed to keep production in Illinois. The evening also included an entertaining Q&A with Ramis moderated by DGA Director Member Steve James (Hoop Dreams). The sold-out screening was attended by many local DGA members, representatives of the Illinois and Chicago Film Offices, heads of the local Teamsters, SAG, AFTRA and IATSE unions and representatives from Steppenwolf Films (film production arm of the Steppenwolf Theatre), the Goodman Theatre and Second City.
