My Courses

I urge journalists from underrepresented communities: specifically, critics and writers who identify as BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, and/or people with disabilities to apply for The Sundance Film Festival’s Press Inclusion Initiative, to attend and cover Sundance 2024. Those writers who are eligible and interested can apply here, after which they will receive a unique link to apply for accreditation to the festival. Both…

We are pleased to offer an excerpt from the latest issue of the online magazine, Bright Wall/Dark Room. Their theme for this month is “Heists,” and, in addition to Sarah Welch-Larson’s piece about “Thief” below, includes new essays on “Sneakers,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Tenet,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Point Blank,” “The Pink Panther,” “Sexy Beast,” “Time Bandits,” and “Rififi.” You can…

Held at Hyde Park’s Polsky Exchange North during the steamy weekend of August 18-20, the inaugural XL Film Festival & Summit 2023 launched in a single space—a large room composed of exposed brick and a lone stage. Eager ears and generational wisdom came together to spotlight young, local Black Chicago talent and participate in critical discussions concerning…

Matt writes: I will remember William Friedkin (1935-2023) for many reasons: for leaving me in awe of his immaculate craft in “The French Connection”; for giving me and my mom many a sleepless night courtesy of “The Exorcist”; for sharing so many invaluable insights about his life and career in Alexandre O. Philippe’s extraordinary 2019…