The Midwest Film Festival

The Midwest Film Festival Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Midwest Film Festival, Arts and entertainment, 3520 S Halsted Street, Chicago, IL.

The Midwest Film Festival is the nation's only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema year round!

☀️ BMAs | THE GRAND FINALEAfter four unforgettable days of bold stories, meaningful conversations, and new connections, ...
07/25/2026

☀️ BMAs | THE GRAND FINALE

After four unforgettable days of bold stories, meaningful conversations, and new connections, Midwest Royale concludes with its grand finale: the 21st Annual Best of the Midwest Awards.

Join us at CineCity Studios for a now indoor summer soirée celebrating the filmmakers, artists, and creative community shaping the future of Midwest cinema.

The evening begins with red carpet arrivals, a showcase of classic cars presented by Lady Sharks, and a VIP Reception featuring light bites, drinks, and access to The Green Room, an outdoor THC lounge experience presented by Private Stock Cannabis Co.

Then, we gather inside as the Best of the Midwest Awards honors this year's outstanding achievements in filmmaking—including the debut of our brand-new Audience's Choice Award, celebrating the film that resonated most with festival audiences.

The celebration doesn't end there. Stay for the Official After Party as we toast another incredible year of Midwest storytelling and the artists who make it possible.

✨ Use code "MFF FILMMAKER" at checkout to receive 50% off your tickets. Valid for General Admission, VIP Tickets, and VIP Table 10.

Join us as we close the inaugural Midwest Royale in style.

🔗 Tickets available through the GiveButter link in our bio.

HUGE NEWS: the finale to Midwest Royale tomorrow just got bigger.Every career starts somewhere. For many working in film...
07/24/2026

HUGE NEWS: the finale to Midwest Royale tomorrow just got bigger.

Every career starts somewhere. For many working in film and television, that "somewhere" was right here in the Midwest.

Heartland to Hollywood brings together creatives whose journeys have taken them from regional filmmaking to careers across television, feature films, and the entertainment industry. Join Brittani Ward (Single Car Crashes), Marina Squerciati (Chicago P.D.), and Patrick Webb (Special Skills) for an honest conversation about building a career, navigating the industry, and staying connected to the place that shaped them.

Because success doesn't always mean leaving home behind. Sometimes it means carrying the Midwest with you wherever the work takes you.

Join us for this special conversation as part of MARKET READY, Day 3 of Midwest Royale.

The final day of Midwest Royale is almost here.MARKET READY celebrates the moment when creativity meets opportunity—brin...
07/24/2026

The final day of Midwest Royale is almost here.

MARKET READY celebrates the moment when creativity meets opportunity—bringing together filmmakers, advertising professionals, actors, brands, and audiences to explore what's next for Midwest storytelling.

Spend the day discovering bold new films, joining conversations with industry leaders, celebrating our inaugural Creative Ad Challenge, experiencing the 11th Annual AdComm Showcase, and connecting with the people shaping the future of our creative community. Along the way, take part in Queens Royale: Her Hustle, Our Help, our morning of service benefiting La Rabida Children's Hospital, because building a stronger film community means investing in the communities that helped build us.

Midwest Royale has always been about more than celebrating great films. It's about creating pathways, opening doors, and proving that world-class storytelling continues to thrive right here in the Midwest. Together, we're helping shape a new era for Midwest Film Festival—and for the artists who call this region home.

🎟 Saturday Passes are available now, or experience the today and tomorrow with a 3-Day Pass while our limited-time offer lasts.

✨ And don't miss the grand finale on Sunday at the Best of the Midwest Awards, where we'll celebrate the year's most outstanding films, filmmakers, and the community that made Midwest Royale possible.

See you at the Ramova.

CORRECTION: What "Rhymes with Magdalena?" is at 2PM, as opposed to the last post that stated 3PM.Tomorrow's storytellers...
07/24/2026

CORRECTION: What "Rhymes with Magdalena?" is at 2PM, as opposed to the last post that stated 3PM.

Tomorrow's storytellers are already here.⁠
⁠
UP NEXT is dedicated to the emerging filmmakers, fresh perspectives, and fearless creatives shaping the future of Midwest cinema.⁠
⁠
Spend the day discovering award-worthy documentaries, breakout narrative features, filmmaker talkbacks, and conversations with the artists behind the work. Connect with local organizations at our Community Corner, celebrate Chicago's filmmaking community, and close out the evening with a special screening of Chance the Rapper's Magnificent Coloring World, followed by an exclusive talkback.⁠
⁠
Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, an industry professional, or simply someone who loves great stories, UP NEXT is your opportunity to experience the voices defining the next chapter of Midwest storytelling.⁠
⁠
🎟 Day Passes: $50⁠
🎟 Limited-Time Offer: 3-Day Passes are just $100—buy two days, get the third free.⁠
⁠
📍 Ramova Theatre⁠
📅 Friday, July 24⁠
⁠
Get your tickets through the link in our bio and join us for a day celebrating the future of Midwest film.

Every filmmaker has a story that started somewhere. Often, it started with a book.The Midwest has given generations of s...
07/23/2026

Every filmmaker has a story that started somewhere. Often, it started with a book.

The Midwest has given generations of storytellers a place to create, connect, and dream. Now, we're inviting our community to help inspire the next generation.

Join us for Her Hustle, Our Help, a Community Book Drive benefiting La Rabida Children's Hospital and its new mobile children's library. Bring three new, unused books and help fill young readers' shelves with stories that spark imagination, comfort, and possibility.

We're honored to welcome acclaimed Chicago artivist Leslé Honoré for live readings from her beloved children's books My Brown Boy and Brown Girl, Brown Girl, alongside a morning of live music, a live mural, and community connection.

As a thank you, the first 25 donors who bring three new books will receive a complimentary ticket to It Was Written: The Foundation.

Stories have the power to change lives. This is our chance to share that gift with the children and families of La Rabida—and to give back to the community that continues to shape Midwest storytellers.

📚 Bring 3 new books.
🎟️ Receive a complimentary screening ticket (first 25 donors).
📍 Ramova Theatre
🗓️ Saturday, July 25 | 9:00–11:00 AM

Bring a book. Share a story. Make an impact.

Tomorrow's storytellers are already here.UP NEXT is dedicated to the emerging filmmakers, fresh perspectives, and fearle...
07/23/2026

Tomorrow's storytellers are already here.

UP NEXT is dedicated to the emerging filmmakers, fresh perspectives, and fearless creatives shaping the future of Midwest cinema.

Spend the day discovering award-worthy documentaries, breakout narrative features, filmmaker talkbacks, and conversations with the artists behind the work. Connect with local organizations at our Community Corner, celebrate Chicago's filmmaking community, and close out the evening with a special screening of Chance the Rapper's Magnificent Coloring World, followed by an exclusive talkback.

Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, an industry professional, or simply someone who loves great stories, UP NEXT is your opportunity to experience the voices defining the next chapter of Midwest storytelling.

🎟 Day Passes: $50
🎟 Limited-Time Offer: 3-Day Passes are just $100—buy two days, get the third free.

📍 Ramova Theatre
📅 Friday, July 24

Get your tickets through the link in our bio and join us for a day celebrating the future of Midwest film.

What happens when you give emerging creatives a real brief, real mentors, and just 24 hours to deliver?Welcome to the Mi...
07/20/2026

What happens when you give emerging creatives a real brief, real mentors, and just 24 hours to deliver?
Welcome to the Midwest Royale Creative Ad Challenge. Think Cannes Lions meets Project Runway ✨

Twenty emerging creatives (ages 18-25) will be selected to take on one real-world brand brief in a fast-paced, collaborative creative sprint. Guided by accomplished mentors from advertising, branding, and filmmaking, participants will ideate, produce, and pitch original branded content-all within 24 hours.

The experience culminates in live presentations before an elite panel of creative leaders from agencies, brands, and media, offering participants the opportunity to receive professional feedback, expand their network, and showcase their work on a public stage.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, designer, strategist, writer, marketer, photographer, or content creator, this challenge is designed to reflect the pace, collaboration, and creative problem-solving of today’s advertising industry.
Think you have what it takes or know someone who does?

APPLY NOW!
🔗 https://forms.gle/jG6j9uixN2zSHy6B7

📍Ramova Theatre
🗓️July 24-25
🎬Part of MARKET READY at Midwest Royale
We have a MUST BE 18-25 to participate

BREAKING: EXPERIENCE COLORING BOOK LIKE NEVER BEFORE.Before it became one of the defining independent albums of its gene...
07/19/2026

BREAKING: EXPERIENCE COLORING BOOK LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

Before it became one of the defining independent albums of its generation, Coloring Book was a movement rooted in Chicago.

On Friday, July 24, Midwest Royale presents a special screening of Magnificent Coloring World, Chance the Rapper's immersive concert film that transforms the Grammy Award-winning era into a cinematic celebration of music, faith, creativity, and community.

Filmed in his hometown, the experience blends unforgettable performances, gospel-inspired arrangements, and the unmistakable energy of Chicago into a film meant to be experienced together.

Following the screening, stay for a special talkback exploring the creative vision and cultural impact behind the film.

📍 Ramova Theatre
🗓 Friday, July 24
🕤 9:30 PM

Part of UP NEXT, a day celebrating the artists and storytellers redefining what's possible for Midwest cinema.

🎟 Tickets available now | Link in bio | midwestfilm.com

DAY 2: UP NEXT + DAY 3: MARKET READYEvery feature film opens a new conversation.Across UP NEXT and MARKET READY, Midwest...
07/18/2026

DAY 2: UP NEXT + DAY 3: MARKET READY

Every feature film opens a new conversation.

Across UP NEXT and MARKET READY, Midwest Royale showcases artists whose work reflects the remarkable breadth of contemporary Midwest storytelling—from intimate narrative filmmaking and groundbreaking concert films to documentaries, commercial storytelling, and cultural history.

Together, these feature presentations celebrate creators whose work continues to expand what Midwest cinema can be.

UP NEXT
• What Rhymes with Magdalena — Dir. by Jose Perez
A lyrical journey through memory, love, and self-discovery, following a poet who revisits the relationships that shaped her life on the eve of her wedding.

• We've got huge news to share with festivalgoers. Stay tuned tomorrow for the big reveal of a one night only feature and monumental talkback during UP NEXT.

MARKET READY
• It Was Written: The Foundation — Dir. by Joshua Conro & Ulises Villa Jr.
Tracing the origins of Chicago's graffiti movement, this documentary explores the artists who transformed public space into cultural expression while leaving an indelible mark on the city's visual identity.

• All of the Above — Dir. by Allison Walsh
An intimate documentary examining dialogue, identity, and belonging through the eyes of high school students navigating a World Religions course, revealing the transformative power of listening across difference.

🎬 From Opening Night at Rivers Casino through the final day at Ramova Theatre, Midwest Royale celebrates every facet of Midwest storytelling—from independent film and documentaries to music, culture, and creative innovation.

🎟️ The future of Midwest cinema is unfolding this July. Reserve your seat and celebrate the storytellers building what's next.

Special Casino Royale Opening Night Offer: Use BOGO code: MFFBOGO. Please note that customers must purchase tickets in multiples of 2 for⁠ this code to be valid.⁠
⁠
DISCLAIMER: The July 22 Opening Night event at Rivers Casino is open to guests 21 and older. Not valid for any participant of the Illinois Gaming Board Statewide Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program. Must be 21 years of age or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).

DAY 1: SHIFT THE STORYThe feature presentations of SHIFT THE STORY explore identity, justice, memory, and belonging thro...
07/18/2026

DAY 1: SHIFT THE STORY

The feature presentations of SHIFT THE STORY explore identity, justice, memory, and belonging through deeply personal and culturally resonant filmmaking. Together, these stories remind us that cinema has the power to preserve history, inspire empathy, and spark meaningful conversation long after the credits roll.

Featured Presentations

• Traces of Home — Directed by Colette Ghunim
Filmmaker Colette Ghunim journeys alongside her parents to the ancestral homes they were forced to leave in Palestine and Mexico, weaving together memory, migration, and identity in an intimate documentary about belonging across generations.

• Kemba — Directed by Kelley Kali
A true story of resilience, friendship, and the enduring pursuit of justice, Kemba follows Kemba Smith Pradia's decades-long fight for freedom—both her own and that of Michelle West. This powerful opening-night feature reminds us that storytelling can become an act of advocacy.

• Kartemquin Shorts Retrospective: 60 Years of Kartemquin Films
Celebrating six decades of documentary excellence, this special retrospective honors one of the Midwest's most influential filmmaking institutions through stories that continue to shape conversations around community, history, and social change.

🎬 The Midwest Royale journey begins July 22 with Casino Royale at Rivers Casino before continuing with SHIFT THE STORY at Ramova Theatre on July 23.

🎟️ Every great movement begins with a gathering. Join us at Midwest Royale as we celebrate the artists, stories, and creative community shaping the future of Midwest cinema. Tickets are on sale now.

Special Casino Royale Opening Night Offer: Use BOGO code: MFFBOGO. Please note that customers must purchase tickets in multiples of 2 for⁠ this code to be valid.⁠
⁠
DISCLAIMER: The July 22 Opening Night event at Rivers Casino is open to guests 21 and older. Not valid for any participant of the Illinois Gaming Board Statewide Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program. Must be 21 years of age or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).

Address

3520 S Halsted Street
Chicago, IL
60609

Telephone

+13126424222

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