The Midwest Film Festival is the USA's only film festival solely dedicated to Midwest films. Only films from the eight-state Midwest region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin are considered for screening.
The festival was originally hosted every first Tuesday of the month at Chicago's Landmark Century Centre Cinema but is presently held on the final Monday of the month at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Originally named the Midwest Independent Film Festival in 2004, the festival formally changed its name to the Midwest Film Festival in 2020 in a rebranding strategy spearheaded by festival director Erica Duffy.[1]
Festival Highlights
The World Premiere of the comedy Osso Bucco, starring Illeana Douglas and Mike Starr opened the 2008 festival[2]
Acclaimed documentary Rock the Bells, which chronicled the final stage performance of all nine original members of the Wu-Tang Clan, four months before Ol' Dirty Bastard's death.[7]
The film festival was founded by Chicago actor Mike McNamara and filmmaker Michael Kwielford in 2004.[13] In November 2017 McNamara stepped down as director "due to personal reasons" and was replaced by Kwielford as interim director.[14] In July 2018, Amy Guth was named the new executive director of the festival.[15] In December 2019, Erica Duffy was named the festival's new executive director.[16]
