CHICAGO UNDERGROUND EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MORE FILMS, HONORS PAUL MORRISSEY
 
The Chicago Underground Film Festival expands to include an extra
evening of screenings for 1998. The festival will run August 11-16 at
the Theatre Building, 1225 West Belmont Ave. Chicago, IL. Tickets for
all screenings will go on sale July 15 through the Theatre Building box
office (charge by phone 773-327-5252) and through Chicago area
Ticketmaster outlets. Festival Passes are only $50 and allow entrance to
all screenings and parties. Single admissions are $6.00 per program.
 
The six day event will kick off on Tuesday, August 11 with the Mid West
Premiere of Tamara Hernandez's debut feature "Men Cry Bullets" which won
the Grand Jury prize at SXSW this year. Hernandez has been called "a
cross between John Waters and R.W. Fassbinder." following "Bullets"  an
opening night party featuring music from Maureen Tucker, former drummer
for the legendary Velvet Underground, will be held at Thurston's (1248
W. George). Closing the festival on Sunday, August 16 will be the World
Premiere of Chicago filmmaker & musician Anna Cimini's "Driver," A
visually engaging minimal narrative set in the near future. After the
film, the festival will conclude with an awards presentation and closing
party featuring critically acclaimed Chicago Alternative Country artists
The Handsome Family.
 
Since the inception of CUFF in 1994, the festival has chosen to honor
selected influential filmmakers by bestowing them with a "lifetime
achievement" award. Past recipients have included Chicago documentarian
Tom Palozzolo, Kenneth Anger, George Kuchar and John Waters. Last year,
in addition to Waters a posthumous award was given to the late Jack
Smith, in whose memory the award was also christened. The recipient of
this year's lifetime achievement award will be Paul Morrissey. Morrissey
is best known for his work with Andy Warhol's "Factory" in the late
'60s. Two of Morrissey's films will be screened, his 1974 European
production, "Flesh For Frankenstein", to be shown in its original uncut,
3D version; and the 1972 Morrissey/Warhol feminist satire, "Women in
Revolt" featuring Warhol drag queen superstars Holly Woodlawn, Candy
Darling and Jackie Curtis.
 
Other features set to screen at CUFF '98 include:
 
-- The World Premiere of Jim Sikora's first digital video feature, "Rock
& Roll Punk," written and produced by former SST Records honcho Joe
Carducci, who now runs Provisional Films & Video.
 
--Lou Adler's rarely seen 1982 cult music film, "Ladies and Gentlemen
The Fabulous Stains." The film, which prophetically predated the "riot
grrl" scene of the '90s, is also noteworthy for performances from former
Sex Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jone's as well as the acting debut of a
15 year-old Laura Dern. Filmmaker Sarah Jacobson, who's detailed oral
history of the film was published in Grand Royal earlier this year, will
introduce the film at CUFF.
 
-- The World Premiere of Camera Obscura's "Virtue," a virtual reality
genderfuck.
 
-- The World Premiere of Randy Cole's surreal digital nightmare, "Flush"
 
-- The Midwest Premiere of "Me and Will," a biker road movie from
directors/stars Melissa Behr & Sherrie Rose.
 
-- The Midwest Premiere of Lance Weiler and Stefan Avalos' $900 digital
feature "The Last Broadcast"
 
-- Kevin DiNovi's "Surrender Dorothy," winner at both Slamdance and
NYUFF.
 
-- George Ratliff's  Neo-noir western "Purgatory County"
 
-- Todd Verow's "Little Shots of Happiness"
 
-- Ian Kerkhoff's "Wasted"
 
Documentary features selected for CUFF include Penelope Spheeris'
Sundance hit, "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part III," Catherine
Gund Saalfield's portrait of controversial performance artist Ron Athey,
"Hallelujah!", Iara Lee's "Modulations," John Carluccio's "Battle
Sounds, The world Premiere of "Whipped", Sasha Waters & Iana Porter's
portrait of several New York City dominatrixes. "Jefftowne" by Daniel
Kraus, "Circus Redickuless" by Phillip  Glaus, "The Year of the Pig" by
Greg McKean & Dan Sykes, "Herd Mentality" by Mark Hejnar, "Independent's
Day" by Marina Zenovitch, David Vasibond's "Juicy Danger Meets Burning
Man" and Igor Vamos' "Le Petomane, Fin-De-Diecle Fartiste" a portrait of
a French artist who entertained the upper class of the Belle Ipoque by
controlling his farts.
 
Among the nearly one hundred short films to be screened are World
Premieres of "Freeworld" by Patrick Harrison, "Hoofboy" by Will Keenan,
"Silo" by Bill Ward and  "My Brother Cicero" by Tony Nittoli,  as well
as Chicago Premieres of "Wheels Of Fury" by Dan & Paul Dinello,
"Sleeping Beauties" by Jamie Babbit, "Gas Huffin' Bad Gals" , "The
Bystander From Hell" by Matthew Harrison and "Hellzapopin'" by Gray
Miller.
 
The complete festival schedule will be posted on the festival website at
http://www.cuff.org next week. For more information email [log in to unmask]
or call the festival voice mail line 773-866-8660.
 
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