Theatre/Film

CIMMFest: A Limited Review

In a city with such deep roots in both music and movies, not to mention a demonstrated enthusiasm for festivals, it was only a matter of time until somebody decided to smoosh it all together. On March 5-8, founders Ilko Davidov and Josh Chicoine introduced Chicago to the first annual Chicago International Music and Movies Festival (CIMMfest).

CIMMfest's press release boasted a critical mass of "films, filmmakers and devotees from around the world, including showcases from France, Australia, Germany, the UK, China, Brazil, India, Canada and Israel." And they weren't kidding around. The subjects of films ranged from the Chinese underground music scene (16 Days in China) to a Texan sitar player competing in India's Tournament of Champions (A Cricket in the Court of Akbar). Director Lech Kowalski, Chicago producer Steve Jones, and music critic Jim DeRogatis were just a few of the genres' big shots mixing with the crowds that weekend.

Top awards included Best Narrative Feature (Punching the Clown, USA), Best Documentary Feature (16 Days in China, USA), and Best Music Video (Gnarls Barkley "Going On," directed by Wendy Morgan). A list of all the award winners, synopses of the films, and other fun information about the festival can be found at cimmfest.org. \