BACKFestival
Apr 30 and May 1, 2021
Sound of Silent Film Festival
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 16th year, is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live.
We’ll present a two new programs of modern silent with live accompaniment outdoors and virtually.
Hours
Friday, April 30, 2021 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 30, 2021 – 7:00 PM
Location
VIN312 Parking Lot
4710 N. Ravenswood Ave.
$20 general, $15 student with ID
PROGRAM ONE
Escape by Daniel Lugo
(Rollerblade Feel Good)
A woman breaks out of her mundane work life.
Music by Trevor Patricia Watkin
Neighbors by Noam Argov
(Drama, Comedy)
In this noir comic-thriller, a woman navigates an envious obsession with the life of her beautiful neighbor.
Music by Ivonne Paredes
Big Touch by Christopher Tenzis
An Afro-Surrealist story about a giant woman and a tiny man who through the power of touch, experience an unexpected transformation.
Music by Pablo Casals
Lightmare by Josh Drake
Lightmare Captures the anxiety of the neighborhood after an unknown group of people race motorcycles illegally, using negative space as a mask to subvert the audience’s expectations of horizon and depth. In contrast, much of the content underscores the triviality of the perceived threat.
Music by Peri Mauer
Loopy by Max Cianci and Anthony Peduzzi
Drawn to a mysterious window, a man decides to investigate a seemingly abandoned building. As he makes his way to the source of his curiosity, what he uncovers is worse than he could ever imagine.
Music by Cristina Spinei
The Rabbit and the Snare by Calum Hotchkiss and Gemma Eve
During the turn of the 20th century, a man contemplates life when he falls into isolation after the death of his young daughter. He is forced to survive a snowy Canadian winter while accompanied by an unusual companion.
Music by Charles Coleman
Dodo’s Birth by Daniel Goldblum
A Lithuanian woman struggles to reconnect with her homeland. Filmed at the Joninės midsummer festivals and the Curonian Spit.
On a desolate arctic shore, a lonely fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the ice, and thaws him out as his newfound soul brother.
Music by Angelo Hart
The Ephemeral Orphanage by Lisa Barcy
A group of tattered paper dolls daydream alternate realities and surreptitiously explore the hidden lives of their strict and secretive caregivers. Created with found paper dolls cut from a 1920’s newspaper and found in an attic, the film explores the adults attempt to dictate what girls learn, and the children’s talent for discovering forbidden knowledge.
Music by Natasha Bogojevic
PROGRAM TWO
Vacationland by Alexander Bickford
The dizzying dreams of summertime.
Music by Kelsee Vandervall
PROGRAM
Ratenfalle by Win Brooks
A dark comedy exploring the horrors of modern cuisine and the palatability of revenge.
Music by Regina Harris Baiocchi
The Reel by JohnBen Lacy
The Reel is a lyrical ode to the magic and power of film, painting the projectionist as a conduit for the cinematic experience. A hybrid craft documentary and reflexive essay, the film offers a pastiche of iconic film imagery guided by montage theory that presents Hollywood archetypes as pawns of an ephemeral existence.
Music by Zygmund de Somogyi
Activities
Kid Zone
Games, face paiting and activities to entertain yout little ones
2pm Magic with robMagic with rob
3pm Instruments Petting Zoo
with Traic Newhouse
4pm Jennifer Viets
5pm Dawn-Marie’s Toddler Jam
6pm Magic with Rob
sponsors
Meet Our sponsors
The Sound of Silent Film Festival is sponsored in part by:
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2024 Chicago
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 19th year, is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2024 NYC
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 19th year, is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live. The festival hits NYC on May 31st!
May 20, 2023
Sound of Silent Film Festival – NYC 2023
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival returns to New York City for one exciting show at Symphony Space in Manhattan. Don’t miss it!
April 26, 2023
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2023
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 18th year, is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live.
April 16 & 23, 2022
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2022
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 17th year, is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2020
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival turns 15 this year! We’re celebrating the anniversary with two ambitious virtual programs featuring fourteen short modern silent films with newly commissioned musical scores performed live.
This year’s selections include three dramatic thrillers, two comedies, one dark comedy, one very dark comedy, an offbeat romance, two compelling dramas, one that kind of pulls at your heart strings, a compelling look at modern Hong Kong, two gorgeously animated films and a dance film.
There are two completely different programs and they will be live streamed
This is a free presentation but we’re asking for a $20 suggested donation per household. If you like what you see and hear please consider donating.
PERFORMED BY
Chris Ramaekers – Music Director
David Wetzel – Technical Director
Alyson Berger – cello
Christie Miller – clarinet
Marianne Parker – piano
Brent Roman – percussion
Trevor Patricia Watkin – flute
Amy Wurtz – piano
Henry Zheng – violin
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2019
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its fourteenth year, returns to the lovingly restored Davis Theater with two all-new programs.
Featuring newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world, this one night only event is a don’t miss.
The 7:00 main show features films that have been meticulously scored and rehearsed with the music conducted live to the films.
The 9:30 “late night” show is a more experimental format with improvisation and composers performing their own music.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2018
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival moves to the lovingly restored Davis Theater with an all-new program and, for the first time, a special late night “viewer discretion advised” program.
Featuring newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world, this one night only event is a don’t-miss!
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2017
Our twelfth annual Sound of Silent Film Festival returns to the gorgeous Music Box Theater with an all-new program!
Featuring newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world, this one night only event is a don’t miss.
“Of all the art forms, music takes the shortest route to the heart, and this is especially true of live music,” says acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, and SOSF 2011 alumnus Guy Maddin. “Something truly alchemical happens when film gets a live score.”
DETAILS
Saturday, April 22 2017 7:30 PM
Music Box Theater
3733 N. Southport Ave.
$20 door, $15 online, $8 students and seniors (with ID)
Student/senior tickets (must show ID at the door)
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2016
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival celebrates its eleventh year with a move to the gorgeous Music Box Theater for an all-new program!
Featuring newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world, this one night only event is a don’t miss.
“Of all the art forms, music takes the shortest route to the heart, and this is especially true of live music,” says acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, and SOSF 2011 alumnus Guy Maddin. “Something truly alchemical happens when film gets a live score.”
DETAILS
Saturday, April 16 2016 7:30 PM
Music Box Theater
3733 N. Southport Ave.
$20
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2015
We’re going to the big time! ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival is moving to Chicago’s premiere art house cinema venue, the Music Box. Sound of Silent Film features newly composed scores we commission performed live to modern silent films.
We source the films through an international call, strip whatever sounds might be on them (with the director’s approval of course) and then commission composers to write a new score which our wonderful musicians then perform live while you enjoy popcorn and a beer, or the beverage of your choice.
One night only!
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2014
The Sound of Silent Film Festival is the only festival in the country featuring newly composed scores performed live to modern silent films.
That’s right, silent films by living directors! We commission new music for them and perform it live to the films.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2013
This year’s Sound of Silent Film Festival is a very special event featuring one feature length film scored by four composers. The film is Hiroshi Teshigahara’s masterpiece Gaudí about the legendary Barcelona architect. Don’t miss this special performance!
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2012
This year’s Sound of Silent Film Festival features a new score to the classic Chris Marker film La Jetée by Seth Boustead! We’ll also screen The Waiting Room by Jos Stelling with a new score by John Elmquist.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2011
This year’s Sound of Silent Film Festival features new scores performed live to Martin Scorsese’s classic silent film The Big Shave and Osama Tezuka’s animated film The Mermaid.
Films by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Brian Kallies, Chris Mancini, Manoel de Oliveira and Gus van Sant round out the program.
All films will be screened in silence with a new score performed live.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2010
The Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its fifth year, features new scores performed live to modern silent films from around the world. We commission new scores and play them live to the films in a theater with a bar.
