BACKFestival
Apr 16 & 23, 2022
Sound of Silent Film Festival
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.
On April 16th, we will present a new program of modern silent films live at the Music Box Theater, and virtually the following week. The virtual presentation will also be available on demand from that point forward.
Hours
Saturday, April 16, 7:15 PM
Saturday, April 23, 8:00 PM Central (virtual presentation)
We will email a link to watch the virtual presentation a couple of days before the event.
Location
Music Box Theater
3733 N. Southport Ave.
$30 general, $15 student with ID
$15 virtual
Rattenfalle by Win Brooks
A dark comedy exploring the horrors of modern cuisine and the palatability of revenge.
Music by Regina Harris Baiocchi
Elsewhere by Leah Bleich
A young boy suspends time before his parents can begin to fight.
Music by Tatev Amiryan
The Reel by JohnBen Lacy & Mike Elsherif
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
The Fuzzies by Josh Funk
A man wakes up locked in a strange bathroom where something is lurking behind the walls.
Music by Isak Björn Hedlund
Kilter by Rob Stanton-Cook
Kilter explores the wreckage left in the wake of generational toxic masculinity. Following a violent crime of passion, a gentle young man descends into a tormented reality as he struggles to reconcile who he is and what he has become.
Music by Angel Bat Dawid
Gut Feelings by Vanessa S. Valliere & John Gregorio
Gut Feelings is the story of two misfits who meet in the belly of a beast.
Music by the ACM Film Scoring Class
The Trader by Manuel Álvarez Diestro & Sergio Belinchón
A busy executive has a very unlikely commute which will take him to an unexpected place
Music by Amy Wurtz
Cold Storage by Thomas Freundlich
Cold Storage is a short dance film that pays homage to the virtuosic physical performances and melancholy comedy of the classic silent screen.
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 Ishani Mukherjee
Stinger by Brian Zahm
A filmmaker documents his own subtropical parasitic disease.
Music by William Jason Raynovich
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.
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2021
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival is a unique event featuring new short silent films in every conceivable genre screened with newly-composed musical scores performed live. Our 16th annual festival features two exciting all-new programs presented outdoors at the VIN312 parking lot and, the following weekend, virtually.
We source the films through a global call, commission the composers and our wonderful musicians bring it all to life.
April 30 and May 1, 2021 7:00 PM
VIN312 Parking Lot
$20
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 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.