BACKFestival
April 4, 2024
Sound of Silent Film Festival – 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.
This year’s program features a three comedies, a dramedy, three dramas, three animated films and a wildly inventive dance film, all with new scores performed live.
Hours
Thursday, April 4th
7:30 PM
Location
Music Box Theater
3733 N. Southport Ave.
$25 general, $15 student with ID
Program
Total runtime: approximately 90 minutes.
Landmine of Mine by Kevin T. Landry
A man steps on a landmine and pays with his life.
Music by Lynn Bechtold
Marie. Eduardo. Sophie by Thomas Corriveau
A mesmerizing contemplation of moving bodies and painting, with three magnificent performers of contemporary dance from Montreal, Marie Mougeolle, Eduardo Ruiz Vergara and Sophie Corriveau.
Music by Adam Cole
Detektive Thumb and the Infinity House by Preston King
A hard-boiled, chain smoking detective is eaten alive by a house.
Music by Gene Pritsker
Coloring by Francisco Javier Landin Jr.
A young girl finds inspiration on a simple car ride.
Music by Milica Paranosic
#MESSYKIDNAPPING by Greg Emetaz
A curator at the Louvre is convinced her new boyfriend has kidnapped her child. The ransom: The Mona Lisa.
Music by Victoria Malawey
Reciprocity Failure by Ben Westlake
An avant-garde exhibition, that brings the sculptures of artist Aydin Ture to life in cinematic fashion.
Music by Seth Boustead
Heirloom by Marilynne Lamontagne
Etienne confronts the crushing pressure of generational expectations and masculinity of their inheritance home as they seek emancipation in the wilderness. Etienne’s trans identity is an experiential audible journey amidst chaos and spontaneity.
Music by David Saperstein
Rock Pools by Bianca Caniglia
Two clowns begin to understand who they are.
An exploration of femininity and gender performance particularly looking for a nuanced feeling that young queer people might have experienced.
Music by Charles Coleman
Demi-Goddesses by Martin Gerigk
A visual essay about still-dominant dark aspects of our modern society conceived as a surreal anti-patriarchal thought experiment that raises important questions about gender, power, and social change, prompting us to reflect on how historical patterns of discrimination and oppression might be either repeated or overcome in a reversed gendered world.
Music by Adam Reifsteck
Inside Looking Out by Cooper Hardin
A gardener fights to keep a “suicidal” house plant alive
Music by Nailah Nombeko
Falling for Greta by Gustavo Arteaga
When love comes knocking, Greta’s world is turned upside down. As her passion grows, complications follow but there is hope in the shape of water.
Music by Ledah Finck
sponsors
Meet Our sponsors
The Sound of Silent Film Festival is sponsored in part by:
Sound of Silent Film Festival 2025 Chicago
ACM’s popular Sound of Silent Film Festival, now in its 20th 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 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.