October 11, 2011 4:13 pm
The Interrupters returned to the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago last Friday. Producer Alex Kotlowitz, co-producer Zak Piper and CeaseFire members Ricardo “Cobe” Williams and Marcus McAllister participated in an insightful Q&A. Inspired audience members inquired about everything from the particularities of filmmaking to the logistics and financing of CeaseFire. While some wondered about the personal stances of the Ceasefire members present that night, others just expressed their own feelings about the film, claiming it to be “the most important documentary they had ever seen.”
View photos from the event, check out this great review from a viewer on opening night in Chicago, and watch the master Roger Ebert review The Interrupters for his Ebert Presents... television show this past week.
The Interrupters will run in Chicago through October 20. Certain screenings are already sold out or have had extra tickets released due to demand. For the complete list, please visit the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Chicago fans also attend two events around the film as part of Chicago Ideas Week. Tomorrow at 6pm, head to Siskel Film Center where Kartemquin's Director of Production and The Interrupters Co-producer Zak Piper will be on a Chicago Ideas Week Film Panel with Cobe Williams & Eddie Bocanegra. On Thursday at Noon, Ameena Matthews, Eddie & Cobe will be honored as Chicago Heroes!
The film also opened for week-long runs this past week in Atlanta and at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox, in a sold-out screening attended by director Steve James. Toronto reviewers adored the film (which has already been confirmed for a second week due to demand), calling it "easily the documentary of the year" and stating "this is a documentary that needs to be seen, so let's hope its fascinating cast of characters gets introduced into schools everywhere." Atlanta’s Movie Examiner (where the film opened this past weekend) calls it “never short of riveting” and states that it should get a best picture nomination!