Ever After, a feature documentary seven years in the making, takes audiences beyond the kitchen to explore the extraordinary personal journey of acclaimed Chicago chef Curtis Duffy. The film will make its world premiere Monday, October 19, at the Music Box Theatre as a Special Presentation of the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival. Directed by Frankie Nasso and written and produced by…

Pete and the crew at Chicago's ProGear Rental are busy packing up their cameras, lenses, lighting equipment and everything else that keeps a production rolling as the company prepares to move a few blocks away into a new 5,800-square-foot facility at 452 N. Claremont Avenue. The new location officially opens October 26, 2026, bringing expanded inventory capacity, easier loading and unloading, improved customer access and something every Chicago production professional can appreciate.

Every so often, an independent film comes along that reminds me why I love the art of filmmaking so much. Chicago director Duane Edwards’ latest feature, Laura Louise, is one of those films. I’ve followed Edwards’ work since his earlier feature, Wrong Numbers, an intimate, two-character drama that demonstrated his ability to tell a compelling story with limited resources.

Chicago Fire returns Wednesday, October 14, with a new episode titled, "Rattle the Cage," that raises questions about a mental health facility while putting additional pressure on Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney.) In the Season 15 episode 2, paramedics Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) and Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) become suspicious after treating a patient who escaped from a mental health facility.

Chicago Med previews “Third Rails.” Chaos in the ED: Dangerous Teen Trends and Bizarre Medical Fixes Push Gaffney to the Brink. The emergency department at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center is thrown into absolute chaos when a group of teenagers practicing the highly dangerous online trend of subway surfing are rushed in with devastating, life-threatening injuries. With the department already navigating tense adjustments under shifting leadership, the influx of critical trauma tests the staff's resourcefulness like never before.

Chicago P.D. marks an emotional milestone for the long-running NBC drama as LaRoyce Hawkins makes his final appearance as Officer Kevin Atwater. The Season 14 episode, titled “Don't Blink,” brings Atwater to a turning point that will shape his future after more than a decade with the Intelligence Unit. The episode also marks a return behind the camera for former 

LaRoyce Hawkins filmed his final Chicago P.D. episode in August, and viewers are about to see the farewell to Kevin Atwater, the character he has played for more than a decade. LaRoyce's final episode, “Don’t Blink,” airs Wednesday, October 14, at 9 p.m. Central on NBC. The second episode of Season 14 concludes his run as a series regular. For Chicago, his departure has a hometown connection.

Anyone who has spent time around cannabis probably knows at least one story that begins with, “I may have taken too much.” Chicago-born Herb Light is turning those stories into Halloween entertainment with “ScareBnB,” a new campaign inviting consumers to confess their worst cannabis experiences for the chance to spend a weekend inside one of two reportedly haunted Illinois homes.

Chicago lost a legend today. Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach who led the Bears to their only Super Bowl championship and became one of the most recognizable figures in Chicago sports history, died Friday at 86. Within hours, one of the city’s most visible billboards had changed to honor him. Old National Bank, working with Chicago agency…

NBC's One Chicago franchise premiere episodes introduced several new faces to Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. as the three Chicago-filmed dramas began their latest seasons. The new arrivals include firefighters finding their footing at Firehouse 51, a change in leadership at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center and an FBI agent whose presence could complicate life for Sergeant Hank Voight.

Chicago-made short film CHOKE will make its hometown premiere at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival, bringing the work of its local cast and crew to Chicago audiences following its world premiere at HollyShorts. Reel Chicago previously covered the Sparkly Productions film ahead of its HollyShorts screening. According to the filmmakers, that premiere played to a sold-out audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who later coached the Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl championship, has died at 86. Ditka’s family announced his death Friday, remembering him not only as a football legend but as the center of their family. No cause of death was immediately disclosed. For Chicago, Ditka was never simply a former player or coach.

Wellness marketing can get complicated fast. Powders. Pills. Gadgets. Hacks. Protocols. Routines. Kettle & Fire and Chicago-based AOR Someoddpilot are taking the opposite approach with the bone broth brand’s first-ever brand campaign: Think less. Eat broth. Titled “Be a Bonehead,” the campaign drops a caveman and cavewoman into modern life to make the case that health does not always have to feel like advanced chemistry.

Chicago-based Someoddpilot is putting NBA big man Isaiah Stewart everywhere at once in a new campaign for Xero Shoes, using duplication to capture the Detroit forward’s relentless style of play. The campaign, “Go Harder,” promotes Xero’s X1, a minimalist basketball shoe designed around the brand’s barefoot philosophy. Stewart, a longtime fan of barefoot footwear, wore the X1 during games and training last season, giving Xero a very visible entry into a basketball category increasingly dominated by highly engineered, heavily cushioned shoes.

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains major details from the Season 15 premiere of Chicago Fire. Firehouse 51 is officially entering a new era. Dermot Mulroney made his final appearance as Battalion Chief Dom Pascal in the Season 15 premiere of NBC’s Chicago Fire, ending a two-season run that began when the veteran actor stepped into the considerable void left by longtime series star…

One of the most interesting ideas running through Dark Matter is that identity is shaped as much by circumstance as by character. The Jasons are the clearest example. They may share the same basic DNA, memories, and intelligence, but one choice sends them down radically different paths. One Jason becomes the devoted husband and father willing to tear through the multiverse to get back to his family.

Governor JB Pritzker joined Hollywood River Studios founder and CEO Christopher Breakwell, Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup and state officials on October 5 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new production complex that will include six soundstages totaling approximately 144,000 square feet. The development represents a significant investment in the Metro East region, with the first production facilities targeted for completion in 2027.

John Prine’s music is coming home this week as Chicago and Maywood celebrate what would have been his 80th birthday with concerts, film screenings, conversations and community gatherings through October 11. The Prine family and the Hello In There Foundation are bringing the celebration to places connected to the songwriter’s beginnings, including the Old Town School of Folk Music and his hometown of Maywood.

Getting dropped by your insurance company can feel like a fight. So The General and BBDO Chicago decided to make it one. In the latest installment of the brand’s “The Break” platform, Joe Anoa’i, better known to WWE fans as Roman Reigns, steps into the role of Akuma from the upcoming live-action Street Fighter film and turns one driver’s insurance frustration into a full-blown battle.

Apparently, even the wildlife has had enough of distracted drivers. WeatherTech and Cramer-Krasselt (C-K) are heading into fall with “Friendly Intervention,” a new campaign that recruits a raccoon, skunk, moose, deer and one particularly opinionated bear to teach drivers a few lessons about safety - and protecting their vehicles. The campaign features two 30-second spots that give WeatherTech’s normally practical product messaging a stranger, funnier spin.

Chicago Med returns Wednesday night for its 12th season, and new teaser pics offer a first look at the action awaiting the doctors and staff at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The Season 12 premiere, titled “Shots Fired,” begins with a crisis after gunfire at a wedding sends patients into the Emergency Department and puts the medical team immediately to work.

Chicago P.D. is back Wednesday night, and new teaser photos offer a first look at what’s ahead for the Intelligence Unit as the series begins Season 14. The season premiere, titled “Demolition,” puts Voight and Intelligence into a new investigation while changes inside the unit begin to take shape. The official logline for “Demolition” reads: “Intelligence investigates the shooting of a parole officer.

Chicago Fire returns Wednesday night for its 15th season, and NBC has released a first look at what’s ahead for Firehouse 51 in the season premiere. The new photos from Episode 1501, titled “New Blood,” offer a glimpse at the aftermath of the warehouse fire that left members of 51 in serious danger at the end of Season 14. They also introduce some of the new faces arriving at the firehouse as the new season gets underway.

Calvin’s is reopening for business. Prime Video has set Feb. 10, 2027, as the premiere date for Barbershop, the new comedy series inspired by the film franchise. All eight episodes will debut at once in more than 240 countries and territories. The series brings the story back to Chicago, following Travis “Trav” Walker, played by Jermaine Fowler, as he returns home hoping to honor his grandfather’s legacy at Calvin’s Barbershop.

Prime Video is keeping Frances Neagley on the case. The Reacher spinoff Neagley, starring Maria Sten as the Chicago-based private investigator and former member of the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit, has been renewed for a second season at Amazon. The pickup comes just two weeks after all episodes of the first season dropped. According to Amazon, Neagley reached 40 million viewers in its first 13 days and became the streamer’s fourth most-watched series debut, with more than half of its audience coming from outside the U.S., particularly the U.K., Germany and Brazil.

Each year, Riot Fest attracts 40,000 to 50,000 non-residents into the reluctant North Lawndale neighborhood. But for the Latino shoegaze band, Almost There But Not Really (ATBNR), Douglass Park is practically home. Co-founders Jay Sanchez (vocals, guitar) and Armando (guitar) met in the press area after their set to talk about the moment. As close as the festival is to home, it’s still a journey to get here.

Laughlin Constable Public Relations has earned a PRSA Chicago Skyline Award for its work supporting the transformation of Hollywood Casino Joliet. The agency’s “Hollywood Casino Joliet Transforms Experience” campaign, created for PENN Entertainment, was recognized in the Integrated Communications, Consumer Services category at PRSA Chicago’s Sept. 17 awards gala. The campaign supported the repositioning of the longtime Joliet casino as a new $185 million land-based entertainment destination featuring gaming, celebrity chef dining and a regional sports hub.

As One Chicago returns for the new season on October 7, its lasting impact on Chicago’s economy comes into focus. Beyond the screen, the franchise has supported jobs, local businesses and opportunities for the city’s next generation of production professionals. According to an October 1 announcement from NBCUniversal, One Chicago has supported approximately 1,500 jobs per season and generated nearly…

CineCity Studios and Polymath Research Inc. are exploring a film investment platform that would pair the Chicago studio’s production resources with technology to issue and manage digital securities. The collaboration would combine Toronto-based Polymath’s digital securities infrastructure with CineCity’s film production ecosystem to explore a tokenized investment vehicle for film and entertainment investors. Under the proposed structure, Polymath would serve as the technology partner, providing infrastructure and expertise for digital securities issuance, investor onboarding, compliance workflows, investor management and the ongoing administration of tokenized interests.

The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival will bring filmmakers, producers, executives and other industry professionals together for four days of workshops, conversations and networking during Industry Days, October 15 through 18. Presented by Cinema/Chicago, Industry Days returns for its 12th year as the professional development arm of the Festival, offering filmmakers opportunities to hear directly from producers, distributors and industry executives while connecting with potential collaborators.

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced a season of exhibitions, films, performances, workshops and cultural programs at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington) this fall and winter. Admission to all exhibitions and DCASE programming is free and open to the public. From exhibitions exploring memory, identity and freedom to film screenings focused on the realities of creative work, the season offers Chicagoans multiple ways to engage with artists, ideas and each other at the Cultural Center.

Chicago is heading into October with something it has experienced only a handful of times in more than a century of baseball. Both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are in the postseason. The 2026 season marks only the fourth time the Cubs and White Sox have reached the playoffs in the same year. The others came in 1906, 2008 and 2020.

Chicago Fire is heading into Season 15 with some significant changes at Firehouse 51, both in front of the camera and behind it. The NBC series returns October 7 with several longtime favorites back in place, new firefighters joining the house and some notable departures. Joe Miñoso, who has played Joe Cruz since the first season, is leaving the series, as is Dermot Mulroney, who joined as Chief Dom Pascal in Season 13.

M&M’S have jumped out of the snack bowl and onto the screen in BBDO Chicago’s latest campaign, Screentime. Directed by Rami Hachache through PRETTYBIRD US, the campaign includes three 15-second spots - Telenovela, Scene of the Crime and Unanimous - each borrowing from familiar film and TV genres to put the M&M’S Spokescandies at the center of the drama with an unexpected twist.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead. If last week’s Dark Matter explored the cost of never fully escaping the box, Episode 5, “Love and Be Loved,” takes a quieter, more surprising route. Instead of pushing the main story forward, the episode steps sideways. It follows one of the alternate Jasons who lost Daniela and Charlie at the end of Season 1, a version of Jason who made many of the same choices, endured much of the same pain and simply lost the final coin toss.

Emmy Rossum says playing Fiona Gallagher on Shameless came with an unexpected downside off-screen: men she dated sometimes assumed they already knew something about her sexuality because of the nudity she had done on the show. Speaking with Maria Sharapova on the Pretty Tough podcast, Rossum said the show’s intimate scenes created “preconceived notions” that followed her into her personal life.

NBC has officially unveiled the cast of Chicago Med Season 12, with seven familiar faces returning to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center when the Chicago-made medical drama begins its new season October 7. Returning are Steven Weber as Dr. Dean Archer, Jessy Schram as Dr. Hannah Asher, Luke Mitchell as Dr. Mitch Ripley, Sarah Ramos as Dr. Caitlin Lenox, Darren Barnet…

Chicago Fire has reached a milestone few television series ever achieve. The cast and crew wrapped filming on the show’s 300th episode in Chicago last week, marking the occasion with a celebration that included Chicago Fire creator and executive producer Dick Wolf, who was in town for the milestone. And this was no small cake-and-coffee gathering. Among the touches marking 300 episodes was a massive ice sculpture created for the celebration.

The Intelligence Unit is heading back to work. Chicago P.D. returns for Season 14 on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes streaming the following day on Peacock. The new season brings back the core ensemble led by Jason Beghe as Sgt. Hank Voight, alongside Patrick John Flueger as Detective Adam Ruzek, Marina Squerciati as Detective Kim Burgess, …

One of the more persistent frustrations with Dark Matter has been what the series has done - or hasn’t done - with Jennifer Connelly. For much of the story, Daniela has been forced into reaction mode while multiple versions of Jason Dessen have dictated the action around her. Jason No. 2 stole her life. Jason No. 1 fought his way back to her.

Havas Chicago has named Larry Gies its new Chief Strategy Officer, bringing the longtime Energy BBDO strategist back into the Havas network and onto the agency’s senior leadership team. Gies joins Havas Chicago after 17 years at Energy BBDO, where he helped build and modernize the agency’s strategy discipline and contributed to some of its most recognized work. Over a career spanning more than three decades, Gies has worked across brands including Nike, Miller Lite, Extra Gum, Old Forester and Champion.

Yacht Club has signed Sonia Reps for Midwest representation, expanding its agency and brand reach across a market the production company sees as particularly important for food, confectionery, and consumer goods work. The partnership gives Sonia Reps responsibility for representing Yacht Club across the region, as the company looks to build on its mix of live-action, tabletop, stills, post and virtual production capabilities.

Chase Walsh stands calmly amid the bustling press area at Riot Fest. His gaze penetrates through tinted sunglasses to convey a singular state of mind: readiness. After decades of preparation, everything is rapidly coming together for 27‑year‑old Walsh, from his band Worry Club to his debut acting gig. Chase Walsh (photo by Julie Simmons)  Worry Club was conceived in 2020 by Walsh and his friend at Western Michigan University.

Jersey Mike’s is heading into year two of its NFL partnership with a new campaign platform and one very unexpected franchise quarterback. Created with Highdive, Game Day Mike’s Way builds on last year’s “Eli vs. Danny” campaign, which introduced the rivalry between Danny DeVito and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. This time, DeVito takes the field.

HomeGoods took its “Never Shop the Same” platform quite literally, supersizing everyday home finds for a larger-than-life experiential activation in Chicago’s Pioneer Court. Created with Fallon, the installation transformed familiar HomeGoods products into oversized displays, bringing the retailer's unexpected shopping experience into the real world. Running September 9–13, the activation gave Chicagoans a chance to explore, photograph and interact with the giant products while unlocking surprises designed to extend the experience beyond Pioneer Court and into nearby HomeGoods stores.

Laughlin Constable Public Relations (LCPR) has added three industry honors to its trophy case, earning two awards from PRSA Chicago and a Golden Trumpet Award from the Publicity Club of Chicago. The Chicago- and Milwaukee-based firm was recognized for campaigns created for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago’s oldest public museum, and commercial and mixed-use real estate developer Cullinan Properties.

The Shedd Aquarium becomes part of an unexpected visual conversation in photographer Elizabeth Waterman’s latest body of work, Propulsion, which pairs jellyfish with pole dancers in a series of analog photographic diptychs exploring movement, strength and vulnerability. Waterman, a Los Angeles-based artist with Chicago ties, photographed the jellyfish at Shedd and paired them with images of pole dancers captured in Los Angeles.

Chicago has a new private investigator. And she hits considerably harder than most. Prime Video has expanded the world of Reacher with Neagley, the first spinoff built around Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley, Jack Reacher’s former military colleague who now works as a private investigator in Chicago. All eight episodes debuted September 16, immediately following the Season 4 finale of…

After nearly a decade with Grey, Applebee’s is bringing its creative account back to the Midwest. The casual-dining chain has named BBDO Chicago its new creative agency, handing the Omnicom shop a major national assignment as Applebee’s looks to restore growth and make its longtime “neighborhood” positioning more relevant to today’s diners. The move has a bit of agency-history symmetry. Before Applebee’s selected Grey in 2017, the business had been handled by…

Independent agency twoxfour has been named media agency of record for Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, adding another hometown brand to the shop’s growing roster. The assignment was awarded following a competitive review and covers media planning and buying, along with analytics, strategy and creative collaboration designed to drive traffic to Walter E. Smithe showrooms. For twoxfour president…