In previous years this has been billed as the Chicago United Film Festival; the new, inverted title more accurately reflects the fact that, instead of a homegrown event, this is really the local installment of a nationwide series programmed by the Los Angeles distributor United Films. The 23 programs screening range from new indie dramas and documentaries to shorts programs to late shows of studio releases (The Terminator, The Craft). Following are reviews of three genuinely local productions; for a full schedule see musicboxtheatre.com.
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Chicago Farmer Singer-songwriter Cody Diekhoff was raised in downstate Delavan, Illinois, before moving to Wicker Park in the 90s and coming up with the stage name Chicago Farmer; the dichotomy between big city and small town is the theme of this concert video as well, though Diekhoff and filmmaker Cory Poplin don’t have enough to say about it to ward off monotony. Diekhoff plies his reedy tenor, buzzing steel-string guitar, and wry observations in 17 songs at the Peoria Theater, his pleasant performance punctuated by modest and unrevealing interview sequences in a bar and a car (the two locations where folkies spend about 95 percent of their professional lives). The movie reminds me of that famous Leadbelly couplet “Sometimes I live in the country, sometimes I live in town / Sometimes I has a great notion to jump into the river an’ drown,” but without the drama of the second line. 94 min. Sun 9/23, 4:30 PM.
Sat-Thu 9/22-27. Tickets for all shows are $10. Music Box
