Oracle Film presents APERTURE SERIES TAKE 6 in Public Access Theatre

Oracle’s mainstage season may be over, but our free programming isn’t!  Oracle Film is excited to announce APERTURE SERIES TAKE 6, a filmmaker showcase featuring the work of local Chicago artist, Eugene Sun Park. APERTURE SERIES TAKE 6 runs December 4, 2014 through December 7, 2014, at Oracle Theatre (3809 N. Broadway in Chicago). Screenings are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8PM; Sunday at 7PM.  The series will screen 8 short films over the course of the 80 minute event, 7 directed by Mr. Park and 1 directed by Tracy Pitts, produced by Mr. Park. Q & A sessions will follow, along with a special filmmaker reception.  Press are invited to attend, and Oracle appreciates being listed in events calendars.

Admission to APERTURE SERIES is FREE in Public Access Theatre.  Seats are sponsored by The Forty 4, a growing population of individuals and local businesses committed to making free art for all. Major donors include: Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Broadway In Chicago, The Saints, the Illinois Arts Council, Ronald A. Greene Memorial Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The MacArthur Foundation.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER             
Eugene is a writer, director, and producer of short films and videos, working in both traditional narrative and experimental forms. Eugene’s films have screened at festivals, micro-cinemas, and on broadcast television, including New York International Independent Film & Video Festival, Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, Upstream Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, HDFEST, New Hope Film Festival, the Whitsell Theater at the Portland Art Museum, and on Time Warner Cable.

Eugene’s feature-length screenplay, Michael’s Story, was the winner of the Screenplay Competition at the 37th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF). He is a 2014 recipient of an Artist Project Grant from the Illinois Arts Council, which has supported the production of his latest film, Self-Deportation: The Untold Tale of a Marginal Woman. Newcity Magazine recently profiled Eugene in “Chicago’s Screen Gems: Film 50” – an annual list of the influencers in Chicago’s thriving film industry.
SCREENING SCHEDULE & DETAILS

• The House Always Wins (10:25)

The House Always Wins provides a snapshot of a Korean immigrant’s first foray into casino gambling.  Filmed entirely on a “spy cam” built into a wristwatch, this experimental doc has an unusual aesthetic quality that aspires to be voyeuristic, yet intimate and confessional.  The city of Philadelphia serves as the physical and literal setting of this film, giving rise to a sense of displaced, amorphous “Asian-ness”, a common feature of the immigrant experience for many first- and second- generation Asian Americans.

• Darker & Wetter Places (01:30)

A short, abstract film characterized by a shifting sense of place and haunting glimpses of a figure moving around and across indeterminate surroundings.

• Untitled (03:39)

Time lapse love letter to Portland.  Shot on a Bolex using his thumb, one frame at a time.

• 1000 Li (14:45)

Produced after nearly eight years away from filmmaking to pursue a PhD in Philosophy with a focus in ethics, the script began as an adaptation of an old Russian tale.  With each draft, however, the screenplay mooched further and further away from the original source material.  The final product touches on issues of Korean American identity, religious hypocrisy, and personal ethics.

• Outside (15:10), Directed by Tracy Pitts, produced by Eugene Sun Park

Richard and Frances’s shared history has begun to erode.  Frances, tethered to her past as Richard’s spouse, reluctantly wades into her future as his caretaker.

• Spawned Seeds: A Post-Butoh Festival (02:08)

A short video celebrating the magical characters created by a group of international Butoh performers.  Curated and conceived by Sara Zalek, this annual festival occurs at the Chicago Cultural Center and is supported in part by DCASE.

• Self-Deportation: The Untold Tale of a Marginal Woman (22:00)

Self-Deportation follows the journey of an Asian American who crosses over into a surreal world after a series of strange encounters on the subway. Caught in an endless loop of subway cars and mysterious hallways, she becomes lost in the fantastical landscape of “Real America”- the dreamlike environments populated by various American archetypes: a peppy cheerleader, a fast-talking politician, a heroic firefighter, etc.  This state of “self-deportation”- both literal and figurative- raises questions about our notions of home and belonging. This film is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

• That Will Be Unpleasant (06:26)

A work-in-progress.  This film invites the viewer into a bustling public space filled with commuters.  The space becomes subtly charged by the presence of a mysterious person in black, who lurks around and then drops an unmarked black duffle bag on the sidewalk in plain view.  What is the appropriate reaction?  Alarm? Fear? Humor?

ABOUT ORACLE FILM & APERTURE SERIES
The Aperture Series is hosted by Oracle Film. Each series consists of a weekend dedicated to showcasing the films of individual independent filmmakers. Providing them with an audience, while offering free screenings to the community through Oracle Production’s Public Access Theatre model.

With our film projects, we embark on an exploration of the medium to stretch the limitations of the cinematic art form. Oracle Film joins its audience in a dialogue dissecting the barriers between the filmmaker and the film viewer. Oracle Film elevates its community by placing free film at the citizens’ fingertips.

From the simplest narrative to the experimental and avant-garde; from showcasing the individual filmmaker to producing works of our own – we make art, we make it free, and we share it with as many people possible – for free.

Oracle’s mission is to provide everyone everywhere access to the arts.  This year, the group has been recognized for both outstanding vision and artistic excellence.  Oracle received 5 Jeff Awards for THE MOTHER, including Best Ensemble and Best Production.  In addition, members of the League of Chicago Theatres awarded Oracle with the 2014 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theater Award.  The Illinois Theatre Association also honored Oracle with the 2014 Award of Excellence in Professional Theatre.  This advocacy makes a bold statement about Chicago’s arts community: they, too, believe everyone everywhere should have access to the arts.

Since Public Access Theatre launched in 2010, Oracle has provided free performances to over 19,000 people locally and internationally, worked with over 350 artists, and collaborated with over 60 different organizations.  Oracle has seen exponential growth through Public Access Theatre.

Season 5 in Public Access Theatre opens with CIRCLE-MACHINE, an adaptation of Charles Mee’s FULL CIRCLE, directed by Thom  Pasculli, which runs from January 24 through March 14, 2015.  Next up is THE AMERICA PLAY by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Vanessa Stalling.  This prescient show runs June 13 through August 1, 2015.  As a finale to Season 5, Artistic Director Max Truax adapts and directs NO BEAST SO FIERCE.  In this world-premiere adaptation of Shakespeare’s RICHARD III, Truax rejoins forces with Jeff Award-winning actor Katherine Keberlein, who will star as Richard III.  NO BEAST SO FIERCE runs October through November 2015.  Admission to all performances is FREE in Public Access Theatre.

For more information, visit publicaccesstheatre.org,  facebook.com/OracleProductions, and twitter.com/OracleTheatre.

For any questions or additional requests, please contact Public Relations Director Jaime Dunphy – jaime.dunphy@publicaccesstheatre.org.