Enjoy Festive Photos from IFA Chicago’s Magic Hour Gala

December is holiday party season and IFA Chicago’s Magic Hour gala was a joyous celebration for the Illinois film and television community earlier this month. SCREEN has a superb slate of photos for you from the festivities.

Hosted by actor and comedian Antoine McKay (Chicago Med, South Side, Empire, All Happy Families) this year’s event recognized the 21-time Emmy award winning series The Bear, with its Creative Vision Award. Both on screen and behind the scenes, The Bear captures Chicago’s spirit of resilience, creativity, and grit. IFA will celebrate the invaluable talent of Chicago’s local crew members, artisans, and professionals, who are vital to the show’s success and whose hard work has long defined our city’s film and television community. Accepting the award on behalf of the production were Emmy-winning Director of Photography Drew Wehde and Emmy-nominated Production Designer Merje Veski. 

IFA presented its Breakthrough Voice Award to Emmy, NAACP Image, WGA, and GLAAD Award-nominated writer, comedian, and actor Dewayne Perkins. A Chicago native, Perkins has made waves as a groundbreaking voice in comedy, film, and television, celebrated for his distinct perspective and contributions to shows like The Amber Ruffin Show and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as his recent starring role in the feature film The Blackening, which he also co-wrote. The Breakthrough Voice Award is given to an individual whose work demonstrates an exceptional level of creative quality and storytelling integrity that has broken-through onto the national film landscape.

Let’s dive into a fabulous photo gallery, courtesy of IFA Chicago and Photographer Jason Brown of JB Creative…

Former award recipients include Governor JB Pritzker, Cinespace Founder and former CEO Alex Pissios, and award winning filmmakers Minhal Baig and McKenzie Chinn. 

Magic Hour 2024 included dinner, dancing, a unique silent auction, and the opportunity to network with industry professionals. All proceeds from the event will go to support IFA Chicago’s mission to build and strengthen the local filmmaking industry.

Click here to become a member of IFA Chicago and join its ever-growing community.

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