Dances With Films Brings Filmmaker Mixer Series to Chicago for the First Time

Dances With Films (DWF) expanded its nationwide filmmaker community this month with a debut Filmmaker Mixer in Chicago. Held Wednesday, February 11 from at Adamus Lounge inside the Silversmith Hotel, the free event brought together a vibrant community of independent filmmakers from across the city for an evening of networking and connection.

For several years, DWF has hosted filmmaker mixers in Los Angeles and New York City. The mixer’s expansion to Chicago carried special significance for Ariana Farina, Chair of Narrative Features Programming and Senior Producer at DWF, who is originally from the city.

“Chicago holds a special place in my heart because I am from here, so I was already familiar with all of the talent this city holds,” said Farina. “Having held filmmaker mixers in other cities previously, it was a special mission of mine to bring this collaborative event for indie filmmakers to Chicago. It was an incredible turnout of filmmakers on all levels. Chicago is a world-renowned hub of filmmaking talent with a unique perspective in indie filmmaking. It was so inspiring to meet so many of these talented people and hear about their current and upcoming projects.”

Festival founders Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent echoed Farina’s enthusiasm for engaging more deeply with Chicago’s creative community.

“Chicago is an amazing and invigorating city for innovative films,” said Scallon and Trent. “The creatives who originate from this windy city have been and always will be the breakthrough artists. These unique voices are exactly the caliber of artists that Dances With Films strives to champion. We look forward to exploring possibilities to contribute in this city to its already thriving festival and indie filmmaking scene.”

Looking ahead, DWF continues to connect film communities across the country with new mixers and opportunities on the horizon.

“Next we have more filmmaker mixers on the horizon, including one on March 19 in Los Angeles,” said Farina, Scallon and Trent. “And of course we have our Los Angeles Festival coming up in June 2026 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, CA. Submissions are now open on FilmFreeway till April 3, 2026.”

Get an inside look below at the mixer to see the new connections built within the Chicago film world, and be sure to check back here at SCREEN Magazine for more exclusive news and interviews. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.