Director & Actor Robert Townsend to Host Pop-Up Film Festival in Chicago

Legendary Director and Actor Robert Townsend, a Chicago native, will be hosting a two-day pop-up film festival in Chicago featuring screenings of his classic films on Saturday December 6th to Sunday, December 7th. The event will take place at Columbia College Chicago on Saturday, December 6 and at the Chicago Cultural Center on Sunday, December 7.

The two-day film festival is to raise funds for the city’s West Side branch of the NAACP and a local award-winning autism advocacy agency, The Answer Inc. “In these challenging times we must band together to fight for human rights,” said Townsend.

The event is made possible by Chicago’s DCASE, Columbia College Chicago, and Creative Cypher.

Townsend tapped Creative Cypher’s founder Troy Pryor, producer of the XL Film Fest, to lead production of his two-day pop-up film festival in December. Townsend has become a mentor to Pryor, and was featured as the first keynote speaker for Pryor’s first XL Fest in 2023.

“After the success of the XL Fest, it just made sense to collaborate with Troy and his team,” said Townsend.

Townsend said that pouring back into organizations that help vulnerable populations in Chicago is important and necessary to his legacy. The proceeds from the two-day film festival will benefit underserved Black families in Chicago through supporting services and initiatives of the Westside NAACP. 

Proceeds from the film festival will also support families with loved ones with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Townsend partnered with longtime friend, Debra Vines, Chicago native, former Top 10 CNN Hero and founder of The Answer Inc. Autism Awareness and Advocacy Agency, to support families impacted by autism.

On Saturday, December 6th at 12:00 p.m., Townsend will kick off the festival with a viewing of The Spook Who Sat by the Door, followed by a Q & A about the film. At 4:00 p.m., there will be a screening of The Five Heartbeats, followed by a Q & A. 

Day one wraps up with a comedy showcase featuring Chicago actor and comedian LaRoyce Hawkins. These events all take place at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.

On Sunday, December 7, the film festival will continue at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., featuring a screening of The Meteor Man at 11:00 a.m. followed by a Q & A, and Force, an episode directed by Townsend, also followed by a Q & A. 

The event wraps up with a Bid Whist Tournament, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave.

“Film and other forms of art have always brought Black Americans together,” said Townsend.  “The goal of this two-day film festival in Chicago is to preserve our rights as humans despite the current climate of our government, and the attack on Black art forms.”

Tickets for Robert Townsend’s Pop-Up Film Festival are available for purchase online at http://events.eventnoire.com/e/robert-townsend-presents-pop-up-film-festival

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