Filmmaker of the Moment: James Choi and His Promising Project ‘All Things Considered’

As we look ahead to 2023, there is one more promising Chicago production to add to your radar. The winner of The 8th Annual showcase of Windy City feature films in development “The Pitch” is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, written and directed by James Choi. The film follows a young Korean-American man whose spirited mother is determined to reconnect with her son and help him with his depression through a “fake funeral” ritual that promises to deliver people from their despair. The Pitch was hosted by the 58th Chicago International Film Festival, presented by Cinema/Chicago.

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED will receive an awards package of in-kind goods and services worth tens of thousands of dollars. Contributions include a $20,000 camera package from Panavision; $15,000 worth of post-production from Light Iron; $20,000 in sound from Periscope Post & Audio; in-kind production support from IFA Chicago, as well as free consulting services from Simon Casting and New York entertainment law firm Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo LLP.

“All of this year’s pitch projects were winners, and all deserve to get made,” said Chicago International Film Festival Senior Programmer Anthony Kaufman. “The Festival looks forward to seeing James’s finished film in the future, and we are so glad we were able to help him in its development.”

Held earlier this month at the Woodwind and hosted by IFA Chicago Creative Cabinet member and producer-director Nicole Bernardi-Reis, The Pitch at Industry Days has established itself as a leading industry showcase, spotlighting bold, original work from the Chicago region. 

All five of this year’s projects participated in the Chicago Industry Exchange’s year-long CIX: Lab development program. For more on the Lab and the all the participants, see here:

Past projects from The Pitch at Industry Days have gone onto completion, including Alex Heller’s THE YEAR BETWEEN, Jennifer Reeder’s films SIGNATURE MOVE and KNIVES AND SKIN, and Haroula Rose’s ONCE UPON A RIVER.

This year’s Pitch Jury included Greta Talia Fuentes, Vice President of Film Production and Development at MACRO Film Studios (producers of JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), Gigi Pritzker, Founder and CEO of Madison Wells, known for such films as MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN and HELL OR HIGH WATER, and Brenda Robinson, an entertainment attorney and producer (ICARUS, WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?) and head of film finance and inclusion strategies at Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions.

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