‘Relative’ Returns to Chicago Screens, Continues Expansion Throughout U.S.

Michael Glover Smith’s fourth feature Relative, which launched a joint premiere theatrical run at the Music Box Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center last summer, is set to return to Chicago screens for special encore showings at Facets Multimedia and the New 400 Theater in Rogers Park in the coming weeks. These screenings will coincide with the expansion of the film in other markets throughout the country. The Facets screening will occur this Friday, January 27, and be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Michael Glover Smith (Mercury in Retrograde) and editor Eric Marsh (Orders), moderated by filmmaker Lori Felker (Future Language: The Dimensions of Von LMO). The New 400 screening will take place on Sunday, February 19, and be followed by a Q&A with Smith and actress Elizabeth Stam (Bleed American).

“Everyone on the Relative team is thrilled that there’s been a demand for our film to return to Chicago for more screenings” Smith said in an exclusive statement to SCREEN. “The Facets screening should be especially memorable due to the fact that our film is dedicated to Facets’ founder Milos Stehlik. Eric and I are really looking forward to digging into the nuts and bolts of filmmaking with Lori in our Q&A. The New 400 screening will be a different animal: Elizabeth Stam gives a performance that a lot of critics have called ‘scene stealing’ and she’s always so charming and funny in the talkbacks. She and I will also give a ‘walking tour’ over to the film’s main location, a beautiful house on Newgard Ave., immediately after that screening. We’ve done a few of those before and they’re always a big hit with local audiences.”

Relative has enjoyed success on the festival circuit. Wins include the Best Performance honor bestowed upon Cameron Scott Roberts at the movie’s Gasparilla International Film Festival premiere in Tampa, Florida, the Best Ensemble award given to the entire cast at Festival of Cinema NYC in Queens, and the Best Narrative Feature award at the Full Bloom Film Festival in Statesville, North Carolina.

The Successful Theatrical Run Forges Ahead

Elsewhere around the country, Relative has recently screened in Minneapolis, MN and Wichita, KS and will soon also play Santa Fe, NM, Fort Collins, CO and Asbury Park, NJ, as well as the Beloit International Film Festival in Wisconsin in March. It is unsurprising that the film, which will soon achieve the milestone of grossing over $20,000 theatrically, has connected with audiences around the U.S.: The family dramedy has a 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes with many critics praising the large and impressive ensemble cast, which is headlined by Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks), Steppenwolf veteran Francis Guinan, Cameron Scott Roberts (The Walking Dead), Clare Cooney (Runner), Keith D. Gallagher (Chicago Med) and Emily Lape (Mercy’s Girl). Matt Fagerholm, who included it on his list of the “Top 20 Films of 2022” at Indie Outlook, called it “impeccably cast, superbly directed and utterly captivating.”

If you’re hearing about Relative for the first time today, here is your first look at the Chicago-made indie:

For the most up-to-date screening info, visit the film’s official website: www.relativemovie.com

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