‘The Punk Show in Chicago’ Wins ‘The Pitch’ at CIFF Industry Days

The 59th Chicago International Film Festival has announced THE PUNK SHOW IN CHICAGO as the winner of The Pitch at the 9th edition of Industry Days. Written and directed by Erika Valenciana, produced by Anuradha Rana, and executive produced by Christina Shaver, THE PUNK SHOW IN CHICAGO is a comedy about Alicia, a timid Chicana punk teen and her brash Filipina BFF Belen, who travel to Chicago to go see their favorite band play, meet up with a dreamboat, and get an abortion.

The film was selected by this year’s distinguished Pitch jury, composed of Jenny Halper, EVP, Head of Creative at Maven Pictures, Ana Leocha, creative executive at Tango Entertainment, and Kiva Reardon, VP of film at PASTEL. THE PUNK SHOW IN CHICAGO received an awards package of in-kind goods and services worth tens of thousands of dollars. Contributors include Panavision, Light Iron, Periscope Post & Audio, Camera Ambassador, Ramo Law PC, PR Casting, and All Senses Go.

The Festival has also announced a slate of five narrative feature film projects that will take part in next year’s edition of CIX: Lab, a year-long development program that will culminate at The Pitch at Industry Days in 2024. 

This year’s filmmakers represent a diversity of voices that continue to reinforce the breadth and vitality of Chicago-area filmmakers and projects: from a psychedelic thriller set in the exurbs to a surrealist tale of an 8th grader with no insides, to the story of two Black women on the South side of Chicago and a queer musician who must return to her hometown, and a newly engaged couple whose relationship starts to unravel. 

Past projects from the Chicago Industry Exchange and The Pitch have gone on to completion, including Jennifer Reeder’s SIGNATURE MOVE and KNIVES AND SKIN, Haroula Rose’s ONCE UPON A RIVER, and Alex Heller’s THE YEAR BETWEEN.

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