Latest Blog Posts

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  Hot Video with Chicago Conspiracy

  Blog, Chicago

  Never-before-released video of the Chicago Eight now brought to the public eye after 50 years   Aaron Sorkin’s recent film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, has revived interest in the historical events which took place in Chicago between 1968 and 1970.  During the entire trial between September 1969 and February 1970, seven of the eight defendants (Bobby Seale had been removed from the trial and left Chicago) gathered as a complete group only twice. The following video is a … Continue reading →

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  Celebrating living legend Timuel Black on his 102nd Birthday

  Black, Blog

  This week, Chicago historian and activist Timuel Black celebrated his 102nd birthday. Among his long list of accomplishments, Black brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak at University of Chicago in 1956, he worked on a campaign to get Harold Washington elected as Chicago’s mayor, and he fought tirelessly to end segregation in Chicago’s public schools. As he told Chicago Magazine, the secret to a long life is “Play some good music, drink a little Merlot, get some sleep, and … Continue reading →

New Videos

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  “Fast Eddie” heads to jail a second time

  Blog

  For decades, “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak has been a controversial Chicago political powerhouse. Known for being a key figure in the Council Wars as one of the “three Eddies” who led a coalition of white aldermen intent on blocking Mayor Harold Washington’s initiatives, he already went to prison in 2008 for bribery. Now, Vrdolyak, 83, is once again heading to prison on charges of tax evasion stemming from fraudulent legal fees charged to the City of Chicago in the 1990s. In … Continue reading →

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  Streaming 11/27-12/17: LINCOLN IS CRYING Documentary

  Blog

  LINCOLN IS CRYING: The Grifters, Grafters & Governors of Illinois is a scathing indictment of politics in the “Land of Lincoln”…and it’s funny too. The new award-winning documentary (Best Documentary Winner at the 2020 Colorado International Activism Film Festival) from filmmakers John Davies and Brian Kallies presents a humorous yet poignant look at the pervasive, deep-rooted culture of political corruption in Illinois. Why focus on Illinois? Well, it’s the most corrupt state in America and home to Chicago, the most corrupt city in … Continue reading →

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  Streaming now: Joan Jett Blakk for President

  Blog

  At the heights of the AIDS epidemic, Joan Jett Blakk, the drag persona of performer and activist Terence Smith, ran a satirical campaign for mayor of Chicago and then later for President of the United States on the Queer Nation Party platform. Using hilarious banter and guerrilla tactics to bring queer issues to the national stage, Candidate Blakk made it all the way to the floor of the 1992 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden.  This 65-minute program, curated … Continue reading →

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  12/3/20: Virtual Talks with Video Activists: South Side Home Movie Project with Ashley O’Shay

  Black, Communities, Events, Home movie, Virtual Talks with Video Activists

  December 3: screening and discussion with the South Side Home Movie Project and filmmaker Ashley O’Shay. Continue reading →

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  Celebrate election day with vintage political films

  Blog

  Just in time for election day, Media Burn, in partnership with Chicago Filmmakers and Chicago Film Archives, is pleased to present a screening and discussion with two astute chroniclers of presidential elections past. CHASING VOTES, CHASING SHADOWS is a collection of vintage political films by Bill Stamets and Peter Kuttner. Stamets shadows presidential candidates on the campaign trail through an ironic ethnographic lens examining the civic theater of “turning every human contact into a photo opportunity,” while Kuttner explores political … Continue reading →

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  An unfiltered look at the Chicago 7 trial

  Blog

  Aaron Sorkin’s new film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, has brought renewed attention to a landmark event in Chicago and national history. Opinions have varied as to the film’s stylistic merit, but if you plan to see it, you owe it to yourself to get a deeper and more accurate understanding of the facts and the context. Tales of Hoffman, a short 2001 documentary demo produced by Matthew Palm and Tom Weinberg with Joel Cohen, Bob Hercules and Jim … Continue reading →

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  1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott Digital Exhibit Is Live Now!

  Blog

  We are thrilled to announce the availability of two exciting new free resources that explore a significant event in civil rights history, the 1963 Chicago Freedom Day. The resources are based on footage shot by Kartemquin Films for their film ‘63 Boycott, which connects the forgotten story of one of the largest northern civil rights demonstrations to contemporary issues around race, education, school closings, and youth activism. Now, audiences will be able to view dozens of hours previously unseen interviews … Continue reading →

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  Voice Your Choice

  Blog

  The right to exercise your vote isn’t something you just talk about—it’s something you do.  The stakes are higher than ever this year, with overt threats to free and fair elections. “Vote and the choice is yours” is how Hollywood icons Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh, and Sidney Poitier said it in 1964. This early TV commercial comes from the Julian P. Kanter Political Commercial Archive at the University of Oklahoma. It was featured in The 90’s Election Special episode, … Continue reading →