First-Ever Blue Island Short Film Festival Debuts At Lyric Theater

BLUE ISLAND, IL — Join Mark and Kenny Nilsson for the first-ever Blue Island Short Film Festival this Saturday, Nov. 5. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the festival beginning at 7 p.m., at the historic Lyric Theater, 12952 S. Western Ave., Blue Island.

Enjoy an evening of film shorts from coast-to-coast, including six produced on Chicago’s South Side – four of those by Blue Island filmmakers. The films range in length from six minutes to 15-minutes, and will be presented in two acts, including an intermission.

"My brother and I are both in the entertainment industry, so we thought it would be awesome to have a film festival in the theater where we grew up watching movies," Mark Nilsson said. "The Lyric just reopened a few months ago after being vacant for the past 20 years. Rhe owners of Beggars Pizza bought the theater and renovated it. It's beautiful."

The audience’s vote will also help decide this year’s festival winner. This is a one-night only historic event. Tickets are $10 for floor seating, and $15 for premium (excluding service fees), which can be purchased online or at the door. Guests must be 17 to see R-rated movies without an adult; no children under 8 will be permitted.

Opening in 1917, the Lyric was once the center of Blue Island’s entertainment district. Nearly every inch of the 12,000-square-foot theater has been lovingly renovated, offering a 29-foot wide, 17-foot tall screen, not to mention an intimate movie-going experience.

Featured films include: