CIMMfest’s inaugural “Spring Fling” April 21-23

The Chicago International Movie and Music Festival — CIMMfest — debuts its inaugural Spring Fling Thing at Wicker Park multipurpose venue Chop Shop & 1st Ward from April 21-23.

Boasting a fat lineup of concerts, dance parties and presentations, the three-day cultural event strives to accommodate nearly every demographic of artistic aficionado and every degree of taste. It will complement the annual CIMMfest celebration, which will take place for the first time this year during the fall (November 9-12).

“We’ve wanted to be an ongoing promoter throughout the year,” says Josh Chicoine, the entrepreneur, producer and musician who hatched the idea for CIMMfest with filmmaker Ilko Davidov while drinking beer at Logan Square’s Green Eye Lounge in 2008. Since then, the annual festival has grown to include hundreds of performances in dozens of venues throughout the city.

“Launching Spring Fling Thing was an easy turn to make,” he continues. “It’s super focused and it’s only at one venue.”

The singular venue, Chop Shop & 1st Ward, has hosted CIMMfest events for years. Combining a butcher shop, restaurant, neighborhood bar and concert space steps away from the Damen Blue Line el stop, it is a natural fit for the diverse weekend lineup.

Fulcrum Point New Music ProjectHighlights include Friday night’s opening program, Hong Kong Pop Meets Avant-Pop, a Fulcrum Point Music Project that will combine film-editing finesse with live music.

According to Chicoine, the show will feature a multi-instrumental ensemble performing a musical score to “political videos and footage from news programs” that have been “sent through a meat grinder.” The 7 p.m. performance will be followed with a concert by San Diego based rock band Little Hurricane at 9 p.m.

Saturday begins with an all-ages dance party and ends with a taste of Iceland.

CIMMfest cofounder Josh Chicoine

Chic-a-go-go has been a Saturday morning staple on public access Channel 19 since 2006. It’s modern take on legendary shows like Soul Train and American Bandstand is an outrageously costumed, kid-friendly, live dance party. Past local bands that have rocked the show include The M’s, featuring Josh Chicoine on a cardboard cutout guitar. The fun starts Saturday at 11 a.m.

At 7 p.m., Icelandic bands Fufanu, Mammut and Ohmme kick off the music and culture sensation, “Reykjavik Calling!” Co-sponsored by Taste of Iceland, the show will be enhanced by “folks from the Iceland consulate and partnering organizations pumping up Icelandic culture,” explains Chicoine.

In between these shows are dozens of worthy events. Finding Joseph I is a feature doc about Bad Brains’ frontman Paul “HR” Hudson, on Saturday at 2 p.m. The world premiere of The Way to Andina, a humorous documentary about filmmaker Arlen Parsa’s effort to perform a long-lost opera written by his great grandfather 80 years ago, takes place Sunday at 3 p.m.