At SXSW, Chicago will tout its tech and cultural hubs

“CHICAGOMADE” EVENTS will be on display at SXSW, March 11-16 in Austin, Texas, as the first-of-its-kind collaboration between DCASE (Dept. of Cultural Affairs & Special Effects), Choose Chicago and World Business Chicago. 

ChicagoMade’s combined goal is to highlight the city as an innovation center, a global destination and a city of diverse and unique culture and technology makers.

As such, it will host two big events. On March 14 it’s the ChicagoMade Lounge from noon till 8 p.m. at Downtown Burgers.  Three talks will be presented by top technology and the fourth talk, “What Makes a Music Capital,” is with Chicago musicians and music industry leaders, who made it big but choose to call Chicago home.

Then, on March 17, the ChicagoMade Music Showcase features a homegrown Chicago lineup, including Rhymefest, Phuture, Mick Jenkins, Saba, Hawley, Mike Golden with special guests Dreezy, Zverse and Taylor Bennett at The Main auditorium.

FILM ACTION: Amazon’s indie film currently titled “The Nash Edgerton Project,” starring Charlize Theron, starts filming today, March 7 for nine days, headquartering at Chicago Studio City. Actor/stuntman/director Edgerton is directing and his company is producing.

Shooting the week of March 13 is “The Exorcist,” a modern horror story that stars Geena Davis (“Thelma and Louise”) and marks her return to regular broadcast television after 10 years. She’d played the US president in”Commander in Chief” during its one season on ABC.

Then, the week of March 21, cameras will roll on while technology / police drama “A.P.B.” and medical predural “Zoobiquity.” No cast members named for either pilot as yet.

AICP BRINGS TOGETHER three film industry insurance experts who will discuss important insurance issues that affect commercial productions Tuesday, March 29 at the Thompson Chicago hotel.

Speakers are Scott Taylor, President, Taylor and Taylor, New York and LA; Denise Gilmartin, VP/Business Affairs, AICP National and Alex Baiseri for Prosight Specialty. 

Among their topics are contractual liability vs. Insurance coverage; named insured status and what that status means to producers; managing your risk and what you must know about wrap-up.

Thompson Chicago is at 24 E. Bellevue; no charge to members, associates and freelance producers; $50, non-members. Sign up here.

ACCOUNTING FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS is the subject of Independent Writers of Chicago’s meeting tomorrow, March 8, with accounting expert CPA Mary A. Lynch talking about “How to Profit and Grow with Accounting that Works for You.”  Her mission is “helping small business owners make the numbers speak their language.”

Tuesday, March 8, at the Gratz Center, 126 E. Chestnut. Members, $15. Post-meeting, attendees are invited to a nearby restaurant for a buy-your-own dinner for shop talk and networking.

FOR THE FIRST TIME in its 38 year old history, SIU’s Big Muddy Film Festival, based in Carbondale, screens in Chicago, March 18-19 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The festival kicks off with an SIU Alumni Association reception Friday night and follows on Saturday with the screening of four films. See the schedule here.