The Gene Siskel Film Center Rolls Out the Red Carpet for “Hollywood on State” Academy Awards® Viewing Party February 26
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago gets a taste of “La La Land” on Sunday, February 26 when the Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC) of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) hosts Chicago’s longest-running awards show viewing party, “Hollywood on State: Where You’re the Star.” Guests are invited to celebrate the 89th Academy Awards® as they dress in their finest Oscar fashions, enjoy delicious food and festive drinks, all while watching the star-studded event on the Film Center’s state-of-the-art big screens. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for VIP tickets ($200) and 6:30 p.m. for general admission ($100). The 89th Academy Awards® HD Telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at siskelfilmcenter.org/hollywoodonstate2017 or by calling 312.846.2072.The star-studded event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a VIP reception at the GSFC (164 N. State St.). VIP Guests are invited for early admission with food and drink, and access to the VIP Lounge. The party continues at 6:30 p.m. where all guests are invited to walk the red carpet with hosts Tommy Walton (SAIC Fashion Design Department, MasterChef) and NK Gutiérrez (Filmmaker, Actress and Host of The Soul Salon). Walton and Gutiérrez will welcome guests to the red carpet to ask predictions for the evening and discuss their fashions of the night. Before settling into the theater, party-goers will be treated to a delicious assortment of food from some of the city’s top restaurants and decadent desserts by Eli’s Cheesecake. Guests will also be able to have their “close-up” with FotoFavors fun-filled photo booth.Not only will Hollywood stars walk away with a golden souvenir on Oscar night, but the GSFC will also honor Chicago filmmakers for their outstanding contributions in film. This year’s honorees include Lonnie Edwards, Lori Felker, Jennifer Reeder and Michael Smith. All honorees represent the thriving and diverse film community in Chicago, which the Film Center mirrors through its inclusive film programming.
Hollywood on State is co-chaired by GSFC Advisory Board members Mary Walker Kilwien and Chuck Droege. The event is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank and The Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Foundation. Additional sponsors include Eli’s Cheesecake, Good For You Events & Consulting, Half Acre Chicago, Southwest Airlines and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Partners include Abacus Coffee, Argo Tea, FotoFavors, Luminaire, Morlen Sinoway, Oscar Isberian, Sony/ABT, Thomas Interiors and Troy Larsen Ambience Design.
This event is not sponsored by or affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
About the Gene Siskel Film Center
Since 1972, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has presented cutting edge cinema to an annual audience of 80,000. The Film Center’s programming includes annual film festivals that celebrate diverse voices and international cultures, premieres of trailblazing work by today’s independent filmmakers, restorations and revivals of essential films from cinema history, and insightful provocative discussions with filmmakers and media artists. Altogether, the Film Center hosts over 1,600 screenings and 200 filmmaker appearances every year. The Film Center was renamed the Gene Siskel Film Center in 2000 after the late, nationally celebrated film critic, Gene Siskel. Visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org to learn more and find out what’s playing today.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons and LeRoy Neiman. www.saic.edu
The Gene Siskel Film Center and SAIC are part of The Art Institute of Chicago. For more information about the Art Institute please visit www.artic.edu
