Team Deakins: Athenaeum Center’s Film and Culture Festival is a two-day celebration of cinematic artistry, mentorship, and emerging talent.
Anchored by Roger and James Deakins, the festival brings together film screenings, a collegiate short film competition, live conversation, and community engagement; honoring both the legacy of masterful cinematography and the future of Chicago filmmaking.
3:00 pm - Rango Screening
6:00 pm - Pre-Screening Happy Hour for contestants only
7:00 pm- Screening Short Film Finalists
8:30 pm - Award Presentation by Team Deakins
9:00 - Public Reception with Team Deakins in Paradiso
4:00–6:00 pm - Reflections Book Signing in Paradiso
7:00 pm - Q&A on Reflections with Team Deakins on Main Stage
8:00 pm - A Beautiful Mind Screening
Join us for both days of the Athenaeum Center’s Film and Culture Festival, including:
The Two-Day Festival Pass is the best value for guests who want full access to all public programs and the opportunity to engage deeply with the work and conversation of Roger and James Deakins.
For tickets to individual events, click on the showtime above or the corresponding link below.
A special screening of the Academy Award®–winning animated feature RANGO, featuring the cinematography of Roger Deakins. Perfect for film lovers, families, and animation enthusiasts.
TEAM DEAKINS COLLEGIATE SHORT FILM CONTEST — 7 PM
Watch the top student filmmakers from four leading Chicago film programs present their finalist short films on the Historic Main Stage at Athenaeum Center.
The evening concludes with a live Award Presentation by Roger and James Deakins, followed by a public reception in the Paradiso Ballroom.
An opportunity to celebrate emerging talent and the next generation of filmmakers.
TEAM DEAKINS REFLECTIONS BOOK SIGNING + Q&A — Begins at 4 PM
Join Roger and James Deakins for an evening centered on Reflections: On Cinematography and their extraordinary 50-year career in film.
4:00 PM | Book Signing in the Paradiso Ballroom
Team Deakins will be on site signing books and greeting guests. Copies of Reflections are available for purchase with tickets.
7:00 PM | Live Q&A on the Historic Main Stage at Athenaeum Center
The evening continues with a moderated conversation led by Emmy Award–winning entertainment journalist Jake Hamilton, anchor of Good Day Chicago. Described by Forbes as “one of the nation’s top show business journalists,” Hamilton has spent more than two decades interviewing Hollywood’s most influential artists, earning recognition from Chicago Magazine as “the city’s coolest film geek.”
Together, they will explore the craft, collaborations, and creative philosophy behind some of cinema’s most iconic images.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND SCREENING — 8 PM
A screening of the Academy Award®–winning film A BEAUTIFUL MIND, showcasing Roger Deakins’ acclaimed cinematography.
A must-attend for cinephiles and those who want to experience Deakins’ work on the big screen.
From two-time Academy Award® winner (16 nominations) and five-time BAFTA Award winner Sir Roger A. Deakins comes Reflections: On Cinematography — a singular visual memoir from one of the most revered artists in the history of film.
Cinematography is both art and science. Lighting, camera movement, framing, and intuition transform words on a page into unforgettable moving images. Over the course of a remarkable career, Deakins has shaped landmark films including THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, SKYFALL, BLADE RUNNER 2049, and 1917.
In Reflections, Deakins traces his journey from art school in England and early documentary filmmaking — including a yacht race around the world — to his long-standing collaborations with the Coen Brothers, Sam Mendes, and Denis Villeneuve. Filled with never-before-seen storyboards, sketches, diagrams, and personal reflections, the book offers rare insight into the creative decisions behind some of cinema’s most celebrated images.
An essential experience for filmmakers, students, and anyone inspired by the art of visual storytelling.
In recognition of the professional artists and craftspeople who sustain Chicago’s film community, Athenaeum Center offers Industry Pricing for this festival.
Reduced-rate tickets are available across all public programs, including the Two-Day Festival Pass and individual events. Festival Pass packages are offered with or without a copy of Reflections: On Cinematography.
Industry pricing is available in limited quantities and subject to availability.
The Team Deakins Collegiate Short Film Contest celebrates the next generation of Chicago filmmakers through the mentorship and inspiration of Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, and James Deakins.
Hosted by the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, this invitation-only competition features emerging filmmakers from four leading Chicago film programs: Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University – School of Cinematic Arts, Loyola University Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
Each school may submit up to five short films. A panel of judges at the Athenaeum Center will select one finalist per school, and Roger and James Deakins will personally choose the Grand Prize Winner.
Athenaeum Center presents a special exhibition of photography by Sir Roger Deakins, offering an intimate look at the visual sensibility of one of cinema’s most celebrated artists.
Featuring selections from Byways alongside previously unpublished images, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the quiet observation, composition, and light that have defined Deakins’ extraordinary career — this time through the still image.
Interviewer
“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
And so we all begin—in darkness.
Join Dante on his most famous journey through the depths of hell, levels upon levels of purgatory, finally discovering the light and glory of paradise. You will find terror in the wild beasts he meets along the way; and only moments later great hope at the strong woman, Beatrice, who leads him always upwards.
This contemporary staged performances of one of the most epic stories of the western world is an immersive, multi-dimensional production that leads you into Dante’s universe. Returning to the stage for the 4th year, this year’s production.
It’s heaven. It’s hell. But above all, it’s worth the trip.
November 8–10, 2024
