Pentimenti Productions

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Pentimenti Productions

Pentimenti Productions is a not-for-profit arts organization in the city of Chicago, founded in 2010

05/22/2026

“we are two.” (dir. cai thomas)

An intimate portrait of artist Jenn Freeman | Po’Chop, whose practice merges the worlds of dance, storytelling, drag, and st******se, as they perform at q***r burlesque clubs, stage THICK: a crumbling freak show, and maintain House of the Lorde, a Black feminist studio & gathering space.

🎨

This film premieres at on May 26 for the debut of “4x4: Contemporary Art in Chicago,” a brand-new annual series of short documentaries about practicing local artists, each directed by a Chicago-based filmmaker.

Watch the full series, then stick around for a live discussion with the artists and filmmakers moderated by Curator Lola Ayisha Ogbara!

Tickets → go.mcachicago.org/4x4

05/20/2026

Premiere night at with ! 🎥

Join us on May 26th at 6pm for the debut of “4×4: Contemporary Art in Chicago,” a brand-new annual series of short documentaries about practicing local artists, each directed by a Chicago-based filmmaker.

Season 1 features:
🎨 Bernard Williams x Kevin Shaw
🎨 Jenn Freeman | Po’Chop x cai thomas
🎨 Deb Sokolow x Alex Morelli
🎨 Errol Ortiz x Erin Babbin & Michael Sullivan

Watch the full series, then stick around for a live discussion with the artists and filmmakers!

Tickets → go.mcachicago.org/4x4

05/14/2026

Premiere night at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago! 🎥

Join us on May 26th at 6pm for the debut of “4×4: Contemporary Art in Chicago,” a brand-new annual series of short documentaries about practicing local artists, each directed by a Chicago-based filmmaker.

Season 1 features:
🎨 Bernard Williams x Kevin Shaw
🎨 Jenn Freeman | Po’Chop x cai thomas
🎨 Deb Sokolow x Alex Morelli
🎨 Errol Ortiz x Erin Babbin & Michael Sullivan

Watch the full series, then stick around for a live discussion with the artists and filmmakers!

Tickets → go.mcachicago.org/4x4

05/08/2026

Tomorrow! Join Chicago Torture Justice Center () as they honor the 11th anniversary of the passing of Chicago’s historic Reparations Ordinance and the 9th anniversary of the CTJC!

These two short documentaries offer unique looks at their work: ’s “One Million Experiments” and “The Next Act Is Freedom,” which went behind the scenes at the first-ever Resilience Arts Festival in 2025. This short was created by students in Pentimenti’s Documentary course at .

Stay after the screening for a Q&A with perspectives from filmmakers and artists involved in both projects!

05/05/2026

Pentimenti is extending the deadline of our application until May 31, 2026!

This cycle we are awarding four grants to applicants from across the U.S., not just Chicagoland.  In keeping with Pentimenti’s mission, eligible projects must pertain to art or artists in some capacity, although they needn’t necessarily be a documentary. The recipient of the Emerging Filmmakers Grant will be determined by an independent selection committee and approved by Pentimenti’s board. Recipients of the grant will receive $2000 to spend on their film project, consultations with Pentimenti staff, and a spotlight feature on Pentimenti’s communication channels. The grant will be awarded by an appointed jury — stay tuned for more info.

Apply today, or send along to friends, collaborators, and emerging artists in your circles!

Link in bio 📝

03/03/2026

Clip from the insightful panel discussion of “The Next Act is Freedom,” (18min) now streaming! This short film document of the Resilience Arts Festival in October 2025 — a first-of-its-kind convening of artists impacted by the criminal legal system, presented by and The Chicago Torture Justice Center (). Exploring themes of healing and re-entry, the film presents four days of performance and poetry, as well as conversations with police torture survivors, currently incarcerated writers, and abolitionist advocates.

Filmmakers: Mariam Aejaz, Mary Huber, Sumiah Salloum, Toni Smalls, Drew Smalls-Verneau

“Making the Short Documentary” Instructors: Brian Ashby, Giorgia Harvey, Mike David Thomas

Link in bio 🔗

02/27/2026

New Mexico! Join us for a special screening of “Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea” On Friday, March 6 at 5:15pm in ’s Arthur Bell Auditorium.
 Included with admission as part of First Friday, extended pay-what-you-wish hours. This film is presented in conjunction with “Pursuit of Happiness: GI Bill in Taos “ on view through May 31, 2026.

Link in bio. 🏜️

02/23/2026

Now Streaming: “The Next Act is Freedom,” (18min) a document of the Resilience Arts Festival in October 2025 — a first-of-its-kind convening of artists impacted by the criminal legal system, presented by and The Chicago Torture Justice Center (). Exploring themes of healing and re-entry, the film presents four days of performance and poetry, as well as conversations with police torture survivors, currently incarcerated writers, and abolitionist advocates.

Filmmakers: Mariam Aejaz, Mary Huber, Sumiah Salloum, Toni Smalls, Drew Smalls-Verneau

“Making the Short Documentary” Instructors: Brian Ashby, Giorgia Harvey, Mike David Thomas

🔗pentimentiproductions.org/freedom

01/15/2026

BTS from our “Making the Short Documentary” class 📸

Their film, “The Next Act is Freedom,” premieres at 3PM this at !

This short film is a document of the Resilience Arts Festival in October 2025 — a first-of-its-kind convening of artists impacted by the criminal legal system, presented by and The Chicago Torture Justice Center (). Exploring themes of healing and re-entry, the film presents four days of performance and poetry, as well as conversations with police torture survivors, currently incarcerated writers, and abolitionist advocates.

Filmmakers: Mariam Aejaz, Mary Huber, Sumiah Salloum, Toni Smalls, Drew Smalls-Verneau

“Making the Short Documentary” Instructors: Brian Ashby, Giorgia Harvey, Mike David Thomas

Learn more about “MLK 2026: Chaos or Community” at the link in bio.

01/13/2026

This MLK Day at , Pentimenti is proud to premiere “The Next Act is Freedom,” (18min) a document of the Resilience Arts Festival in October 2025 — a first-of-its-kind convening of artists impacted by the criminal legal system, presented by and The Chicago Torture Justice Center (). Exploring themes of healing and re-entry, the film presents four days of performance and poetry, as well as conversations with police torture survivors, currently incarcerated writers, and abolitionist advocates.

Filmmakers: Mariam Aejaz, Mary Huber, Sumiah Salloum, Toni Smalls, Drew Smalls-Verneau

“Making the Short Documentary” Instructors: Brian Ashby, Giorgia Harvey, Mike David Thomas

Learn more about “MLK 2026: Chaos or Community” on our Events page — Link in bio.

Address

5020 S Cornell Ave
Chicago, IL
60615

Website

https://www.pentimentiproductions.org/

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