The Chicago Talent Directory® is a talent promotion, advertising and digital reference platform for casting published by CHICAGO TALENT ENTERPRISES INC.
The Chicago Talent Directory® provides the talent community EXCLUSIVELY based in the Chicago & Illinois area, a central, independent, and searchable resource platform 'to cast, be seen and be hired' featuring local talent profiles, services and auditions. "Officially Recognized by the ILLINOIS FILM OFFICE" Commissioner Suzy Kellett, 1991
Founded in 1985 as a print publication, the Chicago Talent
Directory® has begun its 2024 relaunch to be the city’s only centralized and independent digital casting resource platform EXCLUSIVELY hosting Chicago & Illinois area actors, models, voiceovers and entertainers’ portfolio profiles. It will also offer submission opportunities for auditions, resources for talent services, representatives (talent agents) and casting directors and in later stages, news and events.
▪️▪️▪️The CHICAGO TALENT DIRECTORY® PRINT EDITION HISTORY (1985-1994) ▪️▪️▪️
⭐️ "Officially Recognized by the ILLINOIS FILM OFFICE" by Commissioner Suzy Kellett in 1991
▪️The Chicago Talent Directory®
• A proud contributor of the early re-birth of our now exploding film production growth in Illinois
• Distributed by our film commissioners at the Location Expos in Hollywood
• Attracted film work to the State of Illinois in the mid 1980s
• Gave high profile talent buyers, producers and casting directors their first ‘in-hand’ look at Chicago talent
• Resulted in multitudes of opportunities for our local talent to appear in feature films, various media/advertising productions and theater right here at home
▪️CONTENT
The Chicago Talent Directory® is a resource tool for casting professionals to research and hire EXCLUSIVELY Chicago & Illinois area talent
— Talent profiles included headshots, basic statistics, skills, and booking information of
• Actors
• Voiceovers
• Models
• Entertainers
— Talent resource section included local
• talent agents and casting directors
• talent services such as headshot photographers and schools
• information, organizations & events
▪️IN THE MEDIA
The Chicago Talent Directory® is
• Dedicated to promoting Chicago talent to talent buyers everywhere and supporting the locally based talent pool it serves.
— Our print editions were featured many media outlets including
• Variety • Backstage • Screen Magazine • Models World Magazine • Chicago Sun Times • Chicago Tribune, • ReelChicago.com • Lerner Newspapers • Pioneer Press • PerformInk • Audition News • WSSY-Radio • WGN-TV
▪️HOST TO SEMINARS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS
• Feature Chicago area film industry icons, leaders and professionals
• Discuss and train talent on how to market themselves
• Advance the professionalism and progress of Chicago talent and film production industry
• How to attract productions to our city and state
• Issues of work ethics among industry members
• Keeping our exceptional talent here and ending the bleed-off to the coasts
▪️'SPOTLIGHT NEWSMAGAZINE'
‘Spotlight’ magazine’ is the ‘promotional and training’ arm of the Chicago Talent Directory®.
• First published in 1987
• Features the accomplishments and bookings of CTD listed talent
• Read widely by the Chicago film & media/talent production industry
• Boasts features and how-to articles that aid talent in pursuing their careers
• Informs on Industry events and news
• Written by and about key, high profile industry personnel
• Highlights articles of Hollywood and other industry icons
🔺The Chicago Talent Directory® DOES NOT BOOK TALENT. The Chicago Talent Directory® is registered as a U.S. Federal Trademark and will be vigorously defended. Chicago Talent Directory® is a division of Chicago Talent Enterprises Inc. Nanci Ponne’, President, Publisher and Founder. All rights reserved 2024.
09/13/2025
‘MOSES THE BLACK’ SHIFTS SEPT 8-30 PRODUCTION FROM CHICAGO TO CHAMPAIGN URBANA
The feature film Moses the Black, originally slated to film in Chicago, has shifted its filming location to the Champaign / Urbana area with a startup September 8–30, 2025. Following the delay of their planned spring startup in Chicago, the production has now elected to film down south, with produ...
09/05/2025
‘SATURN RETURN’ TO FILM IN CHICAGO THIS OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
It's shaping up to be a busy Fall in Chicago. Sources tell SCREEN the dramatic feature film Saturn Return will be filming in the Chicagoland area through
09/03/2025
CHICAGO ON SCREEN -- 'THE DARK KNIGHT' at FACETS.
TAKE A BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR OF THE MAKING OF 'THE DARK KNIGHT' WITH A PANEL OF ITS CREW.
On Saturday, September 6, get insider insights into the film’s most notable stunts, costume designs, and special effects.
Event features James McAllister (production manager), Jordan Goldberg, (exec producer, HBO’s Dune: Prophecy and Westworld), Rick LeFevour (stunt coordinator), Jennifer Jobst (costume supervisor), Stella Cottini (key costumer), plus an exclusive interview with Academy Award winning costume designer Lindy Hemming. Hosted by former Chicago Film Office Director, Rich Moskal.
$20 ticket includes panel, screening and 1 drink ticket.
3pm. Facets, 1517 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60614
09/02/2025
CHICAGO THEATER BIKE RIDE & BBQ IS SEPTEMBER 6 AT FOSTER BEACH
CHICAGO THEATER BIKE RIDE & BBQ IS SEPTEMBER 6 AT FOSTER BEACH
🚴🏻♂️🎭
Register to ride wit us. Get all the details about the Chicago Theater Bike Ride, raising money for emergency relief.
08/31/2025
MADE-IN-CHICAGO ‘DELI BOYS’ RENEWED AND MAY START FILMING IN DECEMBER
More great news for Chicago heading into the home stretch of 2025, looking ahead to a busy 2026. Deli Boys has been renewed for a second season by Hulu.
08/20/2025
AMAZON’S ‘BARBERSHOP’ SERIES TO BEGIN FILMING IN CHICAGO OCTOBER 20
The iconic franchise is back. Earlier this summer, SCREEN broke the news that Amazon Prime Video's new Barbershop TV series would be filming in Chicago
07/28/2025
‘CHILI FINGER’ WRAPS FILMING IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS WHERE QUAINT MONTICELLO BECAME A HOLLYWOOD HUB
with John Goodman and Bryan Johnston
(ReelChicago reports)
The central Illinois town of Monticello received a burst of Hollywood this summer as the cast and crew of Chili Finger settled in.
07/19/2025
NEW EPISODES START FILMING JULY 24 FOR ‘CHICAGO FIRE’ & ‘CHICAGO P.D.’
It's shaping up to be a busy Summer in Chicago. The triumvirate of Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med is ready to roll on new seasons, sparking the
07/19/2025
AMAZON’S ‘BARBERSHOP’ SERIES TO FILM IN CHICAGO FALL 2025
More great news for Chicago. Amazon Prime Video's new “Barbershop” TV series is expected to begin filming in Chicago this Fall, sources tell SCREEN. The
07/19/2025
ILLINOIS STILL A TOP 5 US PRODUCTION HUB
Illinois remains one of the top five production hubs in the country, boasting $725 million in production spend over the past 12 months,
07/09/2025
🚴🏻♀️ CHICAGO THEATER BIKE RIDE 💰 ANNUAL BENEFIT FUN-RAISER 💰 JULY 13, 2025 AT ‘FOUR MOON TAVERN’ 🍻🍺
The Chicago Theater Bike Ride honors artists our community lost in the previous year and provides funding to their families and artists in times of emergency
Come to the fundraiser & make a few friends!
Come support the Chicago theater community on July 13 at our Annual Benefit Fun-Raiser from 5-8 PM at Four Moon Tavern! But before we see you at the bar, be sure to bid on our super-fantastic online auction and buy raffle tickets for your chance to win big. Both the auction and online raffle sales a...
06/20/2025
‘CHICAGO FIRE’ & ‘CHICAGO P.D.’ BEGIN FILMING JULY 24;
‘CHICAGO MED’ STARTS JULY 30
The highly successful Dick Wolf triumvirate of Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med, which has led the historic resurgence of the Chicago
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"Officially Recognized by the ILLINOIS FILM OFFICE" by Commissioner Suzy Kellett in 1991, the Chicago Talent Directory® has been used to attract film work to the state of Illinois since the mid 1980s. Distributed by our film commissioners at the Location Expos in Hollywood, the Chicago Talent Directory® gave high profile talent buyers, producers and casting directors their first ‘in-hand’ look at Midwest talent furthering interest to bring their film projects to Illinois.
Founded in 1985 and originally published in paperback editions, the Chicago Talent Directory® is transitioning to be an online "interactive" compendium of profiles of professional Actors, Models, Voiceovers and Entertainers EXCLUSIVELY based in the Chicago/Midwest.
The Chicago Talent Directory® is a research tool of talent resources (information & events), sources (talent agents and casting directors), and services (photographers, schools, etc.), combined with 'how-to' articles, features on key entertainment industry persons and companies and dedicated to promoting Chicago Talent to talent buyers everywhere and the locally based talent pool it serves.
The Chicago Talent Directory® has been featured in Variety, Backstage, Screen Magazine, Models World Magazine, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, ReelChicago.com, Lerner Newspapers, Pioneer Press, PerformInk, Audition News, WSSY-Radio and WGN-TV, among many other media outlets.
The Chicago Talent Directory® has been host to many seminars and panels that discuss and train talent on how to market themselves in this highly competitive field, the most influential having been the “Progress Forums”, where union and film office executives, talent, and production professionals met to discuss the future of our local industry, particularly how to attract productions to our city and keep our exceptional talent here. Many of those innovations conceived at the Progress Forums are now a reality in our industry.
Chicago Talent ‘Spotlight’ magazine’ is the ‘promotional and training’ arm of the Chicago Talent Directory®. First published in 1987, it focuses on the accomplishments of our talent clients and reports on their bookings and other achievements as they progress in their careers. Read widely by the Chicago talent industry, it also boasts articles that aid talent in pursuing their careers, many written by and about key, high profile industry personnel.
• TALENT SERVICES (photographers, schools, coaches, make-up artists, etc.) who wish to be listed for FREE in the ‘Resources’ division of the Chicago Talent Directory®, please fill out the form here: http://www.chicagotalentdirectory.net/services.html
The Chicago Talent Directory® DOES NOT BOOK TALENT. It is a talent promotion, advertising and reference vehicle published by CHICAGO TALENT ENTERPRISES INC. The Chicago Talent Directory® is registered as a U.S. Federal Trademark and is a division of Chicago Talent Enterprises Inc., Nanci Ponne’, President and Publisher.