Tuesday, December 16, 2025 - 6:00 PM
Students in grades K-12, join 40 North and Champaign Movie Makers for a FREE Pens to Lens Youth Screenwriting Workshop at the Champaign Park District's Martens Center! Bring your ideas to the fun and engaging workshop where you will learn how to turn your stories into a successful script for the Pens to Lens Youth Screenwriting Competition. By the time the workshop is over, each student will have a finished screenplay submitted to the 10th edition of Pens to Lens.
 
This free workshop only has space for 12 screenwriters or screenwriting teams. Registration is required, but don't worry. We will be hosting other workshops throughout the fall/winter until the end of February. Stay tuned for more date announcements.
To register, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/cyMqR1Mh1QavS2CDA
 
Pens to Lens is a Champaign-based K-12 student screenwriting competition for East Central Illinois run 2013-2019 by the Champaign Urbana Film Society and returned in 2024 under 40 North; kids write scripts which are then submitted to Champaign area filmmakers and designers. Designers select scripts to create posters for, and filmmakers pick their favorites to produce as actual short films. The posters and films are presented to the community in a red-carpet event to honor the young writers. Students may also submit their own films to be considered for screening at the event.
Location (Building)

Martens Center 1515 N Market St., Champaign, IL 61820

Innovation Room
Monday, December 15, 2025 - 7:00 PM

Monthly mixer for filmmakers to meet up, talk movies, and find crew for their projects

Location (Building)

Esquire Lounge 106 N Walnut St, Champaign, IL 61820

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 6:00 PM
Students in grades K-12, join 40 North and Champaign Movie Makers for a FREE Pens to Lens Youth Screenwriting Workshop at Springer Cultural Center! Bring your ideas to the fun and engaging workshop where you will learn how to turn your stories into a successful script for the Pens to Lens Youth Screenwriting Competition. By the time the workshop is over, each student will have a finished screenplay submitted to the 10th edition of Pens to Lens.
This free workshop only has space for 12 screenwriters or screenwriting teams. Registration is required, but don't worry. We will be hosting other workshops throughout the fall/winter until the end of February. Stay tuned for more date announcements.
To register, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/cyMqR1Mh1QavS2CDA
Pens to Lens is a Champaign-based K-12 student screenwriting competition for East Central Illinois run 2013-2019 by the Champaign Urbana Film Society and returned in 2024 under 40 North; kids write scripts which are then submitted to Champaign area filmmakers and designers. Designers select scripts to create posters for, and filmmakers pick their favorites to produce as actual short films. The posters and films are presented to the community in a red-carpet event to honor the young writers. Students may also submit their own films to be considered for screening at the event.
Location (Building)

Springer Cultural Center, 200 W. Church St., Champaign, IL 61820

107
Monday, November 17, 2025 - 7:00 PM

Monthly mixer for filmmakers to meet up, talk movies, and find crew for their projects

Location (Building)

Esquire Lounge 106 N Walnut St, Champaign, IL 61820

Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 7:00 PM
Donnie and Lydia discuss an impossible dilemma while desperately trying not to wake the thing in the next room.
"Quiet Tonight" is a short Horror/Drama written by Mathew Green and directed by Thomas Nicol, starring Kimmy Schofield and Mathew Green. The screening is free and open to the public. Come enjoy a glass of wine with the cast and crew, and get a sneak peek at the film before its 2026 festival run!
Location (Building)

Analog, 129 N Race St. Urbana, IL 61801

Monday, October 06, 2025 - 7:00 PM

For this year's Pens to Lens, Andrew Stengele decided to shoot his short film on 16mm film. In this presentation, we will watch the film and go over the pros, cons, costs, and lessons learned of making a movie on film in 2025.

Location (Building)

Champaign Public Library 200 W. Green St. Champaign, IL 61802

Robeson Pavilion Room C
Saturday, October 04, 2025 - 7:00 AM

Champaign Movie Makers will be back at Urbana's Market on the Square, and this time, we're showing movies! We've got an extra wide booth that we will be completely enclosing in curtains to create a small, pop-up movie theater for market shoppers.

Location (Building)

Urbana's Market at the Square, 250 E Illinois St., Urbana, IL

Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 5:15 PM

Screening of the documentary short It's Time by local filmmaker Jason Lindsey preceding the screening of the feature American Dendrite

It’s Time
Documentary • USA • 2024 • 4 Minutes
Directors: Jason Lindsey, Scott Krahn
Cast: Dave Pettitt, Anna Keck

It’s Time is a poetic 4-minute film born from a personal journey of discovery. Set in early spring, in our backyard on the banks of the Sangamon River in Illinois, this cinematic ode gives voice to nature through stunning visuals and lyrical narration.

 

Tickets available here https://checkout.square.site/merchant/WP51KZ4F499P3/checkout/5DNB37CXPRXZOM4265BH6SFS

Location (Building)

19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030

A011
Friday, September 12, 2025 - 8:45 PM

Screening of the documentary short It's Time by local filmmaker Jason Lindsey preceding the screening of the feature American Dendrite

It’s Time
Documentary • USA • 2024 • 4 Minutes
Directors: Jason Lindsey, Scott Krahn
Cast: Dave Pettitt, Anna Keck

It’s Time is a poetic 4-minute film born from a personal journey of discovery. Set in early spring, in our backyard on the banks of the Sangamon River in Illinois, this cinematic ode gives voice to nature through stunning visuals and lyrical narration.

 

Tickets available here https://checkout.square.site/merchant/WP51KZ4F499P3/checkout/HYWON7MTEFPXCX5RAI6VM2HS

Location (Building)

19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030

D100
Sunday, September 07, 2025 - 12:30 PM

Block of short films at the Lake County Film Festival that includes two locally produced shorts.

An Affair At The End Of Time
Narrative • Drama • USA • 2025 • 15 Minutes

Director: Chase Todd
Writer: Chase Todd, Phillip Hazen
Producer: Chase Todd, Phillip Hazen
Cast: Katherine Bokenkamp, Myles Valentine, Mercedes DeSilva

A man has second thoughts about the affair he’s been having on the day the world ends.

Kal-Haven
Narrative • Horror • USA • 2025 • 12 Minutes

Director: Kal Kociss
Writer: Andrew Bailes
Producer: Kyle Clark
Cast: Noah Smith, Courtney Mazeika, Andrew Bailes

A young man named Hunter is in search of food in a post-apocalyptic world. During his travels, he meets another scavenger with ambiguous intentions.

 

Tickets available at https://checkout.square.site/merchant/WP51KZ4F499P3/checkout/A4PTGEVXA2QKHRDYMJVLMEXE

Location (Building)

19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030

C105