The Oak Park IL Film Festival is giving residents one more shot at award-winning short films before the main festival arrives in September. The nonprofit's second "Film Festival Favorites" screening takes place Wednesday, August 19, at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, 178 Forest Ave.
The program will feature several short films drawn from the festival's first two seasons, followed by a live Q&A with the directors. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Programming begins at 7 p.m. with a brief preview of the 2026 main festival lineup, then the films, then the Q&A.
Specific titles for the August 19 program have not been announced.
Joyce Porter, president of the festival's board and its founder, described the encore series in a July 21 letter to the Wednesday Journal. "Whether you didn't have the chance to see them before, or would like to see them again, anyone who likes film should enjoy them," Porter wrote.
The series launched Wednesday, July 22, with the feature Breakup Season, directed by H. Nelson Tracey, and the short Stairs, directed by Jeph Porter. Both were nominees at the festival's inaugural 2024 event: Stairs earned nods for Best Narrative Short and Best Cinematography, while Breakup Season was nominated for Best Feature, according to the festival's awards page.
Porter founded the all-volunteer nonprofit in 2023. Every submitted film must have a local connection through cast, crew, setting, or shooting location, according to the Village of Oak Park. The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, established in 1891, donated the screening space to the festival, Porter said.
Admission is by donation with a $10 suggested minimum. Donors who give $25 or more will be acknowledged in the festival program and on its website. Cash, check, and credit card are accepted. The NCCA building sits half a block from Lake Street, within walking distance of the Green Line, with a large public parking garage adjacent.
The main 2026 Oak Park IL Film Festival opens Wednesday, September 16, with a weekend showcase Saturday, September 19, through Sunday, September 20. More information is available at opilff.org.
