The Oak Park Illinois Film Festival opens its third year Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a spotlight on Oak Park native Tavi Gevinson.

The evening at the Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St., features a screening of the 2013 film "Enough Said," in which Gevinson played Chloe, preceded by a video interview filmed for the event, according to Oak Park dot com. The romantic comedy-drama stars the late James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Gevinson, a 2014 Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate, gained fame as a teenager for her fashion blog Style Rookie and went on to found Rookie magazine at age 15. She later appeared on Broadway in "This Is Our Youth" and "The Crucible" and on television in "Gossip Girl."

Attendees at Opening Night can pose for a professional photographer in front of a backdrop, and many dress up for the evening, according to founder Joyce Porter.

The festival continues Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, at Madison Street Theater, 1010 Madison St., with 31 independent films spanning documentaries and shorts. Every film must have a connection to Oak Park through its content, cast, crew or setting. This year, 44 films were submitted. The festival's 13-member board made the final selections.

Porter, a SAG-AFTRA actress and Oak Park resident who served on the Oak Park Festival Theatre board for more than 20 years, started the festival after posting on Facebook in 2023 to gauge interest. The right people responded.

"Oak Park is a unique community … There are not many other communities, other than a large city, where you could actually have all the films have connection to that community — and have enough creative people that there would be more than enough films to show," Porter said.

After a year of planning, the festival launched in September 2024. Post-festival surveys from 2024 and 2025 have never recorded a single attendee saying they would not return, Porter said.

Katelyn Capri Zenie, a producer and production designer in Chicago's indie film scene with more than a decade of experience, is serving as festival manager for the first time. She said joining the festival has connected her with more of Oak Park's creative community and helped her gain new friends.

Nearly all directors attend in person for Q&A sessions because the films are locally rooted. The weekend program also includes industry professionals sharing insights and complimentary food from Oak Park restaurants.

Early-bird tickets and the full schedule are available through Thursday, Sept. 10, at opilff.org.