Chicago Film Archives

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Explore the DeWitt Beall Collection

Featuring films made by filmmaker DeWitt Beall in Chicago during the 1960s and early '70s, including LORD THING, a film about a Chicago-based gang named the Conservative Vice Lords.

Explore the Chuck Kleinhans Collection

Home movies and experimental films by film scholar Charles "Chuck" Kleinhans, whose Super 8 films depicted a sensitivity to daily life, gender, and leftist politics, and frequently showcase his sense of humor.

Explore the Mort and Millie Goldsholl Collection

This collection contains commercials and industrial films that Goldsholl Associates made for their clients, experimental films and animations made by both Morton and Millie, and more.

Joe Cutting Tree

Explore the JoAnn Elam Collection

In 2024, CFA received a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to photochemically preserve six 8mm films by JoAnn Elam. Learn more about the JoAnn Elam Collection here.

Explore the Bill Stamets Collection

In 2023, CFA was awarded a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to photochemically preserve four films by Super-8 filmmaker Bill Stamets.

Explore the Tom Palazzolo Collection

The National Film Preservation Foundation and The Film Foundation have awarded Chicago Film Archives an Avant-Garde Masters Grant to photochemically preserve Tom Palazzolo’s first feature film, Caligari’s Cure (1982).

Explore the Dan Dinello Collection

Featuring films directed by Chicago-based experimental filmmaker Dan Dinello.

Chicago Film Archives is dedicated to identifying, collecting, preserving and providing access to films that represent the Midwest. We hold over 40,000 films and other media, including thousands of items streamable online.

Events & News

Novo Dextro: Purity and Danger

upcoming event

Small Gauge, Big Shoulders: Films by Bill Stamets

October 17, 2025 at 7pm

Logan Center Screening Room

still from Neighborhood Festivals

news

Hundreds of reels of Chicago history through the lens of Bill Stamets, digitized with support from a CLIR Recordings at Risk grant

HMDgraphic2 Web

upcoming event

Chicago Home Movie Day 2025

November 1, 2025 from 11am-3pm

Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark St

cfaweb lordthing2

upcoming event

November 8, 2025 at 4:30pm

First Church of the Brethren

New World of Stainless Steel

news

NFPF Grant to preserve The New World of Stainless Steel

news

New Digital Preservation and Storage Systems at CFA

View Events | Read All News

Watch

Explore CFA’s streaming films by category.

Home Movies

(533)
Mayor Harold Washington

(75)
1950s Chicago

(203)
Wisconsin

(89)
Democratic National Convention 1968

(17)
Mayor Jane Byrne

(59)

Browse all Categories

Services

Chicago Film Archives offers a full range of services to ensure that all Midwest film and media collections are properly cared for, and are more accessible and meaningful to a variety of communities in our region and throughout the world.

Looking for something specific? CFA’s staff is here to help.
Contact our Team.

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Services Vault Image

SIAB Amer Revolution 2 Screening 8341 Bw Web

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