Press Release ..................................................................February 4, 2005

Contact: ................................................................to interview Mark Wexler Alissa Simon ..................................................................contact Sarah Beck Principal Programmer .........................................................................HNOW
Chicago International Documentary Festival ................................312-755-0888 773-486-9612

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIDF Closing Night to feature Mark Wexler discussing his film
TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE

Saturday, April 9, 2005 at Northwestern’s Thorne Auditorium

Chicago, IL -- The closing night program of the 3rd Chicago International Documentary Festival will take place on Saturday, April 9 in Northwestern University's Thorne Auditorium, 375 East Chicago Avenue. The gala evening will include the Chicago premiere of TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE presented by producer/director Mark Wexler, a former Chicago resident. The screening will be preceded by an announcement of the Festival's juried awards. The evening will also include a reception and live entertainment.

Advance tickets are available by phone at 773-486-9612 or online at www.chicagodocfestival.org. General admission for the reception and screening, starting at 6:30pm is $30 per person and $15 per person for the screening only, scheduled for 8pm.

TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE, Mark Wexler's cinematic blend of biography and autobiography centers on his relationship with his father, legendary cinematographer and filmmaker Haskell Wexler, whose long and illustrious career is a virtual catalogue of 20th century classics. Haskell's collaborations with such world-class filmmakers as Elia Kazan, Milos Forman, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Mike Nichols include such works as WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, AMERICAN GRAFFITTI, COMING HOME, BOUND FOR GLORY and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, and the film features interviews with these artists, along with such luminaries as Ron Howard, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and Julia Roberts.

But the true star of TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE is Haskell himself, a larger-than-life character who challenges his son's choices about camera placement, lighting, and storytelling while announcing with complete conviction that he could have done a better job directing most of the films he's shot. As these two men swap positions--both on camera and behind it, and sometimes shooting one another simultaneously--the film explores the specifics of this particular father/son dynamic, while also revealing more universal truths about how our parents teach us to see the world, and how legacies, both personal and artistic, are created.

Producer/director Mark Wexler is a documentary filmmaker whose credits (as director/writer/producer) include SEEING DOUBLE (1993) and the Chicago-set ME & MY MATCHMAKER, about his relationship with the late Irene Nathan, a pioneering Jewish matchmaker. Mark has worked as a photojournalist for more than twenty years, covering assignments for such publications as Time, Life, National Geographic and The New York Times and contributing to eight volumes of the popular “Day in the Life” book series.

TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE is distributed in the U.S. through ThinkFilm and will open in Chicago theaters in May 2005. Mark Wexler will be available for interviews by phone and in person. Please contact Sarah Beck at HNOW via phone at 312/755-0888 or email sbeck@hnow.com to make arrangements.

Established in 2003, the CIDF is a thought-provoking 10-day film event, dedicated to the celebration and cultivation of the documentary film. The eclectic programming is designed to extend appreciation of the art of documentary film and its unique power to inspire and communicate a world of ideas and cultures. Each edition presents an array of extraordinary programs, showcasing the work of brilliant filmmakers and providing a venue for established and emerging artists of film. This year over $50,000 in unrestricted cash plus other prizes will be awarded by a jury.

For more information, phone the CIDF at 773-486-9612, visit the website, www.chicagodocfestival.org or send an email message to info@chicagodocfestival.org.

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