By: Don Shanahan

One of my favorite programs of the annual Chicago International Film Festival is the City & State program highlighting worthy local and regional film efforts that get their chance to stand marque-to-marque on the same red carpet as the big studio-backed headliners and the esteemed foreign contenders. May Chicago always be a burgeoning home for cinematic artists and opportunity. One debuting filmmaker emerging from the short film world seizing that opportunity with his DePaul MFA thesis feature is Gregory Dixon and his film Olympia.

The film is a spotlight for its writer MacKenzie Chinn playing the title character, a struggling artist making ends meet and juggling romance here in the Second City. She finds herself challenged to commit to her dedicated-yet-casual beau Felix (Charles Andrew Gardner) before he leaves for a new job in California. The open and mature honesty and the beautifully expressive creative wellsprings within these diverse characters call to mind another indie great born from Chicago, namely Theodore Witcher’s 1997 romance love jones. Olympia may not have that film’s level of sizzle and breadth to cover years, but the engaging frankness and flourish is all there. This is deserving hidden gem from this city and this festival.