FROM OUR HOST CITY COUNCIL:
A welcome letter from the Chicago Host City Council
A baby carriage perches precariously atop a grand staircase. The gritty night descends on Goose Island as a vigilante hero stands guard from the towering skyscrapers above. “Twist and Shout” reverberates across the Loop from atop a float in one parade; a tense cat-and-mouse chase plays out as a wrongly-accused man evades his pursuers through another. The Blues Brothers tear down Lower Wacker; a little girl clings to the iconic glass diamond of the Crain Communications Building. Peals of laughter ring out from the doorway of a South Side barber shop.
There are cities where movies are made, and there are cities that make the movies.
Welcome to Chicago!
As a city known the world over for its deep and indelible relationship with film, Chicago is proud to welcome IND/EX back for its 2026 conference. Our city is celebrated not only for the culturally defining stories brought to life here, but also for its historic art house cinemas and industry-leading film festivals.
Boasting more than 50 annual film festivals including the longest-running competitive festival in North America, the second-oldest LGBTQ+ festival in the world, the longest-running underground film festival in the world, and the U.S.’s longest-running Latino film festival, Chicago brings new and innovative voices to audiences. The city’s art house culture is vast, including movie palace Music Box Theatre, indie gem FACETS, festival stalwart Gene Siskel Film Center, and innumerable micro-cinemas mirroring Chicago’s vibrant storefront theatre culture.
Anchored by this prestigious art house and festival landscape, Chicago is leading the way in cultivating sophisticated, growing audiences and changing the narrative around cinema-going. This momentum reflects the purpose of IND/EX: bringing together exhibitors, festivals, and industry leaders to strengthen the theatrical experience and ensure our festivals and theaters remain vital spaces for discovery and connection for filmgoers and filmmakers alike.
Chicago has long been a cultural innovator. From our architecture to our music, our stages to our screens, our museums to our culinary scene, the city’s cultural institutions are heralded as the best in the nation. We hope this history and spirit of artistic excellence and cultural innovation inspires IND/EX conference participants to think creatively and collaboratively as we set the stage to work as a community to strengthen our own film organizations and institutions. Together, we have the opportunity to reframe the story around the joy and community of filmgoing, bringing new stories and new voices to audiences.
Welcome to Chicago!