For 75 years, Doc Films has served students of the medium. The University of Chicago-based Doc is in fact one of the oldest student-film societies in the country, and its programming is even informed by proposals made by the university’s student body.
As its name indicates, the organization began as a showcase for “the realist study of our time via nonfiction film,” but documentaries were not enough to keep Doc Films going, so the group soon expanded its interests to include fictional films, particularly of the educational and experimental ilk.
Doc, which screens films nightly at the Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall on the U of C campus, has done series on topics such as human rights and feminism, and frequently shows prints from leading film archives around the nation.
Doc Films Information
- Public Transportation: Good (accessible by CTA and METRA)
- Handicapped Accessibility: Good (call theater to arrange accommodation)
- Performances/Programs: The screenings are usually themed and feature rare gems, essential classics, and special retrospectives, often with guest lectures by celebrated filmmakers
- Ticket Prices: General admission is $5. Quarterly and summer memberships are available for $26 and $18, respectively.