The Bicycle Film Festival Chicago kicks off with a party at Beauty Bar with Charlie Glitch of Ghetto Division, Mattyboywhite of Midnight Rockers, and Manny Muscles of Juggrnaut, 1444 W. Chicago, Thursday 2/24 at 9 p.m. Free with festival ticket or before 11 p.m., $3 otherwise.
Jeff Tremaine’s documentary about BMX legend Mat Hofffman, The Birth of Big Air, headlines the 7 p.m. program on Friday 2/25, which also includes the Neistat Brothers’ A New Challenge, Richard Mungall’s Chicago Line, Dean Dickinson’s BMX at Burnside, Mike McKinlay’s Travis Collier “Night Riding,” Eric Matthies’s Countywide: Bicycling Across Los Angeles, and Erik Elstren’s Dragon Shredit.
At 9 p.m. Friday, Chistian Thormann and Luke Stiles’s documentary about New York cyclists, Emprie, screens with Lucas Brunelle’s Line of Sight, Ari Taub’s On Time, and Robert Chynoweth’s Belle Epoch. Goldsprints after party at 11 p.m. with DJ ZBLN.
On Saturday 2/26, Alex Craig’s Riding the Long White Cloud, about skateboarders cycling New Zealand’s North Island, headlines the 3 p.m. program. Brian Vernor’s The Cyclocross Meeting, about course racing in the U.S. and Japan, anchors the 5 p.m. selections. And Lucas Brunelle’s documentary about alleycat racing, Line of Site, closes the 7 p.m. bill. Several additional short videos on each program. Panic after party at 9 p.m. with DJs Brad Owen, Pogo and Arturo. Free until 11 p.m.
Screenings are $10, festival pass $25. Screenings and Goldsprints party are at the Viaduct Theater, 3111 N. Western Ave. Panic party is at Darkroom, 2210 W. Chicago Ave.