Filmmaker Friday Chicago: A Year in Reflection and Vision for 2025

As 2024 winds down, it’s incredible to reflect on how far Filmmaker Friday Chicago has come in just six months, growing from a simple idea into something truly impactful. What started as a small gathering of filmmakers and industry professionals has grown into a thriving community.

Filmmaker Friday Chicago is a free event, hosted purely for the benefit of the community. The growth of these gatherings has been made possible through key venue partnerships, which have generously collaborated with us by offering their spaces. These venues are dedicated to supporting the community, and their commitment truly shines through in every event.

In June, Caymanite recognised a gap in Chicago’s film networking events and wanted to create something we’d want to attend ourselves - a space where filmmakers could truly connect. The inaugural event drew 50 attendees, and by the fourth event at Kinowerks, attendance had skyrocketed to over 240. Across seven events, 600 unique people have joined us, demonstrating the widespread enthusiasm for what we’re building.

“Seeing Filmmaker Friday Chicago grow from just an idea to a community of hundreds has been nothing short of incredible,” said Armin Korsos, co-founder. “Each event reminds me of why we started this - to bring people together and create opportunities for collaboration.”

“Filmmaker Friday has grown beyond anything we could have imagined,” added Clay Kerr. “What began as a hopeful idea to connect Chicago’s film community has sparked collaborations and creative partnerships far beyond our gatherings. I can’t wait to see where we’ll be a year from now.”

“I’m so proud of how much we’ve grown in such a short time," said Will Letcher. "It’s amazing to see the connections and momentum we’ve built, and I’m excited to carry this energy into next year as we continue to grow and evolve.”

Social media has played a key role in helping the event grow. From zero followers in June to over 1,000 today,the organic growth reflects that Caymanite is doing something right. It's partnerships moving forward with venues like CineCity, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Some Odd Pilot have been instrumental in creating events that resonate with the community.

Looking ahead to 2025, Caymanite are excited to continue building on this momentum. With support from the Chicago Film Commission, these new partnerships will allow the team to host larger, more dynamic events. “Working with spaces like CineCity and the Chicago Cultural Center allows us to bring even more creatives into the fold,” said Armin.

Wrapping up the 7th event in December at See You Soon at the Kimbal Arts Centre, Armin Korsos emphasised that this year’s success was made possible through the collaboration of Clay Kerr, Will Letcher, and himself. “We’ve worked together to build Filmmaker Friday, ensuring consistency even when not all of us could be present," he said.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. "One thing we are proud of is carrying momentum and ensuring we seize key opportunities to continue growing," said Armin Korsos. Here’s to 2025 - a year of bigger gatherings, stronger connections, and continued growth for our incredible community.

If you'd like to join Caymanite in Chicago, please follow on Instagram @filmmakerfridaychicago, and stay tuned for future event announcements!