Links to external media stories that feature or mention Columbia College Chicago.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Columbia College Chicago alum Chase Infiniti ’22 will star in “Portrait of God,” a Lionsgate horror film directed and co-written by Dylan Clark. The project marks the first collaboration between producers Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele.
Block Club Chicago highlights Columbia College Chicago design students’ collaboration with Chicago fashion designer Barbara Bates on a fashion show at the Obama Presidential Center celebrating the 40th anniversary of her brand. The event also features a retrospective of Bates’ work, with a portion of proceeds supporting Mount Sinai Hospital’s Barbara Bates Imaging Center.
Newcity spoke with Duncan MacKenzie, associate professor in Columbia College Chicago’s School of Visual Arts and co-founder of the contemporary art podcast “Bad at Sports,” about its 21-year history and the close of its first season. The podcast will record its 999th episode live at a tailgate event at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on October 3; MacKenzie says the team plans to explore new possibilities for a second season.
WBBM Newsradio’s Carolina Garibay visited the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago for a preview of “If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground.” Garibay spoke with curator Sarah Lewis and Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Till’s cousin and the last surviving witness to his kidnapping, about how the exhibition imagines the life Till might have lived and highlights Chicago’s role in American progress.
The documentary "1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals," made by Columbia College Chicago alum Andrew Templeton '11, covers John Norman Collins, a Metro Detroit native who, in the 1960’s, allegedly assaulted and killed six women in the twin college towns Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
Journalism alum Mazkenize O'Connor, who began at Cameo as a a college intern in 2017, is now the chief operating officer at a company that connects and brands with famous faces on demand.
Associate Professor Loren Wells along with his business partner Tim Kappel are included in “Billboard Magazine’s” latest list of savviest legal minds in music business. Together they own the law firm Wells & Kappell LLP and have prevailed in a precendent-setting court decision that affirms music creator’s copyrights.
Fashion Studies BFA alum Charlee Lambert '26 showcased an original patriotic look on WGN's "Spotlight Chicago" as part of the Driehaus Design Initiative Fashion Awards runway show. The design, inspired by vintage bunting banners and requiring more than 100 hours of work, was selected after Tracey Tarantino of the Driehaus Design Initiative discovered Lambert's work during a visit to Columbia. Lambert's look appears about 5:25 into the segment.
Only 22% of Gen Z respondents report feeling excited about AI, while 42% express anxiety. To better understand this, CommPRO spoke with several Gen Z students at Columbia College Chicago, a nationally respected media arts school.
Columbia College Chicago will host a screening of "Why Trump? Two Americas" on Tuesday, April 28, by Columbia alum, Brian Schodorf '06 a regional Emmy winner. Craig Harris, a producer, actor, and stuntman will moderate the event with a discussion on Schodorf's experience at Columbia, as well as how he navigates and manages his career as a filmmaker.
In an episode of "Curious City," Amy Mooney, professor of art history at Columbia College Chicago, discusses how early Black photographers in Chicago shaped representations of their communities and contributed to a broader artistic legacy.
In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, Columbia College Chicago alum Tonika Lewis Johnson '03 explores how Chicago’s skyline reflects decades of racial and economic segregation, drawing on her "Folded Map" project to illustrate disparities between neighborhoods. She challenges readers to reimagine a more equitable future where investment and opportunity extend across the entire city.
Columbia College Chicago alums Brianna Yrene Ramirez '24, Jack Hale '25, and Alec Richard '25 and their production company Behind the Rock host a one-day exhibition and screening event on Feb. 21 that explores the tangible and communal elements of filmmaking.
The Chicago Tribune mentioned The Museum of Contemporary Photography's “MoCP at Fifty: Collecting Through the Decades” exhibition, running through May 16.
Robert Hanserd, a historian and associate professor at Columbia College Chicago's School of Communication and Culture, discusses how Black history is central to the American story and should be framed as beginning with African origins rather than slavery.
Nikki Cameron '10, a Columbia College Chicago graduate who earned a degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, has been named VP of Development at Bunim/Murray Productions. Cameron has been with Bunim/Murray since 2021, contributing to several of the company’s signature series including the Emmy-winning "Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” for Amazon Prime Video and "Family or Fiancé" at OWN.
"Tube-E Movie," written, produced, and directed by Film and TV alum William Adams '02, will premiere on February 6, 2026, streaming nationwide on PLEX. Tube-E Movie is a comedy that turns an eye on modern streaming culture and the conversations that surround it.
Lawrence Daufenbach '08, executive director of the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago, is recognized for his work revitalizing the landmark theater, bringing it back to its original mission by creating a place for those seeking an intellectual, physical and spiritual connection point. “The Ath” also launched its own in-house production wing and continues to host big-name acts while remaining accessible to local artists.
A powerful documentary about Black organizing and influence within the Chicago Democratic political machine, "Citizen Bowen" directed and edited by Columbia College Chicago Adjunct Professor Michael NG Wright, is coming to Carbondale and Springfield on Jan. 19, courtesy of a Southern Illinois University System Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday event.
After three seasons filmed entirely in Chicago, "Power Book IV: Force" prepares to close out Tommy Egan’s story, played by Chicago native and Columbia School of Theatre and Dance alum Joseph Sikora '98.
Students at Columbia College Chicago are making the short film 'The Method," part of the school's Fictional Cinema Production course. The team is raising funds to finish the project and cover film festival submission fees.
Villanova students and staff gathered for a talk by alum Frank Waln '14, artist-in-residence and professor at Western Michigan University, about the speaker’s journey in preserving, defending and educating Indigenous American culture. Waln, an award-winning, multi-genre music artist of Sicangu Lakota descent from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, shared with the audience his appreciation for the mentors he met at Columbia College Chicago.
Appearing on the cover of ELLE's "Women in Hollywood" issue, Chase Infiniti '22 is garnering awards buzz for her very first film role.
Alum Kateryna Sazonova MFA '23, Film and Television Directing, was awarded an Emmy by the the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Chicago/Midwest Chapter for her work as associate producer on "A Celebration of Hanukkah With Geoffrey Baer." The Academy recognized the show in the Outstanding Achievement for Informational/Instructinal - Long From Content category.
Columbia College Chicago’s School of Film and Television has been ranked No. 18 in "TheWrap’s" 2025 list of the top 50 film schools, recognizing the school's curricular flexibility, Semester in LA program, and virtual production capabilities.
Columbia alum Mike Carson was part of the production design and creative direction of the Super Bowl half time show, which won an Emmy for Music Direction of Kendrick Lamar.
A film directed by Columbia College Chicago alum Eesha Patkar made this WBEZ must-see film list. in the timely short film "Six Weeks," Patkar highlights different perspectives on abortion. The short features the journeys of Michelle (Dina Aldabbagh), a teenager in Midwestern America, and Gayatri (Minim Dey), a single woman in Mumbai, as they grapple with unplanned pregnancies. The screening will take place Sept. 18, as part of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
Incoming Columbia College Chicago freshman Keith Smith is part of the all-boys choir from the South Side that has been competing on the popular show. Smith (aka hbk Ka$h) will be studying Music Business at Columbia this fall.
Educators like Andre “Add-2” Daniels, an adjunct professor of instruction at Columbia College Chicago, use hip-hop in the classroom. Danels sees hip-hop as a confidence builder and a universally welcome culture.
Laurence Minsky, a professor at Columbia College Chicago's School of Business and Entrepreneurship, offers his thoughts on MSNBC's upcoming rebrand to MS NOW.
Yonty Friesem, an associate professor at Columbia College Chicago and a co-founder of Illinois Media Literacy Coalition, discusses the state law that requires instruction, which was passed three years ago.
Professor Robert Hanserd joins WTTW to talk about how consumers across the U.S. are trying to hit large corporations where they hurt: their bottom line.
scent marketing, which is gaining new traction.
A major exhibition by the acclaimed artist will fill Frank Lloyd Wright’s rotunda with plants and artwork. Johnson stepped down from the Guggenheim’s board last year.
Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, Chicago's own Jonathan McReynolds ‘11 joins Brad Edwards to discuss the inspiration behind his music and how he transitioned from playing drums and the organ to become one of the most recognized names in gospel.
Columbia College Chicago Audio Arts and Acoustics Student Jason Schmal and Cinema and Television Arts Student Tony Godinez collaborated on a video featuring Schmal’s band The Children’s Crusade performing the single “Mechanical Love.” Watch the video!
Spencer Hellert was recently published in the esteemed science journal, Nature Ecology and Evolution.
WBBM Newsradio interviewed two Columbia College Chicago students about the college's student-run record label, AEMMP, which has provided hands-on music business experience for over 40 years.
The Chicago Sun-Times wrote about Columbia College Chicago's new yearlong, graduate-level certificate program in stage and screen intimacy that will begin in fall 2023.
Columbia Photography Professor Dawoud Bey talked to Harper's Bazaar about his experience as an artist in Chicago.
Marvel Series Ironheart director and former Columbia College Chicago Theatre student Sam Bailey will headline IFA Chicago's In Focus with… event on October 20.
Columbia College Chicago Associate Professor of Communications Anne Marie Mitchell co-authored a peer-reviewed article on the impact of the YouTube apology video for the Public Relations Review.
Columbia College Chicago Journalism Alum Rachael Perry '21 recently joined the 27 News WKOW team in Madison, WI as a multimedia journalist.
Columbia College Chicago Radio Alum Marty Lennartz '82 will be WXRT's next morning host.
The Museum of Contemporary Photography's exhibit Beautiful Diaspora / You Are Not the Lesser Part was featured on Popular Photography's list of shows worth seeing in May and June.
Graduating seniors at Columbia College Chicago talk to Chicago Talks about the improving job market.
Columbia College Chicago Photography Adjunct Professor and Alum Colleen Plumb MFA '10 collaborated with writer Katherine Kassouf Cummings on Invisible Visible, a multi-disciplinary project acknowledging the many lives involved in factory farming: the chickens and the workers, together subjected to the suffering created by our industrial food system.
Columbia College Chicago Alum and 2022 honorary degree recipient Danny Fenster '09 talked to ABC 7's Roz Varon.
Columbia College Chicago Alum and 2022 honorary degree recipient Danny Fenster '09 talked to ABC 7's Roz Varon.
Columbia College Chicago Cinema and Television Arts Alum Thavary Krouch MFA '13 will perform in Mia Park's event, LET ME TELL YOU: STORIES OF ASIAN AMERICAN AUTHENTICITY.
Melissa Gamble, a professor in Fashion Studies at Columbia, recently published an essay in the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Regulatory Review,” explaining the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act—groundbreaking legislation proposed in New York.
While The Cleaner was shot in Los Angeles, many of the cast and crew have deep roots in Chicago. Director Erin Elders ’05, and Producers Chris Charles ’07, John W. Bosher ’06, and Kate Grady ’06 are all alumni of Columbia College Chicago.
Columbia alums Jonathan Castillo MFA ’19, Krista Franklin MFA ’13, and Cecil McDonald MFA ’08 awarded large art installation project at O’Hare International Airport.
Youth film festival showcases the communities and history of the city of Chicago and will be featured in this year’s International Film Festival. NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter reports.
Peter Mishler in conversation with Associate Professor CM Burroughs, the author of Master Suffering. Burroughs is the author of two collections: The Vital System (Tupelo Press, 2012) and Master Suffering (Tupelo Press, 2021). Burroughs has been awarded fellowships and grants from Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, Djerassi Foundation, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Cave Canem Foundation. Burroughs’ poetry has appeared in journals and anthologies including Poetry magazine, Callaloo, jubilat, Ploughshares, VOLT, Best American Experimental Writing Anthology, and The Golden Shovel Anthology: New Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks.
CTVA alum Johnny Alvarez was selected for his project "Somewhere Else." In his project, eight sixtysomethings living out their golden years in an otherworldly suburb find their surreal, idiosyncratic way of life threatened by the arrival of a mysterious newcomer with no memories of her past.
Chicago gets a lot of attention for its soaring skyscrapers and ornate downtown buildings, but there’s more to Chicago architecture than what’s in the Loop. Tiara Hughes, a member of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, gives us the last word on neighborhood buildings she believes are worth fighting for.
The Illinois Press Association has named alumnus Chris Coates ’04 Editor of the Year. Coates earned his BA in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia College Chicago and is currently the Central Illinois Editor at Lee Enterprises.
Folayemi (Fo) Wilson, Artist/Director of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Columbia College of Chicago, is among the advisory committee reviewing the City’s current public art inventory to identify and prioritize artworks that may be problematic. The resulting report will recommend next steps for the existing collection as well as processes for the city’s commission of monuments moving forward, which will include speculative proposals by committee artists.
As small black boxes fill social media Tuesday, the music industry created a way for millions to spread awareness of the recent killings of African Americans by police.
The Illinois Film Office, in partnership with the Chicago International Film Festival and Full Spectrum Features, recently announced that the winner of the Shortcuts Short Film Contest and the $500 first prize is “Fear,” written and directed by Marjorie Matamoros, a freshman Film major at Columbia College Chicago.
The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI) has announced that Rockey Structures, LLC has been selected as finalists in the 2020 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards for its work on Columbia College Chicago's Student Center.
Columbia College Chicago is among several schools that have posted showcases via Virtual College Showcases, with others planning to join.
Columbia College Chicago has provided out one-time $250 grants to eligible students before closing applications.
Mary Mazurek speaks about her remote teaching experience using some of the latest technology from one of the elite high end microphone companies.