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List of Talks
Browse 50+ film history talks available for conferences, libraries, classrooms, and more.
2026 Featured Talks
Download our calendar that highlights one featured talk each month in 2026.
Many programs are brand new, and several are tied to holidays and cultural observances for year-round programming inspiration!
Browse All Talks
America's Most Famous Diner, Chicago Style
Visit a Chicago mural that spoofs one of American art's most well-known paintings by inserting celebrity likenesses
Batman in Chicago: Filming Locations and the Art of Anarchy
Explore Chicago as Gotham, uncover location filming secrets, and learn how camera angles in "The Dark Knight" reveal chaos and power
Behind the Baby Carriage: Chicago and The Untouchables
Visit three Chicago locations in The Untouchables, focusing on the movie’s baby carriage sequence in Union Station and later films it inspired
Beyond the Blues Brothers
Celebrate the 1980 Chicago-based movie in all its iterations
Black Movie History in Chicago: Cinematic Milestones and Sacred Grounds
Explore Black film history in Chicago through select movies and sites that connect them
Brief History of Hollywood Film
Learn about three eras of Hollywood's history, from 1893-1970
Chicago Movie Houses: Hidden Histories and Lost Glamour
Uncover the histories of three movie theaters in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood
Chicago Movies in Winter
Explore snowy Chicago movie locations featured in "Groundhog Day," "The Breakfast Club," and more
Chicago Murals and Movie Stars
Explore the lives of three stars via massive murals in Chicago
Chicago and Movies on the Mississippi River
Visit Vicksburg, Mississippi, as you learn about its ties to Chicago and movies
Chicago and The Wizard of Oz
Discover Chicago's many connections to the classic children's story "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"
Chicago's First Ferris Wheel in Film
Travel back to the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and experience the first Ferris wheel through film and virtual reality
Chicago's World's Fairs and the Movies
Discover how Chicago helped advance film and create movie stars
Chicago, Christmas Movies, and Class
Consider what three Chicago-based Christmas movies say about social class
Chicago, Movies, and the 1918 Pandemic
Learn about three Chicago movie theaters that survived the 1918 flu pandemic
Christmas in Chicago: Location and Legacy in While You Were Sleeping
Visit three Chicago locations from "While You Were Sleeping," and consider the importance of Saul, the Jewish elder guiding this Christmas rom-com
Cinematic Canines and Circus Stars in Chicagoland Cemeteries
Delve into the intersection of film history, animal performers, and cemetery lore
Comedy in Chicago: The Marx Brothers and Bob Newhart
Learn about the Chicago connections of a few giants of American comedy
Countdown to the Oscars: Illinois Winners, Scandalous Moments, and Oscar Bait
Celebrate Illinois' Oscar winners, scandalous moments, and "Oscar bait" as you countdown to this year's Academy Awards
Dirty Dancing on Abortion
Revisit the abortion plot in Dirty Dancing, without which the entire movie falls apart
Festivus 101: A Celebration for the Rest of Us
Become an expert on Festivus and its place in pop culture, Chicago's included
Film Noir: Hollywood's Darkest Timeline
Dive into film noir—dark plots, dim lights, and dangerous cities, including Chicago
From Ferris to the Frontlines: Chicago's Art Institute and Grant Park in the Movies
From Ferris Bueller to political drama, see the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park through the lens of film
Gender in Hollywood: Men
Explore four typical depictions of men in Hollywood film
Gender in Hollywood: Women
Encounter four ways Hollywood has traditionally represented women onscreen
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