Former COD Student's Documentary 'Raising Bertie' to be Shown Nov. 18 to 23 at Gene Siskel Film Center
The latest project by former College of DuPage student and current adjunct faculty member Margaret Byrne, the feature-length documentary "Raising Bertie," will be shown Nov. 18 to 23 at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 164 N. State St., Chicago.
The film will be presented seven times: at 2 and 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18; at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19; at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20; at 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21; at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22; and at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23. A question and answer session with Byrne, producer Ian Kibbe and editor Leslie Simmer will be held after the 8 p.m. showing on Nov. 18 as well as the showings on Nov. 19 and 20. Click here for tickets.
Byrne, a former College of DuPage photography student who now teaches part-time in COD's Motion Picture/TV program, began "Raising Bertie" in 2009. Set in Bertie County, a predominantly African American rural community in the eastern part of North Carolina, the film initially began as a look at The Hive, an alternative school for at-risk boys. Byrne focused on three of the boys - Reginald "Junior" Askew, David "Bud" Perry and Davonte "Dada" Harrell - and followed them for six years as they returned to Bertie High School and grew into adults. They faced grief, violence, first love, fatherhood, unemployment and estrangement from family members and mentors.
The movie is being released by Chicago's award-winning collective Kartemquin Films as part of its 50th anniversary year. In 2016, "Raising Bertie" has received numerous awards: Best Director, Atlanta Underground Film Festival; Best Documentary, Atlanta DocuFest; and Best New Director, Los Angeles Downtown Film Festival.
Byrne's previous credits include being honored at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as part of the filmmaking team on the documentary "American Promise." Byrne spent more than eight years as a director of photography on the documentary, which received the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking at Sundance.
In addition to making films, Byrne teaches "Editing for Motion Pictures and Television" at COD. For information about the Motion Picture/TV program, visit www.cod.edu/programs/mptv, call (630) 942-2892 or email glinkeg@cod.edu. For information about the Photography program, visit www.cod.edu/programs/photography, call (630) 942-2317 or email jackowia@cod.edu.
College of DuPage is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Serving approximately 27,000 students each term, College of DuPage is the largest public community college in the state of Illinois. The College grants nine associate degrees and offers more than 170 career and technical certificates in over 50 areas of study.