Brenda Sexton & Michael Wilmington: World on War: A Film Discussion

What do Saving Private Ryan, The Pianist and Kanal have in common? The Pritzker Military Museum & Library welcomed film critic Michael Wilmington and Brenda Sexton, Managing Director of the Illinois Film Office, for a reception and discussion of war films. The evening included a viewing of clips and a discussion on these and other films including: Birth of a Nation, Horse Soldiers, Dr. Strangelove, MASH and Apocalypse Now.

Michael Wilmington joined the Chicago Tribune in September 1993 as chief movie critic. He also currently reviews movies and video for Chicago's CLTV and writes a nationally syndicated movie review column. Before joining the Chicago Tribune in 1993, Wilmington served as film critic and reporter for the Los Angeles Times from 1984 to 1993. His long history of work in the field includes film and video critic and contributing editor for L.A. Style from 1987 to 1993; film critic and film editor for L.A. Weekly from 1983 to 1985; and film critic for Milwaukee Magazine from 1983 to 1986. He has been film critic and senior writer for Isthmus, a weekly Madison, Wisconsin newspaper, for almost twenty years.

Wilmington won the Milwaukee Press Club Award (for arts criticism) five times and received three honorable mentions for his work in Isthmus. He has also won the Chicago Headliner Club's Peter Lisagor Award for his work both in the Tribune and on CLTV. A past vice president of the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, he is a board member of both the National Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics.

Wilmington has contributed extensively to film journals including Film Comment, Sight and Sound, and Film Quarterly. His teaching and lecturing credits include the University of Southern California, UCLA Extension School and Cal Arts.

Wilmington teaches in the University of Chicago Continuing Education program. He attended the University of Wisconsin and is co-author of the book John Ford (1973, with Joseph McBride). He is a native of Williams Bay, WI.

Brenda Sexton serves as the Managing Director of the Illinois Film Office, appointed by Governor Blagojevich in 2003 to help revitalize film industry production in Illinois . Ms. Sexton's extraordinary career in advertising, sales and real estate provided the perfect foundation for her current role in state government.

Born in Queens , New York , Brenda Sexton is the only one of the four children in her family to finish high school. After earning her MBA in International business, and a year at Ogilvy & Mather, Ms. Sexton set off into the demanding and challenging world of commercial real estate in Chicago, quickly rising to be one of the top tenant rep brokers in the city. In a 20 year career in that industry, Ms Sexton executed over half a billion dollars worth of major corporate real estate transactions nationwide and was twice awarded Broker of the Year by the Chicago Sun Times, in addition to being appointed President of Corporate Services for the Galbreath Company, and selected for Crain's Forty Under Forty.

In 2000, Ms Sexton embarked on a new career as a film critic, which has led to the opportunity to teach film classes with Michael Wilmington, cover the Cannes Film Festival, produce celebrity interviews for various publications and ultimately to her recent appointment.

The goal of the Illinois Film Office is to rejuvenate the film, television and commercial production business in Illinois. In her first months in this post, Ms. Sexton has helped pass legislation offering tax incentives to filmmakers and coordinated functions in Los Angeles to bring her message to the heads of the major studios. Serious calls from filmmakers considering Illinois for their productions are already up over 200% since one year ago. The Illinois Film Office is actively pursuing $100 million in productions considering Illinois for '04.

Brenda Sexton serves on the Executive Board of the Chicago Film Critic's Association, the Executive Board of The Goodman Theatre Women's Board, and the Executive Board of PAWS Chicago. She has worked as a volunteer for the City of Chicago and for the Latin School , and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.