After almost two years of doing screenings, I finally decided to layout some information and policies for The Chambana Film Society.
Since a lot of people are curious about how this works, I’ll let you know that for the most part, we rent a theater at The Savoy 16 + IMAX, negotiate the rights and payments to show a particular film, and then hope we sell enough tickets that we don’t lose money. Our screenings are not listed in The Savoy’s film listings. They cannot take payments for, and most employees do not have info about what we’re showing. About 30 minutes before showtime, we set up a table for check-in and ticket sales, to the left of the normal ticket taker.
The best way to get immediate information is to call or text us at 224.544.9261, or email us at chambanafilmfestival@gmail.com
If you’re like me, you’re sick of businesses tacking on fees, making returns or cancellations difficult, not following through with what they say they are going to do, and anything else they can to squeeze just a little more money from you. Late stage capitalism is here, and I hate it. These are a few of the principles that I hold dear:
• If you buy a ticket, and it turns out you can’t make it, just reach out ASAP, and we will process a refund, or give you a credit for a future event. We almost never have a sellout, so it’s not like we’re losing money.
• If you buy any bulk ticket item, including a festival pass, ticket bundle, or collection of screenings, you are buying a seat to a certain amount of shows. You can, and are encouraged, to share those however you like. You can give them your physical pass, or you can send us an email asking us to give your ticket to someone.
FAQ
What does the Chambana Film Festival do?
The CFS, whose first screening was in March 2024, holds film events in Central IL. We started holding monthly screenings at The Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX and in 2025 had a long-weekend (14 screenings) film festival called The Savoy Lumiére, as well as a 2-day (5 screening) music-related film festival called CineSonic. Starting in October 2025 we held (mostly) weekly screenings under the name The Savoy Arthouse through March, and in 2026 had a 14-day, 25-screening 2nd Savoy Lumière. You can see our entire screening history (along with some links to view the films) at our History: Condensed page.
What’s a Lumière?
Lumière is the French word for light (which is necessary for film projection), and also the names of two of the most important people in the history of film, The Lumière Brothers.
How do I get tickets?
You can always buy tickets on our Square Site, or at the door with cash or card.
