Chicago film aficionados, mark your calendars. The Sundance Institute is bringing a slice of its famed Park City festival right to the Windy City's doorstep this June. In a pioneering collaboration with Choose Chicago and the city's own Chicago Film Office, the Sundance Institute x Chicago event is setting the stage for a weekend full of indie films, panel discussions, and educational workshops from June 28-30.

This cinematic shindig isn't just about the popcorn and flicks. It also promises to spark insightful dialogues with master classes centered on the nuts and bolts of the film biz, including film financing, distribution, and oh yes—how to get your indie masterpiece into the Sundance Film Festival. And while film enthusiasts get ready to munch on their metaphorical (and literal) popcorn, the big boys with the calculators in City Hall aren’t just throwing down pennies for this affair. According to reports from Crain's, the Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events coughed up $175,000 for the privilege.

What's on the reel for Chicago's indie film lovers? We're looking at a lineup including "Luther: Never Too Much," a tribute to the velvety voice of Luther Vandross. Then, there's "Sugarcane," which digs deep into the grave issue of child abuse at an Indian residential school, and if you fancy a bit of the weird and charming, “Your Monster” spins a fantastical dark rom-com. Let's not forget "A Different Man," a story about an actor, his face, and a medical procedure that promises to be anything but skin deep.

Tickets are going for the democratic price of $20 at various venues like the Logan Center for the Arts and the Davis Theater, with a slight discount for students and seniors, creaky bones and all. If you're more of a pontificator or a future Spielberger, the panel discussions and master classes are your free ticket to rubbing intellectual elbows with industry insiders. Just make sure to reserve your spot online because, unlike the hopefuls at Sundance’s open submissions, spaces are limited.

And let's not sidestep the hot gossip bubbling up in the film canisters: With the whisperings of Sundance's contract in Park City nearing its final reel by 2027, some are wondering if Chicago might just be positioning itself as the next indie film hub. Representatives with Choose Chicago told NBC Chicago that the partnership is set to throw a spotlight on Chicago’s film industry, and honestly, it's about time. Chicago, with its skyscrapers and deep-dish pizzas, might just become the next backdrop for independent cinema's brightest and boldest. Now that’s a script worth reading.