CHICAGO — Fido is ready for his close-up.
The Dog Film Festival, coming to Chicago for the first time this fall, will showcase a variety of short films that star man's best friend. Even better: The event will benefit PAWS, an animal shelter.
The festival will be split into two screenings: The first will feature funny clips while the second screening documents more serious stories that show the strengths of dogs and the bond between humans and their fuzzy companions.
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The festival is Sept. 11 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. Tickets are $15 per screening and are available online.
What can you see at the show? Here's a peek at some of the movies:
Game of Bones: Helen the black lab has to rescue the Bone of Destiny. She has to "scour the land, digging up clues and sniffing up leads," the narrator explains, and even faces off against a wizard/pug, Jose.
There are epic tug-of-war battles, magical bubbles and a lot of tail-wagging.
Fog of Courage: Remember a cute (if cowardly) little dog from your childhood named Courage?
Courage returns in this short film, and he's just as lovable as ever — and a way better guard dog than most, even if he is a bit cowardly.
Useful Dog Tricks: Don't watch this video of Jesse the Jack Russell terrier unless you're emotionally ready to accept that he's cooler than your own dog. Jesse makes coffee, opens and closes the blinds, knows how to open wallets, pops videos into the VCR, closes the doors behind you when your arms are full and even tucks himself into bed at night.
Seriously, Jesse is probably smarter than some of your relatives.
989 Miles Home: This video documents the work of Paws to the Rescue, a group that helped save many dogs and cats, transporting them across the country to new homes, before it closed earlier this year.
Go to the festival's website for a full list of films.
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