Chicago Film Office leader Jonah Zeiger ousted

The head of Chicago’s Film Office is out.

Deputy Commissioner Jonah Zeiger’s departure, which was confirmed Tuesday by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is the latest in a series of high-profile staff changes in recent months at the department.

Zeiger — who often greeted the public at events like Millennium Park’s movie series and other film festivals — is at least the fourth DCASE deputy commissioner to exit since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Clinée Hedspeth to lead the department in March.

Johnson fired her predecessor, Erin Harkey, in February. Harkey was a former Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointee. Lightfoot also appointed Zeiger to the role of deputy commissioner for the Chicago Film Office in 2022.

The Film Office is responsible for attracting feature films, TV shows, commercials and more to film in Chicago, according to the city. The office is also the hub for permitting and logistical support for production crews while they are in town.

In addition to housing the Film Office, DCASE oversees large-scale events like Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest. The department also administers grants to Chicago cultural organizations and artists. The high churn in recent months has concerned some close observers that institutional knowledge is being lost.

A DCASE spokeswoman did not respond to a question about the circumstances of Zeiger’s departure and would not say whether or not the Film Office vacancy has been filled internally. But the leadership change comes at a key time: The city is grappling with how to drum up more revenue, and during a contentious budget season, several alderpersons said they’d like to see the film industry bring in more dollars.

In 2022, it was estimated that the Chicago Film Office generated about $575,000 in permit revenue, according to the state.

The desire for growth was stressed frequently during DCASE’s City Hall budget hearing last month, where Zeiger was on hand to reply to film-specific questions and concerns.

Chicago’s film industry has scored some big wins in recent years, including mega-hit The Bear, which has filmed three seasons in Chicago so far and has attracted both loyal fans and critical acclaim. It is the most-nominated TV show at the upcoming 2025 Golden Globe Awards.

Zeiger told WBEZ in February that it’s the type of project that can only come out of Chicago.

“It really couldn’t be made anywhere else; it just wouldn’t be the same project,” Zeiger said at the time. “I’d love to see more and more shows and projects that are really pure Chicago, and yet they’re getting a national and even a global audience.”

The city also hosted a collaboration with the Sundance Institute over the summer; it was the first such event to be held outside the esteemed festival’s longtime home in Park City, Utah. Zeiger called the three-day festival a chance to “elevate and supercharge our community.”

“Chicago is legendary as a talent magnet,” Zeiger said at the time. “Creatives come here. They thrive here, but they also struggle to get access to the higher levels of the industry that’s more built out on the coasts. An organization like Sundance is frequently seen as a gateway to the real movers and the shakers, especially in the independent film space.”

Prior to arriving at DCASE, Zeiger worked in film production and in higher education at both Northwestern and DePaul universities.

Zeiger and Betsey Grais, with the Film Office, were recently featured in NewCity as among Chicago’s film industry’s finest. In the interview, Zeiger said he’s guided by a favorite saying: “Everything you can imagine can happen. But not in the way you imagine.”

“For me, it’s a dream challenge of a lifetime: to help move the needle in the media space for the greatest city and talent source in the country,” he told the publication.

Zeiger did not respond by presstime to a request for comment.