Introduction to Luv City
Luv City, a violence prevention nonprofit that empowers youth by teaching digital media skills, got its start as a do-it-yourself project between Dre Rodriguez and his then-11-year-old son, “Little Dre” Rodriguez. The elder Rodriguez had recently gotten out of federal prison for drug-dealing and was looking for ways to connect with his son, who was a toddler when Rodriguez went away. By the time he was paroled his son was gravitating toward the same street life he worked hard to move on from.
The Birth of Luv City
Recognizing how kids of today are “tuned into their phones at all times,” Rodriguez saw an opportunity to work with the technology to better reach people his son’s age. So Rodriguez took his iPhone and a rap song recorded by Little Dre and his friend Dameion Salinas and made their first of many music videos together. These efforts eventually grew into Luv City, a West Garfield Park nonprofit that gives teens hands-on experience in film programming to keep them out of trouble in some of Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods. Participants have produced dozens of short films and music videos.
First Theatrical Screening
On Sunday, Rodriguez and the Luv City community celebrated the organization’s growth and honored its scrappy roots with its first-ever film screening at a major theater. “We’ve gone from the iPhone to the big screen, and it’s a testament to how much this organization has grown thanks to the hard work these kids put into it,” Rodriguez said. Current and former participants in Luv City’s programs packed theater 4 at the AMC Galewood 14, 5530 W. Homer St., where Rodriguez and the program’s teachers screened a selection of films created over the years.
Impact on Participants
Little Dre, now 19, said that getting to see his work on the big screen felt “surreal.” “Seeing the finished product and everyone smiling and happy to be watching it — it makes all the hard work worth it,” Little Dre said. “This was my first time directing all by myself, so this is a big moment.” Little Dre said that participating in Luv City’s productions over the last several years has helped him feel more connected to his community and realize his dreams of pursuing media production as a career.
Future Plans
In the coming years, Rodriguez hoped to expand Luv City into a “full-blown media production company,” making feature films and shooting commercials for global brands like Nike or Apple, he said. But much of Luv City’s immediate future relies heavily on the community’s support. Luv City’s largest grant is ending in June, making donations and fundraising even more important, Rodriguez said. One way to support the organization is by attending the Luv City Gala, happening 6:30 to 9 p.m. May 9 at Luv City Studios, 3849 W. Lake St. Single tickets cost $50 and are available here.
<img class="Image" alt="Promotional materials for Luv City inside the AMC Galewood 14. On May 9 Luv City will hold a gala fundraiser at its studios, 3849 W. Lake St., to find new donors to keep its programs going." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f29599f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000×4000+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2Fb3%2F424fa3644dea94ec7e1fb403f053%2Fyouthmovie-042825-3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/abe3457/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000×4000+0+0/resize/1680×1120!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2Fb3%2F424fa3644dea94ec7e1fb403f053%2Fyouthmovie-042825-3.jpg 2x" width="840" height="560" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f29599f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000×4000
