IFA Chicago is honored to host an intimate conversation with Chicago's 90-year-old living legend and the creative force behind the hit NBC TV series 227, Dr. Christine Houston (she/her).

Join us for a rare and intergenerational conversation with Dr. Houston, an evening celebrating legacy, storytelling, and the power of honoring one's creativity.

We are proud to announce our fiscal sponsorship of 227 "Two-Twenty-Seven" Based on a Play by Dr. Christine HoustonTM, a short documentary illuminating the remarkable and nearly untold story of the visionary Chicagoan and African American woman whose work reshaped American television. The film will premiere in a few weeks at the Brixton Film Festival during London Film Week, where Dr. Houston will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

NBC’s 1985 premiere of 227 revolutionized primetime television, bringing the everyday experiences of a middle-class African American family to millions with warmth, humor, and honesty. With +18 million weekly viewers across a 5-season run, the series launched talents like Regina King and Jackée Harry and helped redefine how Black life was portrayed on screen. Few know that 227 began not in Hollywood but on Chicago’s South Side, born as a stage play written by Dr. Christine Houston—a U.S. Air Force veteran, wife, mother of 3, full-time CTA ticket agent, and part-time student—whose extraordinary creative brilliance this film brings to light. The piece is directed by the Emmy-Award winning Chan. C. Smith, another South Side native!

If Dr. Houston’s journey resonates with you, we invite you to support the fundraising campaign and help share her legacy with the world. With IFA serving as the project's fiscal sponsor, every donation is fully tax-deductible and goes straight to the production and post-production team's preserving this important history.

Click here for IFA Chicago membership details, or reach out to info@ifachicago.org with questions.