Screening VenueClassic Cinemas
Illinois's premier independent cinema chain — professional projection, surround sound, and the full theater experience for your premiere.
3
Now Premiering
Cinematic Memorial
Premieres.
The premiere they deserve.
For the first time, the most important story ever told gets the stage it deserves — a cinematic memorial premiere unlike anything in death care.
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What is eMMe?
"For generations, cultures around the world have known that a great life deserves a great goodbye. eMMe brings that truth into a cinematic space — where story, music, memory, and community come together in one unforgettable premiere."
eMMe Events
The Process
How It Works
01
Capture the Story
An eMMe Ambassador gathers the full narrative of your loved one's life — their culture, their music, their legacy, their voice.
02
Screen the Premiere
Family and community gather in a real movie theater for a cinematic tribute crafted with professional production.
03
Celebrate the Life
The screening becomes a living ceremony — laughter, tears, music, and memory woven into one unforgettable experience.
Start Planning →
Serving Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana & surrounding counties
Premiere Venues
Where the Story Unfolds
eMMe premieres take place at distinguished venues across the Chicago area — each one chosen for its ability to hold a room, honor a life, and create an unforgettable experience.
Screening Venue
Performance VenueThe Lyric — Blue Island
A classic neighborhood theater at 12952 Western Ave, Blue Island, IL — intimate premiere gatherings and funeral luncheons steps from the community it serves.
Performance VenueChicago Theater Works
A Chicago performance space with the intimacy and soul to hold a memorial premiere — stage lighting, professional sound, and a room built for storytelling.
Reception & Catering PartnerPaisan's Pizzeria
A family-owned Chicagoland institution since 1985 — warm, welcoming private event spaces and full catering for post-premiere receptions across multiple locations.
Reception & Catering PartnerBeggar's Pizza
A Southside Chicago institution since 1976 — born in Blue Island, IL. Community-rooted private dining and catering for every eMMe post-premiere gathering.
Not listed yet? See monthly visibility plans →
All venues are Grief Smart certified locations
Best Feature
Box Office
Pick Your Seat.
Spend an Afternoon
with Those You Love.
Every eMMe premiere is crowd-funded through our ticketing system — guests buy their seat, the family walks in as guests of honor, and no one carries the cost alone.
Premiere Goal
$6,000
eMagine Memorial — flagship theater premiere
Avg. ticket
$40–$60
100–150 guests covers the premiere
Community tickets soldGoal: $6,000
Reserved Seat
$40–$60
Choose your spot in the theater. Your ticket helps fund the premiere and holds your seat for the night.
Livestream
From home
Watch the premiere live from anywhere. No one misses the moment — near or far.
Download Keepsake
Included
Every attendee receives a digital download of the tribute film — a keepsake to carry forever.
Community Welcome
Just a Show Up
Walk in
No reservation needed. Come as you are, stand in the back, and be there. Your presence is the gift.
Reserve Your Seats→
Crowd-funded · Everyone pays their way in · Walk-ins always welcome
Ways to Gather
Choose the Premiere
They Deserve
Five crowd-fundable options — from a $1,800 Watch Party to a fully Bespoke Memorial. Everyone pays their way in. The family walks in as guests of honor.
All other services — catering, floral, transportation, grief support, and venue coordination — available at preferred pricing through our Grief Smart certified partner network.
Cultural Resonance
Every culture. Every story.
One stage.
Ghana
Elaborate fantasy coffins and joyful processions that celebrate a life fully lived.
New Orleans
Jazz second lines where grief and jubilation march together through the streets.
Japan
The quiet Otsuya vigil — intimate, reflective, honoring the spirit with presence.
Mexico
Día de los Muertos altars alive with marigolds, photographs, and the foods they loved.
Serving Chicago & Chicagoland
Every culture. Every story.
One stage.
Blue Island · Chicago · Orland Park · Tinley Park · Joliet · Merrillville · Hammond · Gary · and beyond. An eMMe Ambassador is ready to guide your family from first conversation to premiere night.
The Empty Chair
There's an empty chair at every gathering now.
You know the one. The seat at the table where they always sat. The spot on the couch. The chair they pulled up at every birthday, every holiday, every Sunday dinner.
eMMe moves the gathering to the theater — a ticketed, crowd-funded field trip where everyone pays their way in. The family keeps the reception high energy. The honor lives on the big screen.
Cousins, neighbors, coworkers, the people from church — they all show up, buy their seat, and carry the weight together. The family doesn't foot the bill alone. The community shows up the way it always should have.
A different day. A different room.
We remove grief from the space.
The funeral home handles the farewell. eMMe handles the celebration — on a separate day, in a separate room, with no casket, no funeral director, and no weight of the service still in the air.
Families arrive as guests of honor. The room is a theater. The program is a film. The grief stays at the door — and what fills the space instead is laughter, music, and the full story of a life well lived.
Plan a premiere for your family→eMMe Events