Black Voices

EMORY JONES AND DAVE JEFF BRING ‘FADE’ SCREENING AND FIRESIDE CHAT TO XL FEST CHICAGO

August 22, 2026

THE WORD

Emory “Vegas” Jones and Dave Jeff will take part in a special FADE (Bet On Yourself) screening and fireside chat during XL Fest 2026 in Chicago.
The event takes place Sunday, August 23 at 4 PM at the Obama Presidential Center, 6001 S. Stony Island Avenue.
Presented by Creative Cypher, the conversation will explore culture, fatherhood, legacy, entrepreneurship and betting on yourself.
FADE uses the experience of a father taking his son for a haircut to explore Black masculinity, identity, fatherhood and generational legacy.
The short was featured as part of Tribeca X 2026 in partnership with PUMA, with Jones serving as one of the project’s executive producers.
The screening and fireside chat are part of XL Fest, a Chicago festival centered on film, creativity, culture and community.

Chicago will get a closer look at a story rooted in Black fatherhood, culture and generational legacy when Emory “Vegas” Jones joins Chicago cultural figure Dave Jeff for a screening of FADE (Bet On Yourself) and a special fireside chat at XL Fest 2026.

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Presented by Creative Cypher, the screening and conversation will take place Sunday, August 23 at 4 PM at the Obama Presidential Center. The event brings the story behind FADE to Chicago while creating space for a larger conversation around culture, creativity, entrepreneurship and the importance of betting on yourself.

MORE THAN A HAIRCUT

At the center of FADE is an experience that may feel familiar to generations of Black men: a father taking his son to the barbershop.

But the haircut is only the beginning.

The short follows a father and son over the course of a single day as they experience a quiet rite of passage. According to the film’s official Tribeca X listing, FADE explores masculinity, identity and legacy through a deeply personal father-and-son story.

The barbershop serves as an important backdrop. Within Black communities, the shop has historically been more than a place to get a haircut. It can also be a gathering space where conversations about sports, relationships, business, community and manhood happen across generations.

That cultural familiarity gives FADE a story much larger than its runtime.

FROM TRIBECA X TO XL FEST

FADE previously reached audiences through Tribeca X 2026, where it was presented as a PUMA-branded project.

The Tribeca X selection credits Eric “Ptah” Herbert as director and Destin “Dutch” Soul as writer. Emory “Vegas” Jones, Alan “Chief” Johnson and Jackson Fox Pickard are listed as executive producers, while Herbert, Mack Tompkins, Andre Mitchell and Devin Mitchell are credited as producers.

The film stars Kareem Hogan, Mehmet Edip and Guy Torry.

Its journey to Chicago now gives XL Fest audiences an opportunity to experience the project while also hearing directly from one of the people who helped bring its vision to life.

EMORY JONES AND DAVE JEFF TAKE THE CONVERSATION TO CHICAGO

Following the screening, Jones will sit down with Dave Jeff for a fireside conversation.

The pairing brings together two men whose careers intersect with culture, entrepreneurship and the idea of creating your own lane.

Jones’ role as an executive producer gives him a direct connection to the themes and creative vision behind FADE. His participation allows the conversation to move beyond what audiences see on screen and into the ideas of legacy, fatherhood, storytelling and self-belief that surround the project.

Dave Jeff brings a distinctly Chicago perspective to that discussion. As a longtime figure within the city’s fashion and creative communities, his presence makes the fireside chat more than a traditional post-screening Q&A.

Instead, XL Fest is creating an opportunity for the themes within the film to connect directly with Chicago.

That connection is especially fitting for a story that places so much importance on spaces where culture is passed down. From barbershops and neighborhood businesses to fashion, music and film, those spaces have helped generations build community while creating opportunities for the people coming behind them.

WATCH FADE (BET ON YOURSELF)

Audiences can watch FADE ahead of the XL Fest screening and conversation.

The Chicago screening gives audiences another way to experience the short collectively before Jones and Jeff take its larger themes into conversation.

For a film built around the lessons, traditions and experiences that move from one generation to another, bringing that conversation to Chicago and XL Fest creates an opportunity to talk about what it really means to build something that lasts.

EVENT DETAILS: FADE (Bet On Yourself) Screening + Fireside Chat featuring Emory “Vegas” Jones and Dave Jeff | Sunday, August 23, 2026 | 4 PM | Obama Presidential Center, 6001 S. Stony Island Avenue, Chicago.

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