It’s that time of year again! No, not for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but the Chicago International Film Festival! Turning 60 this year, CIFF is looking back in time with its “Retrospectives” celebrating renowned director Kore-era Hirokazu with “Broker” (2022), “After the Storm” (2016), “Nobody Knows” (2004), “After Life” (1998), “Shoplifters” (2018), and “Like Father, Like Son” (2013). You’ll also catch a few favorites like “The Package” from 1989 starring Tommy Lee Jones and Gene Hackman, “Toni Erdmann (2016), and “Compensation” from 1999. What better way to see these films again or even for the first time than at this premiere festival!
Also, at this time of year, we start to think “awards” and CIFF has some promising new movies to see including “Maria” written by Steven Knight, starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Pablo Larrain, “The Room Next Door” starring Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro and directed by Pedro Almodovar, “Conclave” starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, “Emilia Perez” starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, “The Return” starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, “The Piano Lesson” —the Opening Night Film —starring Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington and “Here” —the Closing Night Film — honoring Robert Zemekis and reuniting Zemeckis with Tom Hanks from Forrest Gump (1994).
Documentaries abound as well as International films, Horror Films, and Comedies at this year’s festival and while you can’t go wrong with what the programmers have found — 120 feature films and 70 shorts — here’s a quick list of movies on my “must see” list:
International Competition: “All We Imagine As Light,” “The End”
Snapshots: “Alpha,” “Alberta Number One,” “Armand,” “Santosh,” “Peacock,” “Okie,” “A Real Pain”
Black Perspectives: “Blitz,” “Color Book”
Spotlight: “The Brutalist,” “Hard Truths,” “La Cocina,” “Small Things Like These,” Emilia Perez,” “The Girl with the Needle,” “The Return”
After Dark: “Cloud,” “Frewaka,” “Grafted,” “The Rule of Jenny Pen”
Special Presentation: “Maria,” “Conclave,” “The Room Next Door”
Comedy: “Four Mothers,” “Long good Thursday,” “Two to One,” “Nightbitch”
If you need a few more reasons to attend this year’s festival, check out the Special Events at the Fest. Perhaps you’d like to spend “An Evening with Mike Myers” who will be receiving the Career Achievement Award on Saturday October 19 at 7 pm. Or perhaps “An Evening with André Holland who will be receiving the Artistic Achievement Award on Saturday, October 26 at 8 pm would be your cup of tea. There will be a special performance by D-Composed on Screen which is FREE and a Party in the Round on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20 from 3pm to 9 pm.
The 12-day film festival, the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, is one not to be missed! Take some time to walk in someone else’s shoes or find out about a different culture unknown to you. Movies transport us anywhere for a couple of hours so that we can laugh, cry, learn, and love. For more information about the 60th Chicago International Film Festival, the films, events, and tickets, go to www.chicagofilmfestival.com
