2009 Film Festival Full Schedule Now Available
You saw it here first. For 45 years, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought you the brightest and boldest new films and filmmakers—from Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog to Slumdog Millionaire and Reservoir Dogs—first. And if you get your passes to our 45th anniversary Festival now, you’ll be the first to see the movies and the artists that will be making waves for years to come.
Did you hang out to chat with The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky last year? Or listen to Kevin Smith crack the audience up for an hour after Zack and Miri? Maybe you saw Rachel Weisz, or Jada Pinkett Smith at her directorial debut, or the Oscar®-nominated documentary The Garden? Feel free to brag.
What can you expect to see this year? Some of the most anticipated films from the stars you love, sure, but the real fun of the Festival is pushing your boundaries and discovering something new. Here’s just a taste of more than 150 films you’ll find at the Festival. View our full schedule.
Michael Kutza | Founder and Artistic Director
Highlights
About Elly
Iran
Director: Asghar Farhad
From the director of Fireworks Wednesday (winner of the 2006
Gold Hugo), this complex mystery launches with the lighthearted weekend
reunion of a group of old college pals. Sepideh has brought along her
new friend Elly, hoping she’ll hit it off with Ahmad, newly divorced
from his German wife and in search of an Iranian bride. But when Elly
disappears from their seaside bungalow, compounding lies and deception
quickly lead to catastrophe.
Persian with English subtitles.
Astro Boy
USA/Hong Kong/Japan
Director: David Bowers
A thrilling tale of a true hero, Astro Boy is full of action, adventure, humor, and heart—brought to life on the big screen in breathtaking CGI animation. Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. When his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero. Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron, and Nicolas Cage lead an all-star voice cast.
Against the Current
USA
Director: Peter Callahan
Paul, still wracked with grief five years after his wife’s death, has a goal: to swim the entire length of the Hudson River in a month. His friends Jeff and Liz come along on the adventure, but they are dismayed when Paul reveals the true purpose behind his trip. By turns wry and sorrowful, this unconventional indie-drama-meets-road-trip-movie stars Joseph Fiennes, Justin Kirk, Elizabeth Reaser, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Mary Tyler Moore.
Eastern Plays
Bulgaria/Sweden
Director: Kamen Kalev
This multilayered debut is a fresh, honest, sensitively wrought
portrait of two young men struggling with their existential ennui in
different ways. Swept up in the Bulgarian capital’s turbulent political
climate, Georgi falls in with a violent gang of neo-Nazis while
blackout drunk and all-around jerk Christo flounders in a dead-end job.
Their roles in a racist beating will reveal the connections between
them and alter their lives in unexpected ways.
Bulgarian, Turkish with subtitles.
An Education
UK
Director: Lone Scherfig
In the post-war, pre-Beatles London suburbs, a bright schoolgirl (Carey Mulligan) is torn between studying for a place at Oxford and the more exciting alternative offered to her by a charismatic older man (Peter Sarsgaard). Directed by award-winning Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, Italian for Beginners) from a screenplay by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy), An Education was adapted from a memoir by journalist Lynn Barber. Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Sally Hawkins, and Emma Thompson also star.
Face / Visage
Taiwan/France
Director: Tsai Ming-Liang
A four-time award-winner at the Festival, master Tsai
Ming-Liang (Goodbye, Dragon Inn, What Time Is It Over There?) returns
with a sumptuously staged, boldly visual film about a Taiwanese
filmmaker who casts French actors in his latest disaster-fraught
film—despite not speaking a word of French. An artistic tip of the hat
to FranÇois Truffaut and the spirit of the New Wave, Face stars
Truffaut regulars Jean-Pierre LÉaud and Fanny Ardant.
French, Taiwanese with subtitles.
The Girl on the Train / La Fille du Rer
France
Director: André Téchiné
Jeanne is a beautiful, freewheeling 22-year-old with a penchant
for telling little white lies and avoiding a real job. When her
flash-in-the-pan relationship with the audacious and vaguely mysterious
Franck goes sour in a big way, the heartbroken girl spins a story
there’s no coming back from. Émilie Dequenne (Rosetta) and Catherine
Deneuve highlight the excellent ensemble cast in this sexy, complex
drama about deception and its repercussions.
French with subtitles.
Kanikôsen
Japan
Director: Sabu
Kanikôsen takes us into the belly of an industrial hell as
exploited laborers aboard the titular crab cannery ship struggle to
find escape, or at least respite, from their grim existence. With mass
suicide attempted and then rejected as an option, they slowly realize
their only recourse is open revolt. Sabu brings a modern sensibility to
his adaptation of the 1929 novel, adding stylized visuals and his
trademark flourishes of black comedy.
Japanese with English subtitles.
The Last Days of Emma Blank / De laatste dagen van Emma Blank
Japan
Director: Alex van Warmerdam
The Dutch master of madcap misanthropy returns to the Festival
with a precise, pitch-black comedy set in the country home of
terminally ill Emma Blank. Her domestic servants have long submitted to
her venomous attitude and irrational whims with an eye on an
inheritance (van Warmerdam himself plays a character ordered to serve
as the family dog... see it to believe it), but slowly the truth about
this way-offbeat household is revealed.
Dutch with English subtitles.
Love & Savagery
Canada/Ireland
Director: John N. Smith
A sleepy town along Ireland’s magnificent rocky western coast plays host to a lyrical tale of forbidden love between Michael and Cathleen, a passionate geologist/poet from Newfoundland and the lovely, gentle waitress at the local pub. Undeterred by the many enemies he amasses for wooing Cathleen, Michael forces her to question the path she’s chosen, and decide whether her love for a man can be stronger than her love of God.
Made In Hungaria
Hungary
Director: Gergely Fony
It’s rock’n roll versus communism in this rollicking musical
comedy. Pompadoured teen Miki and his parents return to oppressive
1960s Hungary after four years in the States. Miki’s stash of
contraband Jack Daniels and 45s by Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis
makes him a hit with local kids starved for American pop culture—but
it’ll be harder to win over his ex-flame Vera, tough-guy rocker RÖnÉ...
and especially the local comrades.
Hungarian with English subtitles.
The Maid / La Nana
Chile
Director: Sebastian Silva
Forty-year-old Raquel has spent more than half her life as the
live-in housekeeper and nanny for a middle-class family of six. Her
ironfisted, borderline-OCD behavior keeps things running smoothly, but
lately her snappish attitude is creating a strange tension in the
household. Hoping to relieve her stress, the family brings in a second
maid, but Raquel is prepared to defend her territory at all costs. This
unpredictable, naturalistic gem was a top winner at Sundance.
Spanish with English subtitles.
Mississippi Damned
USA
Director: Tina Mabry
They weren’t the first to dream of escaping their small Mississippi town, but—raised among their family’s vicious cycle of abuse, addiction, and lies—three young black children learn the hard way that their dreams will never be enough. Based on a true story, Mississippi Damned is the brutally honest tale of what happens when a family’s haven is also its prison.
No Hard Feelings! / Sans rancune!
France/Belgium
Director: Yves Hanchar
It’s 1955, and troublemaker Laurent finds himself at a Belgian
boarding school, where a teacher there recognizes his intelligence and
encourages him to write. As Laurent’s talent develops, he adopts his
inspiring teacher as a father figure, while at the same time wondering
about his real father, who disappeared during the war. As Laurent
investigates the past, he is forced to confront his present.
French with English subtitles.
The Revenant
USA
Director: Kerry Prior
A zombie buddy comedy with political overtones? After being
killed in combat, U.S. soldier Bart Gregory inexplicably rises from his
grave—a walking, talking rotting corpse (or revenant), but otherwise
himself. With the help of his friend Joey, he discovers he can not only
keep from decomposing without killing the innocent but also clean up
the mean streets of Los Angeles, all while cruising through the night
in a 1979 Camaro.
Soundtrack for a Revolution
USA
Director: Dan Sturman, Bill Guttentag
Relive the American civil rights movement through the
soul-stirring folk songs that fortified protestors struggling for
equality. This powerful doc pairs modern renditions by Wyclef Jean,
John Legend, TV on the Radio, the Roots, and others with footage from
the bitter days of segregation and emotional present-day interviews
with the people (including Harry Belafonte) who fought and lived
through it.
Sweet Rush / Tatarak
Poland
Director: Andrzej Wajda
Treasured director Andrzej Wajda follows up his
Oscar®-nominated Katyn with this poignant meditation on nostalgia and
loss. A married woman (Krystyna Janda) feels more than maternal
affection for a young man who reminds her of the two sons she lost in
WWII, but their drama is but a movie being staged within this movie,
and perhaps the real story is Janda herself....
Polish with English subtitles.
The ‘Thank You’ Girls
Philippines/USA
Director: Charliebebs Gohetia
This celebration of a singular family of drag queens follows a
hapless group of beauty pageant contestants who leave the big city in
search of fame, glamour, and adoration out in the rural provinces. This
lighthearted, brightly colored romp draws us in—past the girls’
glamorous faÇades to their destructive everyday habits—as they tear
through the Filipino countryside.
Visayan with English subtitles.
Those Who Remain / Los que se quedan
Mexico
Director: Carlos Hagerman, Juan Carlos Rulfo
This intimate documentary depicts the impact immigration has
had on the families who have watched brothers, sons, and fathers leave
Mexico in order to support their families. A film about nostalgia and
longing for those who have left, Those Who Remain gently presents the
gorgeous landscape of Mexico’s ranchland and the quiet life of its
inhabitants, those who have remained.
Spanish with English subtitles.
Women in Trouble
USA
Director: Sebastian Gutierrez
A pregnant porn star, a couple of call girls, a scorned psychiatrist, a teenage goth, a flight attendant with a crush on a famous passenger... the troubles of this cluster of LA women couldn’t be more different, but on one crazy day feminine compassion will alter all of their lives. Devilish humor, razor-sharp scripting, and a knockout ensemble of talented actresses (including Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, and Marley Shelton) turn Trouble into pure pleasure.
Air Doll / Kuki Ningyo
Japan
Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
The acclaimed director of Nobody Knows and After Life
returns with the modern fairy tale of an inflatable doll who takes on a
life of her own, begging the question—what really makes us human?
Japanese with English subtitles.
Antichrist (Gala Presentation)
Denmark/Germany
Director: Lars von Trier
Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg star in this dark, erotic love story from the controversial writer/director of Dogville, Dancer in the Dark, and Breaking the Waves. A grieving couple retreats to an isolated cabin in the woods to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course, and things go from bad to worse....
Backyard / El traspatio
Mexico
Director: Carlos Carrera
Hundreds of women have gone missing or turned up dead in the
border town of JuÁrez, Mexico, but new captain Blanca Bravo (Ana de la
Reguera) is determined to stop the savagery. The director of The Crime of Father Amaro helms this chilling thriller, based on actual events.
Spanish, English, Tzotzil with English subtitles.
The Be All and End All
UK
Director: Bruce Webb
In this hilarious and heartwarming tale of true friendship, terminally ill teen Robbie doesn’t want to die a virgin, so it’s up to his lifelong mate Ziggy to get a girl into Robbie's bed...by any means necessary.
Bellamy
France
Director: Claude Chabrol
Gerard Depardieu stars as a Paris police chief who becomes
embroiled in an unorthodox murder mystery while on vacation in French
New Wave veteran Claude Chabrol’s playfully witty crime story.
French with English subtitles.
Chicago Overcoat
USA
Director: Brian Caunter
This shoot’em-up neo-noir crime drama—centering on an over-the-hill hit man (Frank Vincent, The Sopranos) looking for one last job to relive his glory days—is a stylish, accomplished debut from local filmmakers.
Eye of the Storm / No Meu Lugar
Brazil/Portugal
Director: Eduardo Valente
In the aftermath of an accidental death, three stories build to
a gripping and unexpected climax, reminding us that the past is very
much part of the present unless one is ready to let it go.
Portuguese with English subtitles.
A Frozen Flower / Ssang-Hwa-Jeom
South Korea
Director: Yoo Ha
This bold and provocative tale of the forbidden love between a
13th-century Korean king and his male guard is laced with lust,
betrayal, and epic battles.
Korean, Mandarin with English subtitles.
Hipsters / Stilyagi
Russia
Dir: Valery Todorovsky
Moscow, 1955. Soviet uniformity is the order of the day, but incurring the wrath of all the grim-faced comrades in Russia isn't enough to stop a group of young “hipsters” from donning outrageous threads, puffing up their pompadours, pushing up their cleavage, throwing back martinis, and shakin’ their hips. Could this romantic, infectiously fun musical be this year's Slumdog Millionaire?
The House of the Devil
USA
Director: Ti West
This simmering retro suspense thriller centers on a cute college girl who takes a babysitting gig at a big, creaky country house lorded over by a creepy old couple with big plans to celebrate the night's rare lunar eclipse.
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno / L’enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot
France
Directors: Serge Bromberg, Ruxandra Medrea
A director and his gorgeous ingÉnue, actress Romy Schneider,
set off on an ambitious plan to revolutionize the art of cinema. What
went wrong along the way is the subject of this fascinating
documentary.
French with English subtitles.
Made in China
USA
Director: Judi Krant
Wes Anderson's whimsy meets David Mamet's love of duplicity in the peppy, comic tale of a wide-eyed Texas hayseed who travels to China to find a manufacturer for the novelty product he hopes will put him right up there with the guy who invented the whoopee cushion.
Motherhood
USA
Director: Katherine Dieckmann
Uma Thurman shines in this charming, high-energy comedy as a beleaguered Manhattanite just trying to survive another day of the madness that comes with raising two young kids (and a husband and best friend).
Police, Adjective / Politist, adjectiv
Romania
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Winner of two top awards at Cannes, this austere cop drama
about the conflict between an individual’s moral conscience and the
letter of the law affirms the singular talent Porumboiu revealed in his
internationally acclaimed debut, 12:08 East of Bucharest.
Romanian with English subtitles.
Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire
USA
Director: Lee Daniels
The story of 16-year-old “Precious” Jones—the victim of physical and emotional abuse by her father and poisonously angry mother—is sculpted into a vibrant, honest, and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome.
Red Cliff
China
Director: John Woo
John Woo puts his singular stamp on the art of war in this
Chinese box office smash. Set during the tumult of the third-century
Han Dynasty, Red Cliff comes spring-loaded with scandals, spies, and scorching battles.
Mandarin with English subtitles.
Vincere
Italy/France
Director: Marco Bellocchio
The closely guarded story of Italian dictator Benito
Mussolini’s secret lover and son is revealed in fittingly operative
proportions in this electrifying tour de force.
Italian with English subtitles.
Who’s Afraid of the Wolf / Kdopak by se vlka bál
Czech Republic
Director: Maria Procházková
In a fantastical film for all ages, a young girl’s imagination
runs wild as she tries to understand the family crisis enveloping her
and wake up from what she hopes is a bad dream.
Czech with English subtitles.
Short Films
This year's short films program includes Cannes Critics' Week favorite Logorama and Horn Dog (above), a new animated work from Oscar®-nominated director Bill Plympton.
