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Here Comes The World
For nearly half a century, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought you an exciting selection of bold, new work from around the globe. We pride ourselves in championing young filmmakers and daring visions, and also in presenting the latest from the masters of world cinema.
Order your passes to the Chicago International Film Festival now, and set out on a journey of cinematic discovery. Come join us for some of the most exhilarating films the world has to offer. See it first!
Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director
Mimi Plauché, Programming Director
Alex Kopecky, Documentary Programmer
Penelope Bartlett, Shorts Programmer
2011 Festival Wrap-up.
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Opening Night Gala
Thursday, October 11
The Harris Theater
WORLD PREMIERE FILM! Joining us on the red carpet will be the film's celebrated – indeed, legendary – cast and filmmakers, who, between them, have earned 5 Academy Awards®, 8 Golden Globes®, and 4 Emmys®. We will be unveiling more details about this event soon! Buy your tickets now!
Ticket and event information.
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| Lead Partner |
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Official Airline |
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| A First Look At Our Festival Lineup |
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Benji
USA
Directors: Coodie & Chike
In 1984, all eyes were on Ben Wilson, one of Chicago's top high school basketball prospects. But in his senior year, Benji's story was suddenly cut short. Interviews with family and friends give fresh insight into Benji's life and untimely end, illuminating one of sport's most tragic "what ifs."
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Marie Krøyer
Denmark
Director: Bille August
Married to one of Denmark's most celebrated 19th century painters, Marie Krøyer's life is both privileged and fraught. Struggling to discover her own identity while managing her husband's increasingly erratic behavior, Marie begins to look outside of her marriage for affirmation and autonomy. But at what cost?
View film trailer here.
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Beyond The Hills
Romania
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) returns to feature filmmaking with this gripping existential drama. Inspired by the real-life horror of a modern-day exorcism-gone-wrong, the film follows two women, close friends whose lives have taken them down drastically different paths: one into a convent, the other much further astray.
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Like Someone In Love
France, Japan
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Iran's greatest living filmmaker travels to Tokyo for this understated, enigmatic romantic drama. Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, the enchanting university student Akiko secretly moonlights as an escort. An encounter with a client – a shy, elderly academic – leads to an unconventional, unexpectedly intimate relationship in which nothing is quite as it seems.
View film trailer here.
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In Their Skin
Canada
Director: Jeremy Power Regimbal
A relaxing trip to the country takes a dark and disturbing turn when a seemingly friendly visit from the neighbors turns into a terrifying and potentially deadly situation. Skillfully building the claustrophobic atmosphere with masterful control over mood and pacing, In Their Skin is a chilling, sophisticated slice of terror.
View film trailer here.
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A Modest Reception
Iran
Director: Mani Haghighi
Tasked with giving away huge sums of money by whatever means possible, Kaveh and Layla drive through the remote, war-torn mountains of Iran with a trunkful of cash. What begins as a seemingly harmless game soon reveals itself to be a twisted bout of charity as the power, humiliation, and shame inherent in their act plays out between the privileged couple and the impoverished villagers.
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The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
USA
Director: Chris James Thompson
By the time he was arrested, Jeffrey Dahmer had killed and dismembered 17 victims, mostly in his nondescript Milwaukee apartment. Using a mixture of archival footage, new interviews and recreations, this documentary paints a complex, intimate portrait of one of America's most notorious serial killers.
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Don't Click
South Korea
Director: Kim Tae-Kyeong
When cyber junkie Jung-mi learns of a sinister new "forbidden" internet video, she'll stop at nothing to find it. However, the morbid video has strange effects on its viewers, and soon Jung-mi and her sister seem to be under a bizarre and terrifying curse in this disturbing take on 21st-century technology, surveillance, and internet fame.
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Coming Of Age
Austria
Directors: Sabine Hiebler & Gerhart Ertl
In their 80s, Rosa and Bruno meet and are suddenly reminded what it means to love and live fully. The two – knowing that their time is limited – run off together, leaving much and many in their wake. This unconventional romantic drama paints a powerful portrait of love by turns stark, passion-filled, and heartbreaking.
View film trailer here.
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The Sessions
USA
Director: Ben Lewin
Based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined - at age 38 – to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality.
View film trailer here.
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The Cleaner
Peru
Director: Adrian Saba
In the midst of a mysterious, devastating epidemic, Eusebio – a forensic cleaner who sterilizes the apartments of the dead – discovers an eight-year-old boy hiding in an uninhabited house. A grizzled loner all his life, Eusebio suddenly finds that he must care for this young boy as civilization crumbles around them in this quietly compelling dystopian drama.
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The Scapegoat
UK
Director: Charles Sturridge
The Scapegoat tells the story of two very different men who have one thing in common: a face. Near exact replicas, these doppelgangers meet by chance, each at a major crossroads in his life in this adaption of Daphne Du Maurier's novel, which recalls the productions of Merchant-Ivory at their finest.
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Consuming Spirits
USA
Director: Chris Sullivan
A melancholic, mesmerizing vision of backwoods gothic Americana that was 15 years in the making, Consuming Spirits weaves together a spell-binding blend of animation techniques. Folksy storytelling tinged with the dark surrealism of David Lynch, this atmospheric, multi-layered tale of outcasts and misfits is haunting, funny and occasionally heart-breaking.
View film trailer here.
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Holy Motors
France, Germany
Director: Leos Carax
Several lifetimes pass in the span of a few hours for Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who effortlessly transitions from one realm to the next. He is, in turn, captain of industry, assassin, beggar, monster, family man. This mysterious, hallucinatory epic has ignited passions around the world for its bold, euphoric virtuosity
View film trailer here.
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Out In The Dark
Israel, USA
Director: Michael Mayer
Nimer, a Palestinian student, dreams of a better life abroad. One fateful night he meets Roy, an Israeli lawyer. As their relationship deepens, Nimer is confronted with the harsh realities of a Palestinian society that refuses to accept his sexual identity, and an Israeli society that rejects his nationality.
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Caesar Must Die
Italy
Directors: Paolo & Vittorio Taviani
The top prizewinner in Berlin, this docudrama from the legendary Taviani brothers depicts the preparations for a staging of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar by inmates in Rome's Rebibbia Prison. The performers, many of whom are in jail for violent crimes, bring powerful new layers of meaning and emotion to the canonical play.
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Shameless
Poland
Director: Filip Marczewski
In an incendiary story of love, desire, and betrayal between siblings, the rebellious young Tadek returns to sister Anka's home in search of solace and affection. Bound together by a painful shared family history, brother and sister must find a way to break free in order to survive.
View film trailer here.
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Tey
Senegal
Director: Alain Gomis
What would you do if you knew today was your last? A joyous, impressionistic celebration of life and death, Tey follows Satché from the moment he wakes, with full knowledge of his imminent passing. Wandering through the streets of his hometown, Satché reflects on the choices he has made and their consequences.
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Keep The Lights On
USA
Director: Ira Sachs
A one-night stand between Erik and Paul quickly grows into something more, but their differences – along with Paul's struggles with addiction – soon chip away at their relationship. This sensitive, subtle account of an intense, nine-year on-off relationship tenderly reminds us that love is not always enough.
View film trailer here.
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Valley Of Saints
India, USA
Director: Musa Syeed
Gulzar, a boatman on Kashmir's gorgeous, peaceful Dal Lake, plans to leave for the city when a military curfew forces him to remain in his hometown. When Gulzar meets Asifa, a pretty young scientist studying the lake, a romance develops against a backdrop of jealousy, competition, and ongoing political turmoil.
View film trailer here.
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As Goes Janesville
USA
Director: Brad Lichtenstein
The recession hits home in Janesville, WI, where the shutdown of a GM plant has devastated the town. Following laid-off employees struggling to make ends meet and local business owners trying to lure back investors, this intimate verité-style documentary supplies refreshingly human insight into America's economic crisis.
View film trailer here.
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Short Films
Highlights of this year's programs include: Paraíso (pictured), in which three Chicago window cleaners wax philosophical as they work on a high-rise; the animated Oh Willy..., in which the hero returns to the naturist community where he spent his youth; and Yardbird, in which a young girl uses special powers against bullies.
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Passes & Opening Night On Sale!
Buy now and get an extra $10 off your pass order! (Use promo code 48FEST10. Code valid until Aug. 31.)
MOVIEGOER (10 regular admissions)
$95 for members. $125 for non-members.
PASSPORT (20 regular admissions)
$180 for members. $240 for non-members.
Purchase passes online or by calling 312.683.0121. Moviegoer and Passport Passes are not valid for Special Presentations, Tributes, Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night.
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Opening Night Gala Tickets.
Balcony: $35 for members.
$40 for non-members.
Main floor: $45 for members.
$50 for non-members.
VIP Package, includes Main Floor & Reception: $150
Buy your tickets now!
Ticket and event information.
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Single Tickets On Sale Sept. 24!
Regular Film Tickets
$11 for members, students, and seniors.
$14 for non-members.
Special Presentation Film Tickets
$16 for members.
$20 for non-members.
Tributes, Centerpiece, and
Closing Night Film Tickets
Prices will vary and details coming soon.
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| Presenting Partner |
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| Official Airline |
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| Producing Partners |
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Major Partner |
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| Supporting Partners |
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| Participating Partners |
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| Headquarters Hotel |
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| Hotel Partners |
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| Platinum Media Partners |
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| Gold Media Partners |
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| Foundation & Government Support |
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Jeanne Randall Malkin
Family Foundation |
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| Cultural Support |
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| Patrons |
Paul and Ellen Gignilliat, Jeanne Randall Malkin, John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum, Robert and Penelope Steiner
Mellody Hobson, Byron and Judy Pollock, Joe and Pat Perillo, Bob and Janice Scarpelli
Charles Droege and Julie Wroblewski, Richard Ehrie, Ross Miller
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| Cinema/Chicago, the presenter of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a not-for-profit cultural and education organization dedicated to fostering better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image. |
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