The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival is almost here! We’re excited to announce a first look at films playing in our Special Presentation and Spotlight programs, including:
Cannes standouts Paper Tiger, James Gray’s deeply felt and intense crime drama starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson in a story of two brothers who become entangled in a scheme that turns out to be too good to be true, and Best Director winner Fatherland by Oscar-winner Paweł Pawlikowski, centering on the relationship between writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) during a road trip across Cold War Germany.
Paper Tiger | dir. James Gray
Fatherland | dir. Paweł Pawlikowski
The newest films from two master auteurs, Festival favorite Martin McDonagh’s latest Wild Horse Nine, which follows CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) as they set out from Santiago to Easter Island amid the mounting tensions of the 1973 Chilean coup, and Bitter Christmas, iconic Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film which chronicles a filmmaker working to turn an ad exec’s turbulent Christmas weekend into a screenplay.
Wild Horse Nine | dir. Martin McDonagh
Bitter Christmas | dir. Pedro Almodóvar
Tim Blake Nelson is set to attend and present his latest film The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, which follows a teacher (Amanda Seyfried) in an abusive relationship who takes a job at a maximum security prison, where she falls for a charismatic inmate.
The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd | dir. Tim Blake Nelson
Chicagoans and their stories are also well represented in this year’s program. Comedian and actor, Chicago’s own Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Mr. Show With Bob and David) will appear at a screening of director Michael LaHaie’s touching and hilarious documentary Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu, as he and David Cross face the challenge of climbing one of the most famous mountains on Earth, reflecting on their 30 years of friendship along the way.
The Festival’s popular City and State program, highlighting films with deep ties to Illinois and Chicago, will present the world premiere of director Frankie Nasso’s Ever After. Michelin-starred Chef Curtis Duffy launches a new world-class restaurant during a pandemic in the relentless pursuit of culinary perfection amid a personal reckoning.
Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu | dir. Michael LaHaie
Ever After | dir. Frankie Nasso
The full slate of films and programs presented at the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival will be announced on September 17, 2026.
Passes are on sale now. Tickets go on sale to the general public September 24, with Cinema/Chicago members’ pre-sale tickets going on sale September 18. Become a member today to access the exclusive pre-sale.
