Anything That Moves
Synopsis
From the twisted mind behind All Jacked Up and Full of Worms comes a raucous, Chicago-set riff on ’70s sexploitation films. Writer-director Alex Phillips returns to the Festival with this stunning 16mm thriller following Liam, an unassuming bike-courier and sex worker in Chicago delivering whatever will satisfy his clients’ appetites—until they start turning up dead. A trail of taboo encounters and gruesome crime scenes paint Liam as the primary suspect, making him wanted in more ways than he’d anticipated. Framed by a serial killer and pursued by a pair of deranged cops, all while trying to maintain his lascivious livelihood, Liam’s simple life of on-demand pleasure turns into a conspiratorial nightmare.
Playful and gory yet full of heart, Anything That Moves blends salacious sex and social critique into a thrilling exploration of the darker sides of desire.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Standby Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Media
Film Credits
- Spencer Parsons, Georgia Bernstein, Liane Cunje
- Alex Phillips
- Alex Phillips, Troy Lewis
- Hunter Zimny
- Hal Baum, Jiana Nicole, Ginger Lynn Allen, Nina Hartley,
- Cue Shop
- Joe Rubin, Ryan Emerson, Ralph Stevens, Ian Stone, Eddie Linker, Stephen Lanus, Amar Gupta
- Vinegar Syndrome, Missing Link
You might also enjoy...
Arco
Synopsis
After falling from the sky and accidentally landing in 2075, adolescent time traveler Arco is shocked to find a world in peril and seemingly on the brink of collapse. Soon after, he encounters 10-year-old Iris, a lonely and isolated girl being raised by her trusted robot caretaker Mikki. Buoyed by her newfound friendship with the mysterious boy in the rainbow suit, Iris’s outlook begins to change. Banding together, the unlikely duo, with Mikki in tow, sets out to help return Arco to his peaceful, idyllic future—and to save Iris’ environmentally ravaged home.
With his charming full-length debut, French illustrator, graphic novelist, and animator Ugo Bienvenu crafts a warm, uplifting tale that possesses an undeniable visual splendor recalling the great work of Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki. An engaging sci-fi inflected fantasy and a love letter to the power of the imagination, Arco offers an uplifting look at the power of kinship and camaraderie to affect change, both on a personal level and in the larger world.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Standby Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Film Credits
- Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Ugo Bienvenu
- Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry
- Nathan Jacquard
You might also enjoy...
The Beauty of the Donkey La Beauté de l'Âne
Synopsis
Award-winning Swiss Albanian filmmaker Dea Gjinovci (2020’s Wake Up on Mars) returns to the bucolic Kosovo town of her father’s youth—a place he hasn’t seen in 60 years—for this lyrical journey into the past at once wistful and tragic. Together, they recreate his childhood memories, making sets that resemble his former home and with scenes acted out by the local villagers. Through this collective creative project, 1950s Kosovo springs to life in a series of beautifully realized vignettes that prompt Gjinovci’s father to reflect on times of innocence, of violence (when the country persecuted the Albanian population), and of loss, enabling him to finally reckon with the disappearance of his mother decades before.
This evocative mix of memory and reenactment allows father and daughter to uncover shocking truths about their family history and to come to terms with a legacy of oppression. A touching narrative of resilience and catharsis, The Beauty of the Donkey is also a sensitive and bittersweet testament to the power of stories to bring back people and places that history and political strife have tried to erase.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Standby Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Media
Film Credits
- Dea Gjinovci, Palmyre Badinier
- Dea Gjinovci
- Lizi Gelber
- Maxime Kathari
- Asllan Gjinovci, Leart Gjinovci
- Gael Kyriakidis
- Maida Lynn
- Astrae Productions
Sponsors
Program Partner
Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin
With support from
You might also enjoy...
Before the Call Bureum Jeone
Synopsis
Jinwoo, a Korean American, returns to Seoul amid an escalating global crisis. Despite being exempt from service, he’s determined to enlist in the military and join the Korean soldiers being sent overseas. Awaiting his deployment day, he spends his time wandering the city’s winding streets, reconnecting with old friends and trying to win the approval of his stern, reserved father. A quiet tension builds as the big day approaches, and Jinwoo begins to question his decision.
Chicago-based director James Choi composes his images with a rare sensitivity, combining unconventional cityscapes with subtle, understated performances to cultivate a contemplative mood. A profound meditation about identity, duty, and the difficulty of choosing a path when the distinction between right and wrong is anything but clear.
Director Spotlight
Go behind the scenes of Before the Call with director James Choi in our Director Spotlight.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Standby Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Media
Film Credits
- James Choi, Judi Krant, Jeesoo Lee, Diane Suh
- James Choi
- James Choi
- SuBin Kim
- Andy Koh, Seong-guk Ha, So-yi Kang, Gwang-rok Oh
- Beachwood Pictures
You might also enjoy...
Belén
Synopsis
Based on the true story that sparked an international movement, Belén chronicles the harrowing case of Julieta, a young woman falsely accused of infanticide, and Soledad Deza (Dolores Fonzi), the fearless lawyer who takes on the highly controversial, explosive case. In Tucumán, a conservative region of Argentina, Julieta’s trial becomes a flashpoint for the ongoing fight for women’s reproductive rights. As Soledad faces off against a corrupt, classist, and patriarchal legal system, Julieta’s story ignites a groundswell of outrage and solidarity, galvanizing an unstoppable movement for justice and bodily autonomy.
Belén is equal parts gripping courtroom drama, searing critique of systemic injustice, and celebration of resilience and sisterhood.
Screenings & Events
There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.
Standby Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Media
Film Credits
- Dolores Fonzi, Camila Plaate, Laura Paredes, Julieta Cardinali, Luis Machín, César Troncoso, Sergio Prina, Ruth Plaate, Lili Juárez
- K&S Films
You might also enjoy...
212 W Van Buren St., Suite 400
Tickets on sale now!
See your most-anticipated screenings at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.
