Synopsis
Greg (Matthew Modine) is a beleaguered social worker at a Colorado juvenile correctional center with a passion for bicycle racing and a revelatory idea for rehabilitation: Rounding up an unlikely crew of incarcerated students to complete a transformative 1000-mile ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon. To achieve their goal, this determined coach and his disgruntled teenage squad will battle heat stroke, speed wobbles, mountainous inclines, and most of all each other to come together as a unified team.
Inspired by a true story and filmed amid the majestic landscapes of the Sierra Nevadas, this heartfelt, humor-filled adventure is a feel-good throwback to the coming-of-age sports dramas of the ‘80s and ‘90s, with an inspiring performance by Modine (Oppenheimer) as the devoted teacher who will never give up on his kids.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Christian Sander
- RJ Daniel Hanna, Christian Sander
- Evan Schrodek
- Mack Fisher
- Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Leslie David Baker, Sean Astin. Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly, Damien Diaz, Zachary T. Robbins
- Andrew Johnson
- Scott Sander, Larry Roth
- Pensé Productions
Sponsors
Comedy Program Sponsor
Film Sponsor
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Here
Synopsis
Stefan, a construction worker living in Brussels, is ready to leave town. As a farewell gesture, he boils up a large pot of vegetable soup and crosses the city sharing farewell meals with friends. Then, during his final days in the city, he meets Shuxiu, a woman working in a small family restaurant who is preparing her doctorate in microbiology. The two share a walk together in a local park, and a connection blossoms amidst the mosses.
An enchanting, lyrical ode to sharing space in an urban center, Here observes the minute, multitudinous plant life that surrounds us all. Lush 16mm cinematography lends the film a beautiful earth-toned hue, as it ruminates on yearning for companionship in a world teeming with invisible life.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Marc Goyens
- Bas Devos
- Dieter Diependaele
- Grimm Vandekerckhove
- Stefan Gota, Liyo Gong
- Brecht Ameel
- Quetzalcoatl
- http://www.cinemaguild.com/theatrical/here.html
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Synopsis
Sensing that something isn’t right, 15-year-old Holly calls in sick one morning. Later that day, a fire breaks out at her school, killing several students. The tragedy deeply impacts the community, which is thrown into a state of collective mourning. Intrigued by the teen’s uncanny premonition, high school teacher Anna invites her to join a volunteer group dedicated to comforting the grieving. Holly’s presence has a calming effect on those she encounters, bringing them a sense of peace, warmth, and even hope. Soon, people begin to seek out Holly and her cathartic energy, demanding more and more from the young woman.
Modulating between darkness and light, stillness and motion, cinematographer Frank van den Eeden (Close) beautifully translates the sense of unease that pervades the film, the characters, and the community. Award-winning director Fien Troch’s fantastical and provocative drama explores the power and limits of faith.
Screenings & Events
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Media
Film Credits
- Antonino Lombardo, Elisa Heene
- Catalina Geerarts, Greet Verstraete, Felix Heremans
- Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
- Prime Time, Mirage
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
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A Happy Day
Synopsis
Three teenage boys are stuck at a remote youth asylum center in snow-laden northern Norway. Thoughtful and poetic Hamid, together with the always sensible Aras and easy-going Imael, is plotting his escape. Up and over the mountains, a land of infinite possibility and freedom awaits. But they have a deadline. On their 18th birthdays, each will be feted with a party and then promptly processed for return to their country of origin — places to which they all have tenuous connections. But then one day Aida shows up at the center, turning Hamid’s world, and the boys’ plans, upside down.
An impressive and imposing frosty Nordic landscape populated by mischievous reindeer provides the backdrop for this poetic, intimate tale of hope and heartbreak. Deadpan humor gently intertwines with the absurd in this poignant exploration of otherness, identity, and what it means to belong.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Hisham Zaman
- Hisham Zaman
- Joakim Schager
- Łukasz Zamaro
- Salah Qadi, Ravand Ali Taha, Mohamed Salah, Sarah Aman Mentzoni, Hilde Skovdahl, Aryan Pezeshki, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Stig Frode Henriksen, Anja Saiva B. Björnstad
- Anthony Lledo
- Miriam Puttick, Linda Netland, Kjetil Jensberg
- Snowfall Cinema AS
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
Comedy Program Sponsor
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About Dry Grasses Kuru Otlar Üstüne
Synopsis
Samet, a teacher serving mandatory civil service in an isolated village in Anatolia, dreams of a new appointment to a post in Istanbul. But his hopes of reassignment are beginning to fade as he faces another unforgiving winter. His gloomy existence is thrown into further tumult when he’s accused of acting inappropriately toward one of his young students. Feeling assailed from all sides, Samet turns to Nuray, a colleague from a neighboring village and fellow wayward soul.
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (winner of the 2014 Palme d’Or for Winter Sleep) covers this fierce psychological character study with a blanket of snow, backgrounding the proceedings with stunning landscape photography that highlights the harsh beauty and intense realities of Turkish provincial life. Featuring impeccable performances and labyrinthine dialogue, About Dry Grasses weaves an intricate web of desperation, hope, and longing.
Screenings & Events
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Film Credits
- Alexandre Mallet-Guy, Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach, Maren Ade, Nadir Öperli, Kristina Börjeson, Anthony Muir, Sébastien Beffa
- Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Oğuz Atabaş, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Cevahir Şahin, Kürşat Üresin
- Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici, Ece Bağci, Erdem Şenocak, Yüksel Aksu, Münir Can Cindoruk, Onur Berk Arslanoğlu, Yildirim Gücük, Cengiz Bozkurt, S.Emrah Özdemir, Elif Ürse, Elit Andaç Çam, Nalan Kuruçim, Ferhat Akgün, Eylem Canpolat
- Philip Timofeyev, Giuseppe Verdi
- NBC Film, Memento Production, Komplizen FIL
Sponsors
International Competition Program Sponsor
John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation
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Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Radu JudeRomania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
Learn more...
212 W Van Buren St., Suite 400Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312.683.0121 | Fax: 312.683.0122
info@chicagofilmfestival.com
