First Look at the 57th Chicago International Film Festival
We’re excited to announce the Chicago International Film Festival will return to theatrical, outdoor, and virtual screens for its 57th edition from October 13 – 24, 2021!
This year the 57th Chicago International Film Festival expands throughout Chicago with presentations at venues across the city, including at AMC River East 21; the Music Box Theatre; the Gene Siskel Film Center; and special drive-in presentations at ChiTown Movies in Pilsen; as well as offering virtual screenings via the Festival’s streaming platform. Additional neighborhood pop-up screening events will be announced in the coming weeks.
The full film lineup for the Festival will be announced on Monday, September 20. For now, preview our first announced titles below!
Festival passes are now on sale. Save now with early bird pricing, and for early access and the best prices on passes and tickets become a member today.
Opening Night
The French Dispatch
Dir. Wes Anderson | United States
On the occasion of the death of their beloved editor Arthur Howitzer, Jr., staffers of The French Dispatch, a widely circulated American magazine based in the French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé, convene to write his obituary. Memories of the Kansas-born Howitzer flow into the creation of four stories: a travelogue of the seediest sections of the city itself from The Cycling Reporter; “The Concrete Masterpiece,” about a criminally insane painter, his guard and muse, and his ravenous dealers; “Revisions to a Manifesto,” a chronicle of love and death on the barricades at the height of student revolt; and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” a suspenseful tale of drugs, kidnapping and fine dining. Featuring an all-star cast (Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson), The French Dispatch is yet another wondrous and inspired tale from the visionary mind of award-winning filmmaker Wes Anderson.
Centerpiece
C’mon C’mon
Dir. Mike Mills | United States
Joaquin Phoenix, in a remarkably warm, sympathetic performance, plays Johnny, a restless radio documentary producer who flies across the country to visit his sister (Gaby Hoffmann) in hopes of reconnecting with his family. When an emergency forces his young nephew (Woody Norman) into his care, the two begin to form a tenuous but transformational relationship. From writer-director Mike Mills (20th Century Women, Beginners) comes a deeply moving story about the connections between generations, understanding the past, and facing the future.
Special Presentation
Belfast
Dir. Kenneth Branagh
United Kingdom
Special Presentation
Passing
Dir. Rebecca Hall
United States
Special Presentation
The Velvet Underground
Dir. Todd Haynes
United States
Official Selection
Citizen Ashe
Dirs. Rex Miller & Sam Pollard
United States
World Premiere
Punch 9 for Harold Washington
Dir. Joe Winston
United States
Drive-in
Encounter
Dir. Michael Pearce
United States, United Kingdom
Special Presentation
The Harder They Fall
Dir. Jeymes Samuel
United States
World Premiere
Mayor Pete
Dir. Jesse Moss
United States
Special Presentation
The Power of the Dog
Dir. Jane Campion
United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Canada, New Zealand
Health and Safety Protocols
Full vaccination or negative Covid-19 PCR test result is required to attend the Chicago International Film Festival. Full vaccination means you have received a second dose of an authorized two-dose vaccine, or a single-dose vaccine, approved for full or emergency use from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO), at least 14 days prior to the date of the event. As an alternative to proof of vaccination, you may gain entry by presenting a negative PCR COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of the event.
Vaccination policies and testing protocols will also extend to Festival staff, volunteers, and filmmakers.
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