Synopsis

Luca has long dreamed of becoming a parent. When the newborn Alba, who has Down syndrome, is abandoned at the hospital, Luca is determined to fight against an archaic set of laws and societal expectations for his right, as a gay man, to adopt and care for her. Inspired by true events, this tender tale is a testament to love and family enduring against all odds.

Synopsis

Directed by Pablo Larraín (ChicagoIFF selections Spencer, Jackie, Neruda, The Club) and starring Academy Award®-winner Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as La Callas negotiates the blurred boundaries between her public image and private self. The film also stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Synopsis

A filmmaker immerses his daughter in the magic of cinema, where chaos meets fantasy. This creates a deep bond that will sustain them through good and bad.

Synopsis

The majestic vistas of the Italian Alps make for a stunning backdrop, but Vermiglio is more concerned with studying the intimate landscapes of the human face than it is in admiring the view. Set in the final days of WWII, this handsomely realized period drama from director Maura Delpero (Maternal) chronicles a harrowing year in the life of three sisters, the daughters of a schoolteacher in a remote mountain village.

When Pietro, a deserter fleeing the approaching German army, arrives in their village, the sisters’ lives are forever changed — that of eldest daughter Lucia, who marries the handsome stranger, especially. But her younger siblings are affected by watching Lucia’s joys and struggles as a young, pregnant bride as well. Fresh off of its debut at the Venice Film Festival, Vermiglio is an affecting testament to the strength of women and the ties that bind.

Synopsis

Luciana, a trusted Italian astrologer, promises her clients a way to make their dreams come true: All they need to do is take a special birthday trip to a destination determined by their astrological profile. Sitting behind her computer, Luciana quickly types in some data. Out comes a client’s wish-fulfilling location, be it Taipei, Beirut, or Alaska. As Luciana’s customers — from fun-loving twins to an elderly woman — venture out, they discover fulfillment in the unlikeliest of places.

Mixing deadpan wit and bittersweet poignance, Slovak director Péter Kerekes (ChicagoIFF winner Cooking History) returns to the Festival with a wondrously stylized documentary that is as surprising and idiosyncratic as its central psychic. No matter what you think of Luciana’s practice, Wishing on a Star offers an authentically sensitive and universal portrait of the human desire for happiness—and the lengths people will go to find it.