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Banner: the 61st Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: Literary Adaptation


A woman sits in front of a microphone, an anxious expression on her face. Behind her, a group of women are out of focus.

Belén

Dolores Fonzi  |   Argentina
Spanish  
Biopic, Drama, Literary Adaptation, Women-Centered

When a woman is wrongly charged with infanticide, a court case brought to vindicate her ignites both outrage and solidarity in this riveting true story.

An elderly man in a feathered headband stands in front of a mirror, putting in vampire teeth.

Dracula

Radu Jude  |   Romania, Austria, Luxembourg, Brazil
Romanian  
Comedy, Film on Film, Literary Adaptation, Social Commentary

A vampire hunt, an AI-generated Vlad the Impaler, a vulgar folktale, and much more collide in this unforgettable retelling of the Dracula myth.

A man stands in front of an audience, holding a cylindrical object with a wild expression on his face.

Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro  |   U.S.
English  
Drama, Fantasy, Literary Adaptation

Brilliant but egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein brings a creature to life in an experiment that leads to the undoing of both creator and his tragic creation.

A man and a woman closely stand face to face in a deeply wooded area.

Hamnet

Chloé Zhao  |   U.K.
English  
Biopic, Drama, Literary Adaptation, Romance

From Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet.

A woman stands in the middle of a lavish party, toying with the key on her necklace.

Hedda

Nia DaCosta  |   U.S.
English  
LGBTQ, Literary Adaptation, Sex and Sexuality, Women-Centered

In this provocative reimagining of Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda finds herself torn between the lingering ache of past love and the quiet suffocation of her present.

In a bright room, a woman sits at an easel. She paints trees and animals.

Leonora in the Morning Light

Lena Vurma, Thor Klein  |   Germany, Mexico, Romania, U.K.
English, French, Spanish  
Art, Biopic, Literary Adaptation, Women-Centered

Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington’s life and work are vividly brought to life in this textured and insightful reflection on a truly original spirit.

Shorts 9: Family Friendly Animation

Various  |   Brazil, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, U.S.
English, No Dialogue, Portuguese, Swiss-German  
Animation, Environamental, Family Friendly, Literary Adaptation

Clever animated shorts from across four continents appear in this delightful family program full of polar bears, empty cans of tuna, and beloved grandparents. Presented as a relaxed screening and recommended for cinema-enthusiasts ages 8 years and older.

Still from The Stranger: In a black-and-white seaside scene, a young man in a loose button-down shirt and high-waisted trousers stands against a wooden beam, looking out toward the ocean with a solemn, pensive expression.

The Stranger (L'Étranger)

François Ozon  |   France
French  
Crime, Drama, Literary Adaptation

Algiers, 1938. A young man shows utter indifference to the events of his life, even as he lands in jail on murder charges in this searing adaptation of Camus’ classic.

Poster of film, an illustrated boy looks up towards the sky with a small row of wooden houses behind him.

Sugar Cane Alley (Rue Cases Nègres)

Euzhan Palcy  |   France, Martinique
Creole, French  
Coming of Age, Family Affairs, Historical, Literary Adaptation

In 1930s French-colonized Martinique, an eleven-year-old boy becomes the hope for his community, and his grandmother will do anything to see his ambitions realized.

A woman stands at a window, a man resting behind her resting his forehead on the back of her head. Her expression is serene as she looks outward.

Three Goodbyes (Tre Ciotole)

Isabel Coixet  |   Italy, Spain
Italian  
Drama, Literary Adaptation, Romance, Women-Centered

This elegant and emotional drama finds Marta reeling after a breakup until a world-shifting diagnosis brings clarity and purpose to her life.

A woman in a pale yellow dress tenderly cradles the face of a bearded man as they lie together outdoors at dusk, the fading light illuminating the trees behind them.

Train Dreams

Clint Bentley  |   U.S.
English  
Drama, Family Affairs, Historical, Literary Adaptation

Based on Denis Johnson’s novella, Train Dreams is a moving portrait of a railroad worker, who leads a life of depth and beauty in early 20th century America.

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