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Banner: the 61st Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: Sports

A field shown in low resolution with strange dark spots, with one spindly tree in the middle.

Dry Leaf

Dir. Alexandre Koberidze | Germany, Georgia
Languages Georgian
Genres Drama, Family Affairs, Road Movie, Sports

A man traverses Georgia’s vast countryside in search of his missing daughter in this bold, meditative landscape film shot entirely on an outdated cellphone.

An illustration of Martin Luther King Jr dressed in a shirt and tie driving a basketball down a court in a gym

Documentary Short Film

Hoops, Hopes & Dreams

Dir. Glenn Kaino | U.S.
Languages English
Genres Political, Sports

Basketball has played a crucial role in the political lives of two of the defining figures of American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Using archival footage, [...]

A young baseball team walks out onto the field, excited expressions on their faces. Their jerseys read "Great Lakes Region"

Black Perspectives City & State Documentary Opening Night

One Golden Summer

Dir. Kevin Shaw | U.S.
Languages English
Genres Family Affairs, Social Commentary, Sports

In 2014, Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West Little League became the first all-Black team to win the Little League U.S. Baseball Championship. Along the way, 13 twelve-year-old athletes from the South Side turned into media superstars.

Documentary Shorts Program

Shorts 7: Documentary

Dir. Various | Colombia, Mexico, Netherlands, U.K., U.S.
Languages Croatian, English, Spanish
Genres Comedy, Coming of Age, Environmental, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Music, Political, Religion, Sports

These films showcase the richness of the documentary form. Through observation, testimony, and poetic reimagining, six different complex corners of the world come into view.