Adult Children
Synopsis
Tasked with writing an essay for her college application, high school senior Morgan (Ella Rubin) is at a loss. With no real sense of who she is or what she wants, the 17-year-old is hopeful that her much-older half-siblings will provide some inspiration. But after their mother heads off to Europe on a long overdue vacation, the sheltered teen quickly realizes that they might be even more off balance as she is. Charged with keeping brother Josh (Thomas Sadoski) from going off the deep end yet again, Morgan and sisters Lisa (Betsy Brandt) and Dahlia (Aya Cash)—each with their own issues and secrets—struggle to maintain equilibrium as the misadventures mount.
In this endearing Chicago-made dramedy, director Rich Newey and writer Annika Marks (Killing Eleanor) paint a humorous and touching portrait of coming of age at all ages. Featuring winning performances from Brandt (Breaking Bad), Sadoski (Life in Pieces), and Cash (The Boys), and an especially sympathetic turn from newcomer Rubin (Anora, The Idea of You), Adult Children is richly drawn, deeply felt, and warmly amusing.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sun, Oct 19 @ 5:15pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 06
Venue information...
Director Rich Newey, writer/producer Annika Marks & producer Angie Gaffney
Screening
Mon, Oct 20 @ 2:00pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 13
Venue information...
Director Rich Newey, writer/producer Annika Marks & producer Angie Gaffney
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Media
Film Credits
- Angie Gaffney, Thomas Sadoski, Annika Marks, Rich Newey, Brittani Ward
- Annika Marks
- Ken Mowe
- Jessica Young
- Betsy Brandt, Aya Cash, Ella Rubin, Thomas Sadoski, and Mimi Rogers
- The Co-Stars
- Kelly Aisthorpe Waller, Michele Girgis, Ted Reilly, Markie Glassgow
- Chicago Media Angels, 521 Films, Let's Try One Productions
- https://www.521films.com/adultchildren
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Anything That Moves
Synopsis
From the twisted mind behind All Jacked Up and Full of Worms comes a raucous, Chicago-set riff on ’70s sexploitation films. Writer-director Alex Phillips returns to the Festival with this stunning 16mm thriller following Liam, an unassuming bike-courier and sex worker in Chicago delivering whatever will satisfy his clients’ appetites—until they start turning up dead. A trail of taboo encounters and gruesome crime scenes paint Liam as the primary suspect, making him wanted in more ways than he’d anticipated. Framed by a serial killer and pursued by a pair of deranged cops, all while trying to maintain his lascivious livelihood, Liam’s simple life of on-demand pleasure turns into a conspiratorial nightmare.
Playful and gory yet full of heart, Anything That Moves blends salacious sex and social critique into a thrilling exploration of the darker sides of desire.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sat, Oct 25 @ 10:00pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 06
Venue information...
Director Alex Phillips & actor Hal Baum
Screening
Sun, Oct 26 @ 8:00pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 06
Venue information...
Director Alex Phillips & actor Hal Baum
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Media
Film Credits
- Spencer Parsons, Georgia Bernstein, Liane Cunje
- Alex Phillips
- Alex Phillips, Troy Lewis
- Hunter Zimny
- Hal Baum, Jiana Nicole, Ginger Lynn Allen, Nina Hartley,
- Cue Shop
- Joe Rubin, Ryan Emerson, Ralph Stevens, Ian Stone, Eddie Linker, Stephen Lanus, Amar Gupta
- Vinegar Syndrome, Missing Link
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Arco
Synopsis
After falling from the sky and accidentally landing in 2075, adolescent time traveler Arco is shocked to find a world in peril and seemingly on the brink of collapse. Soon after, he encounters 10-year-old Iris, a lonely and isolated girl being raised by her trusted robot caretaker Mikki. Buoyed by her newfound friendship with the mysterious boy in the rainbow suit, Iris’s outlook begins to change. Banding together, the unlikely duo, with Mikki in tow, sets out to help return Arco to his peaceful, idyllic future—and to save Iris’ environmentally ravaged home.
With his charming full-length debut, French illustrator, graphic novelist, and animator Ugo Bienvenu crafts a warm, uplifting tale that possesses an undeniable visual splendor recalling the great work of Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki. An engaging sci-fi inflected fantasy and a love letter to the power of the imagination, Arco offers an uplifting look at the power of kinship and camaraderie to affect change, both on a personal level and in the larger world.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sat, Oct 18 @ 12:30pm
at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 2
Venue information...
T-Coil Devices available
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Film Credits
- Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Ugo Bienvenu
- Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry
- Nathan Jacquard
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The Beauty of the Donkey La Beauté de l'Âne
Synopsis
Award-winning Swiss Albanian filmmaker Dea Gjinovci (2020’s Wake Up on Mars) returns to the bucolic Kosovo town of her father’s youth—a place he hasn’t seen in 60 years—for this lyrical journey into the past at once wistful and tragic. Together, they recreate his childhood memories, making sets that resemble his former home and with scenes acted out by the local villagers. Through this collective creative project, 1950s Kosovo springs to life in a series of beautifully realized vignettes that prompt Gjinovci’s father to reflect on times of innocence, of violence (when the country persecuted the Albanian population), and of loss, enabling him to finally reckon with the disappearance of his mother decades before.
This evocative mix of memory and reenactment allows father and daughter to uncover shocking truths about their family history and to come to terms with a legacy of oppression. A touching narrative of resilience and catharsis, The Beauty of the Donkey is also a sensitive and bittersweet testament to the power of stories to bring back people and places that history and political strife have tried to erase.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sun, Oct 19 @ 2:45pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 01
Venue information...
Director Dea Gjinovci, Production Designer Aurélia Martin, and Executive Director Maida Lynn
Screening
Mon, Oct 20 @ 2:00pm
at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 2
Venue information...
Director Dea Gjinovci, Production Designer Aurélia Martin, and Executive Director Maida Lynn
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Media
Film Credits
- Dea Gjinovci, Palmyre Badinier
- Dea Gjinovci
- Lizi Gelber
- Maxime Kathari
- Asllan Gjinovci, Leart Gjinovci
- Gael Kyriakidis
- Maida Lynn
- Astrae Productions
Sponsors
Program Partner
Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin
With support from
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Before the Call Bureum Jeone
Synopsis
Jinwoo, a Korean American, returns to Seoul amid an escalating global crisis. Despite being exempt from service, he’s determined to enlist in the military and join the Korean soldiers being sent overseas. Awaiting his deployment day, he spends his time wandering the city’s winding streets, reconnecting with old friends and trying to win the approval of his stern, reserved father. A quiet tension builds as the big day approaches, and Jinwoo begins to question his decision.
Chicago-based director James Choi composes his images with a rare sensitivity, combining unconventional cityscapes with subtle, understated performances to cultivate a contemplative mood. A profound meditation about identity, duty, and the difficulty of choosing a path when the distinction between right and wrong is anything but clear.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Sat, Oct 25 @ 5:00pm
at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 1
Venue information...
Director James Choi, actor Andy Koh, and producers Jeesoo Lee & Judi Krant
- T-Coil Devices available
Screening
Sun, Oct 26 @ 12:30pm
at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 04
Venue information...
Director James Choi, actor Andy Koh, and producers Jeesoo Lee & Judi Krant
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Media
Film Credits
- James Choi, Judi Krant, Jeesoo Lee, Diane Suh
- James Choi
- James Choi
- SuBin Kim
- Andy Koh, Seong-guk Ha, So-yi Kang, Gwang-rok Oh
- Beachwood Pictures
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212 W Van Buren St., Suite 400
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See your most-anticipated screenings at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.
