Film festival in Chicago, Illinois, US
TheChicago International Film Festival is an annualfilm festival held every fall. Cinema/Chicago, the host of the festival was founded in 1964 by filmmaker and graphic artistMichael Kutza as an alternative to the commercial Hollywood movies. It is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, as the first edition opened in 1965 at the Carnegie Theater. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the composite eyes of early film actressesTheda Bara ,Pola Negri , andMae Murray , set as repeated frames in a strip of film.[ 1]
In 2010, the 46th Chicago International Film Festival presented 150 films from more than 50 countries. The Festival's program is composed of many different sections, including the International Competition, New Directors Competition, Docufest, Black Perspectives, Cinema of the Americas, and Reel Women.
Its main venue is theAMC River East 21 Theatre in theStreeterville neighborhood of Chicago, although it has dropped that venue during the most recent festival as of 2023 (59th), instead using the AMC Newcity 14.
International Connections Program [ edit ] The International Connections Program was created in 2003 in order to raise awareness of the international film culture and diversity ofChicago , and to make the festival more appealing to audience and staff of various ethnicities. Foreign films are screened for free throughout the city weekly from July through September.
Winners are awarded Hugo Awards in eight different competition categories.[ 2]
International Feature Film CompetitionGold Hugo Silver Hugo: Jury Prize Silver Hugo: Best Director Silver Hugo: Best Actor (until 2019) Silver Hugo: Best Actress (until 2019) Silver Hugo: Best Performance (from 2020) Silver Hugo: Best Ensemble Performance Silver Hugo: Best Cinematography Silver Hugo: Best Screenplay Silver Hugo: Best Sound Silver Hugo: Best Art Direction New Directors Competition Silver Hugo Roger Ebert Award International Documentary Competition Out-Look Competition City & State Competition Live Action Short Film Competition Documentary Short Film Competition Animated Short Film Competition 2024 – Telmo Churro and Pedro Filipe Marques (Portugal) forGrand Tour Best Cinematography [ edit ] Lifetime Achievement Awards [ edit ] Winners of the festival'sLifetime Achievement Award includeSteven Spielberg ,Helen Hunt ,Dustin Hoffman ,Martin Landau ,Shirley MacLaine , LordRichard Attenborough ,François Truffaut ,Jodie Foster ,Sigourney Weaver ,Robin Williams ,Manoel de Oliveira , andClint Eastwood .[citation needed ]
Career Achievement Awards [ edit ] The Television Awards started with the idea of honoring television commercials in a special event of the film festival, but over time evolved and grew into a bigger event, comprising not only commercials but also television productions, series, andonline television . In 2003, a separate ceremony was launched for the TV awards, and in 2017, the event became a separate event, named theChicago International Television Festival . Winners andrunners-up for the various categories, which include Gold and Silver Hugos, are listed on the film festival website.[ 48] [ 49]
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Retrieved7 January 2014 .^ "2011— 47th Chicago Film Festival" . chicagofilmfestival.com. Archived fromthe original on January 7, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2014 .^a b c "Highest Standards of Filmmaking Celebrated at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival's Awards Night" . chicagofilmfestival.com. October 17, 2014. RetrievedMay 23, 2016 .^a b c Byrge, Duane (October 24, 2015)." 'A Childhood' won the dramatic competition; 'Volta A Terra' prevailed in the documentary competition" .The Hollywood Reporter . RetrievedMay 23, 2016 . ^a b c Phillips, Michael (October 22, 2016)."Rule, Romania: 'Sieranevada,' 'Graduation' win big at Chicago Film Fest" .Chicago Tribune . RetrievedOctober 29, 2016 . ^a b c "53rd Festival Award-Winning Films" .Chicago International Film Festival . October 25, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 17, 2018 .^a b c "54th Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners" .Chicago International Film Festival . October 19, 2018. Archived fromthe original on January 30, 2020. RetrievedJanuary 24, 2019 .^a b c "55th Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners" .Chicago International Film Festival . October 27, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 28, 2020 .^ "58th Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners" .Chicago International Film Festival . October 21, 2022. RetrievedOctober 21, 2022 .^ Phillips, Michael (20 October 2023)."Chicago International Film Fest winners are announced, and there's an explanation for everything" .Chicago Tribune . Retrieved21 October 2023 . ^ "Chicago International Film Festival Awards Top Prizes to 'Vermiglio,' 'All We Imagine as Light' " .IndieWire . October 25, 2024. RetrievedOctober 25, 2024 .^ "Thrilled to announce the award winners in the International Features Competition at the 61st #ChiFilmFest!" .Instagram . October 24, 2025. 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