Nearly 50 Titles Available to Audiences Virtually in
Seven Midwestern States October 14-24, 2021
CHICAGO, Illinois -- The 57th Chicago International Film Festival will make nearly 50 films available to Midwestern audiences in seven states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin via the Festival’s streaming platform and Apple TV and Roku apps. The longest-running competitive festival in North America, this year’s Chicago International Film Festival runs October 13 - 24 in person and October 14 - 24 virtually. “For 57 years, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought the most exciting, innovative films from around the world to Chicago,” said Chicago International Film Festival Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “This year, audiences throughout Illinois and across the Midwest will have the opportunity to discover these incredible films and filmmakers from the comfort of their homes.” The Chicago International Film Festival will host the World Premieres of three films also available virtually, including MAYOR PETE, Jesse Moss’s behind-the-scenes look at the campaign of first openly LGBTQ presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg; EXPOSURE, following 11 women from across Arab and Western countries on a trek to the North Pole from director Holly Morris; and PUNCH 9 FOR HAROLD WASHINGTON, Joe Winston’s chronicle of the first Black mayor of Chicago. International highlights include Somali film THE GRAVEDIGGER’S WIFE from writer-director Khadar Ahmed, which won the Amplify Voices Award at the Toronto International Film Festival; the International Premiere of THE LAST EXECUTION, a white-knuckle political thriller based on a true story from director Franziska Stünkel; Aga Woszczyńska’s SILENT LAND, a tense, resonant interrogation of a relationship on the brink; COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON from director Mounia Akl; and ROBUST, from director Constance Meyer and starring legendary actor Gerard Depardieu. Documentary highlights available to screen virtually include CITIZEN ASHE, a profile of groundbreaking tennis star and civil rights activist Arthur Ashe from co-directors Sam Pollard and Rex Miller; Sundance Grand Jury Prizewinner FLEE, from director Jonas Poher Rasmussen; FOR THE LEFT HAND from directors Leslie Simmer and Gordon Quinn; and ANY GIVEN DAY, Margaret Byrne’s raw, moving, and remarkable examination of struggle and resilience. The Festival also showcases genre titles as part of its After Dark program, including BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION, a throwback thriller brilliantly channeling 70’s paranoid cinema from director Jacob Gentry; wholly original werewolf tale THE HOUSE OF SNAILS from Macarena Astorga; and MAD GOD, a stop-motion animated adventure from master creature-maker Phil Tippett.
Several titles from this year’s Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals are available for limited virtual viewing windows, including Joachim Trier’s comedy THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD; coming-of-age crime drama A CHIARA from Jonas Carpignano; and Céline Sciamma’s delicate, imaginative PETITE MAMAN. The full program of streaming titles is available on the Festival’s website at www.chicagofilmfestival.com/festival/streaming/. Virtual ticket holders can stream films via the Festival’s Apple TV or Roku apps, or via the Festival’s platform to their laptops or mobile devices. Virtual tickets can be purchased at www.chicagofilmfestival.com/festival/tickets/. For more information, visit our website at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/.
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