Gene Siskel Film Center, Music Box Theatre, FACETS, Italian Cultural Institute Honor North America’s Longest-Running Competitive Festival Leading Up to 60th Edition
CHICAGO, Illinois (August 1, 2024) - In the leadup to the 60th edition of the Chicago International Film Festival, cultural organizations across the city today announced retrospective programs honoring the incredible legacy of North America’s longest-running competitive film festival. Long-time Festival partners, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Music Box Theatre, FACETS, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, will showcase films first screened at past editions of the Chicago International Film Festival in retrospectives from August through October, ahead of the 60th edition of the Festival, unspooling October 16 - 27, 2024 at venues across Chicago.
"It continues to be the Gene Siskel Film Center's pleasure to partner with Cinema/Chicago; as a primary venue during the Chicago International Film Festival, and as the host of August’s ‘Before They Were Big’ screening series,” said Rebecca Fons, Director of Programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center. “As two of the oldest film institutions in the city of Chicago, our continued collaboration is a testament to the vitality and strength of the film exhibition community in our city, and is a reflection of our shared missions to connect Chicago film lovers to great programming, classic and contemporary.”
“FACETS is excited and honored to celebrate this milestone by presenting a retrospective of offbeat, animated films that first appeared at the Chicago International Film Festival,” said FACETS Executive Director Karen Cardarelli. “Cinema/Chicago and FACETS have long shared a highly placed value on the limitless storytelling possibilities of animation. Its myriad styles—from traditional hand-drawn to cutting-edge CGI—bring stories to life in ways that resonate deeply with audiences of all ages. It is the perfect medium for FACETS, home of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival and the monthly Anime Club series, to celebrate the Chicago International Film Festival as one of Chicago’s most important artistic institutions.”
“At some point in our history we at the Music Box Theatre anointed ourselves ‘Chicago’s year-round film festival,’” said Music Box Theatre programmer Rebecca Lyon. “This title would have been hard to live up to without the presence of the Chicago International Film Festival helping to develop a community of moviegoers thirsty to see independent, foreign, and classic films on big screens across our fair city. Our relationship with the Festival goes back as far as 1985, where Cinema/Chicago presented monthly “secret screenings” to Music Box Movie Club members eager to see a sneak peek of a new release or restoration, and we’ve played host to the Festival on and off since 1987. Both organizations have weathered decades of changes in the film industry and it’s a pleasure to be able to celebrate 60 years of movie watching with our colleagues by of course…watching some more movies.”
“The Institute is a long-time partner and supporter of the Chicago International Film Festival and we are grateful to the continued growth of our collaboration,” said Luca Di Vito, director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. “The retrospective ‘Italian Women Direct’ is our latest shared project, looking into the role of Italian women filmmakers in the history of the Festival and how they contributed to shape the future of cinema. The initiative is part of a broader theme, In Futuro: A Survey of Possibilities, that looks at how Italian creatives have imagined the future and continue to do so today.”
The retrospective programs include:
“Before They Were Big”
The Gene Siskel Film Center
Tuesdays at 6 p.m. August 6 - 27, 2024
All filmmakers have to start somewhere. And for many, the Chicago International Film Festival was a crucial part of their journey from novice to auteur. In honor of the Festival’s 60th anniversary, the Gene Siskel Film Center presents four auspicious and visionary directorial debuts that screened at the Festival, each one showcasing the budding brilliance of their makers.
WHO’S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? (On 35mm)
Dir. Martin Scorsese, U.S., 1967
August 6, 2024 at 6 p.m.
MABOROSI (On 35mm)
Dir. Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Japan, 1995
August 13, 2024 at 6 p.m.
RATCATCHER
Dir. Lynne Ramsay, U.K., 1999
August 20, 2024 at 6 p.m.
LA CIENAGA
Dir. Lucretia Martel, Argentina, 2001
August 27, 2024 at 6 p.m.
For tickets ($5-$13): www.siskelfilmcenter.org/beforetheywerebig
“Italian Women Direct: Through 60 Years of the Chicago International Film Festival”
The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago presents a selection of films by Italian women directors screened at the Chicago International Film Festival through the past 60 years. “Italian Women Direct” celebrates filmmakers who have helped to shape contemporary cinema. Each title displays diverse themes, styles, and narratives that together provide a snapshot of the evolution of Italian cinema over more than half a century.
Italian Cultural Institute
Thursdays at 6 p.m. September 12 - 19, 2024 and October 3 - 10, 2024
LOVE AND ANARCHY
Dir. Lina Wertmüller, Italy, 1973
September 12, 2024 at 6 p.m.
THE SKIN
Dir. Liliana Cavani, Italy, 1981
September 19, 2024 at 6 p.m.
CORPO CELESTE
Dir. Alice Rohrwacher, Italy, 2011
October 3, 2024 at 6 p.m.
DAUGHTER OF MINE
Dir. Laura Bispuri, Italy, 2018
October 10, 2024 at 6 p.m.
For tickets (free with advance registration): https://iicchicago.esteri.it/en/
“Big Art Films”
“You have to see it on the big screen!” It’s an old trope, but lusciously lit, exquisitely framed, and ravishingly photographed art films deserve to be seen as expansively as possible. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Chicago International Film Festival, the Music Box Theatre presents six big-screen cinematic masterpieces from the Festival's vaults that have to be seen BIG.
Music Box Theatre
Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. September 14 - 29, 2024
RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN
Dir. King Hu, Taiwan/Hong Kong, 1979
Saturday September 14, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST
Dir. Julie Dash, U.S., 1991
Sunday September 15, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
DIVA
Dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix, France, 1981
Saturday September 21, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
THE PIANO
Dir. Jane Campion, Australia, 1993
Sunday September 22, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
35mm print courtesy of the Chicago Film Society
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, U.S., 2002
Saturday September 28, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
LADY BIRD
Dir. Greta Gerwig, U.S., 2017
Sunday September 29, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
For tickets ($10, on sale August 2): https://musicboxtheatre.com/
“Outside the Lines”
A series of offbeat animation faves for cinephiles, anime heads, and families celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Chicago International Film Festival.
FACETS
Saturday, October 5 - Sunday, October 6, 2024
Saturday, October 5 schedule:
PAPRIKA
Dir. Satoshi Kon, Japan, 2006, 5 p.m.
HAVE A NICE DAY
Dir. Jiang Liu, China, 2017, 7 p.m.
MAD GOD
Dir. Phil Tippett, U.S., 2021, 9 p.m.
Sunday, October 6 schedule:
FLEE
Dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark, 2021, 3:30 p.m.
CONSUMING SPIRITS
Dir. Chris Sullivan, U.S., 2012, 6 p.m., with special appearance by director Chris Sullivan
For tickets ($12, on sale September 4): www.facets.org
The Chicago International Film Festival’s 60th edition runs October 16 - 27, 2024 at venues across the city.
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Festival Information
Celebrating its 60th edition October 16 - 27, 2024, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive international film festival. Showcasing acclaimed and exciting new films from around the world, the 60th edition will be held in person in theaters and venues around the city, featuring a select program of films with closed captions. From dramas and thrillers to documentaries and comedies, the Festival presents a vast diversity of offerings, featuring competitive categories and programs including Black Perspectives; International Comedy; Women in Cinema; OutLook; After Dark; and the City & State program, showcasing films made in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
2024 Festival Sponsors and Partners
The 60th Chicago International Film Festival's sponsors include Festival Sponsors: Allstate, Adobe, Baker Tilly, Conagra Brands, Panavision & Light Iron, SAGindie; Official Agency: Ogilvy; Publicity Agency: Acacia Consulting Group; Festival Supporters: Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Make It Better Foundation, Chicago Film Office, Illinois Film Office; With Major Support from Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation. This program is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
About Cinema/Chicago
Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a year-round nonprofit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. Cinema/Chicago's programs include the Chicago International Film Festival, Summer Screenings Program, CineYouth Festival, and year-round Education Program. Celebrating its 60th edition October 16 - 27, 2024, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive film festival. For more information, please visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
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