Director & Co-Writer Malcolm Washington, Actor John David Washington To Receive Honors as Festival Opens October 16, 2024
Chicago, Illinois (September 9, 2024) – The 60th Chicago International Film Festival is set to open Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at the Music Box Theatre with THE PIANO LESSON, the directorial debut of writer/director Malcolm Washington, produced by Denzel Washington and Todd Black.
Director and co-writer Malcolm Washington will receive the Festival’s Breakthrough Award for his visceral and compelling feature directorial debut, and John David Washington will receive the Spotlight Award in recognition of the emotional complexity and power he brings to his transfixing performance as Boy Willie, at the Opening Night festivities.
A battle is brewing in the Charles household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.
Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, THE PIANO LESSON explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence - revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. The film is directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington. From Oscar nominated producers Denzel Washington and Todd Black, and featuring an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, and Skyler Aleece Smith, with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins.
The Chicago International Film Festival runs October 16 - 27, 2024 with film screenings and programs presented at venues across the city including AMC NEWCITY 14, the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, as well as at pop-up locations in partnership with the Chicago Parks Department and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
The full slate of films for the 60th edition of North America’s longest-running competitive film festival will be announced September 23, 2024. Tickets for Opening Night go on sale September 9, 2024, with tickets to the rest of the Festival’s presentations going on sale September 27, 2024. Cinema/Chicago members’ pre-sale tickets go on sale September 24, 2024; memberships now available at www.chicagofilmfestival.com/membership.
For more information, visit the Festival’s website at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/.
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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: Adobe, Allstate, Baker Tilly, Conagra Brands, Illinois Production Alliance, Panavision & Light Iron, Periscope Post & Audio, SAGindie, Sanpellegrino, Tito’s Vodka, William Blair; Official Agency: Ogilvy; Publicity Agency: Acacia Consulting Group; Festival Supporters: Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Make It Better Foundation, Chicago Film Office, Illinois Film Office, Revolution Brewing; With Major Support from Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation, and Cynthia Stone Raskin. 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, YouTubeand Twitter.
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