Chicago International Film Festival returns for 60th anniversary

Illustration by Iliana Garner

Chicago International Film Festival returns with a diverse selection of domestic and international feature films and shorts.

Avantika Singh, Reporter

October 17, 2024

The 60th annual Chicago International Film Festival returns with a selection of over 120 feature films and more than 70 short films this October.

Presented by Cinema/Chicago, the event is North America’s longest-running film festival, with screenings primarily taking place at the Gene Siskel Film Center, AMC NEWCITY 14 and Music Box Theatre from Oct. 16 to 27.

CIFF is at the end of its festival calendar year, so it can present high-profile and award-winning films from the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and other competitions.

“We take the things that we think are the best from those festivals and present them in Chicago for the first time, often with talent attending,” CIFF Programmer Sam Flancher said. “It’s Chicago audiences’ first look at what we think are some of the best films of the year.”

Communication freshman Taylor Bates said she plans to see Italian feature film “Vermiglio” with her Italian class.

“Vermiglio” takes place in an Alpine village during the final days of World War II. The arrival of a deserting soldier disrupts the lives of three sisters from a local family and permanently alters their relationships with one another. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

“I’m really excited because I don’t have much experience in movies outside of Hollywood American movies,” she said. “I think it’ll be a great experience, and it’ll get me to understand cultures in different ways.”

The festival has a New Directors Competition for first- and second-time feature filmmakers. According to CIFF’s website, this year’s selection includes 12 feature films, ranging from psychological dramas, comedies and coming-of-age stories.

For Chicagoland filmmakers, CIFF hosts a conference called Industry Days the first weekend of the festival. Industry Days offers panels, networking events and master classes for professional development, as well as a film pitch competition. CIFF also screens films made in Chicago, according to Flancher.

“We hope to not just serve Chicago audiences but Chicago filmmakers as well,” Flancher said. “We have a really incredible and robust local film program. If the film was made in Chicago or Illinois and it’s good, it’s here.”

This year, CIFF is showcasing “Time Passages,” a documentary made by one of Northwestern’s own: Communication Prof. Kyle Henry. “Time Passages” is about Henry’s relationship with his mother, who had dementia and passed away during the pandemic. It showcases his struggle to stay connected with her over Zoom and the experience of grief and loss during the pandemic.

Henry is partnering with nonprofit organization Caring Across Generations, which is dedicated to changing conversations about care for elderly and disabled people in the United States. Caring Across Generations will have representatives at the “Time Passages” screening in the Chicago History Museum on Oct. 26, Henry said.

“They’re particularly pushing forward an agenda that sees we’re all struggling with the expenses of caregiving, for communities of color and also compensation for the people who are doing this kind of elder care work, who — more often than not — are women of color,” Henry said. “I always think about with any of my films, how can the film be used as a tool to spark greater conversation, and I’m really happy to be partnering with Caring Across Generations to also try to advocate for more resources.”

Some of the screenings, including “Time Passages,” will have talent in the audience, such as the director, the producer or an actor, providing a unique opportunity for viewers. Other screenings also include a Q&A session with talent or an interactive conversation with a critic.

“It is different to see a movie at the film festival rather than just going to a regular theater,” Flancher said. “Seeing a film at a festival, especially with the filmmakers there, it elevates the screening, and it often makes you think.”

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