The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the composite eyes of early film actresses Theda Bara, Pola Negri and Mae Murray, set as repeated frames in a strip of film.
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 the AMC River East 21 Theatre in the Streeterville 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
The International Connections Program was created in 2003 in order to raise awareness of the international film culture and diversity of Chicago, 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.
Awards
Winners are awarded Hugo Awards in eight different competition categories. International Feature Film Competition Gold 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
International Documentary Competition
Out-Look Competition
City & State Competition
Chicago Award
Live Action Short Film Competition
Documentary Short Film Competition
Animated Short Film Competition
Gold Hugo
Silver Hugo
Jury Award
2023 - The Delinquents, dir. Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina) 2022 – Close, dir. Lukas Dhont (Belgium) 2021 – Drive My Car, dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan) 2020 – Careless Crime, dir. Shahram Mokri (Iran) 2019 – Vitalina Varela, dir. Pedro Costa (Portugal)
Best Director
2023 - Aki Kaurismäki (Finland) for Fallen Leaves
2022 – Maryam Touzani (Morocco) for The Blue Caftan
2021 – Peter Kerekes (Slovakia) for 107 Mothers
2020 – Andrei Konchalovsky (Russia) for Dear Comrades! 2019 – Maya Da-Rin (Brazil) for The Fever
Best Actor
2021 – Bouli Lanners (Belgium) for Nobody Has to Know
2019 – Bartosz Bielenia (Poland) for Corpus Christi
2018 – Jesper Christensen (Denmark) for Before the Frost
2017 – Aleksandr Yatsenko (Russia) for Arrhythmia
2016 – Adrian Titieni (Romania) for Graduation
2015 – Alexi Mathieu and Jules Gauzelin (France) for A Childhood
2014 – Anton Yelchin (USA) for Rudderless
2013 – Robert Wieckiewicz (Poland) for Walesa: Man of Hope
2012 – Denis Lavant (France) for Holy Motors
2011 – Maged El Kedwany (Egypt) for 678
2010 – Youssouf Djaoro (Chad) for A Screaming Man
2009 – Filippo Timi (Italy) for Vincere
2008 – Michael Fassbender (Ireland) for Hunger
2007 – Sam Riley (United Kingdom) for Control
2006 – Jürgen Vogel (Germany) for The Free Will
1989 – Jörg Gudzuhn (GDR) for Fallada, letztes Kapitel
1987 – Avtandil Makharadze (Georgia) for Monanieba
1971 – Ezzatollah Entezami (Iran) for The Cow
Best Actress
2021 – Michelle Fairley (Ireland) for Nobody Has to Know
2019 – Debbie Honeywood (UK) for Sorry We Missed You
2018 – Zhao Tao (China) for Ash Is Purest White
2017 – Jowita Budnik (Poland) and Eliane Umuhire (Rwanda) for Birds Are Singing in Kigali 2016 – Rebecca Hall (UK) for Christine 2015 – Lizzie Brocheré (France) for Full Contact 2014 – Geraldine Chaplin (United States) for Sand Dollars 2013 – Nadeshda Brennicke (Germany) for 2012 – Ulla Skoog (Sweden) for The Last Sentence 2011 – Olivia Colman (UK) for Tyrannosaur 2010 – Liana Liberato (USA) for Trust 2009 – Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Italy) for Vincere 2008 – Preity Zinta (India) for Heaven on Earth 2007 – Yu Nan (China) for Tuya's Marriage 2006 – Viktoriya Isakova, Darya Moroz, Anna Ukolova (Russia) for The Spot 2005 – Inka Friedrich, Nadja Uhl (Germany) for Summer in Berlin 2003 – Ludivine Sagnier (France) for Little Lili