61st Chicago International Film Festival

61st Chicago International Film Festival
Official poster
Opening filmOne Golden Summer[1]
Closing filmEternity
LocationChicago, United States
Founded1965
AwardsGold Hugo: Sirāt
Hosted byCinema/Chicago
Artistic directorMimi Plauché
No. of films181
Festival dateOpening: October 15, 2025 (2025-10-15)
Closing: October 26, 2025 (2025-10-26)
Websitewww.chicagofilmfestival.com

The 61st Chicago International Film Festival took place from October 15 to 26, 2025, in Chicago, United States. The festival opened with American documentary film One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw.[2]

Festival events took place mainly around AMC NEWCITY 14, though other event venues throughout the city include the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.[3]

Background

This was the festival's second year having AMC NEWCITY 14 as the main venue. The full film line-up was announced on September 18.[4]

Official Selection

The 61st edition of the festival showcased 111 feature films and 70 short films from over 60 countries, including four world premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 18 United States premieres.[5]

Special Presentations

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Opening Night
One Golden Summer Kevin Shaw United States
Centerpiece
Rental Family Hikari United States
Closing Night
Eternity David Freyne United States
Special Presentations
Bugonia Yorgos Lanthimos Ireland, South Korea, United States
Dead Man's Wire Gus Van Sant United States
Father Mother Sister Brother Jim Jarmusch United States, Ireland, France, Italy, Japan
Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro United States
Hamnet Chloé Zhao United Kingdom, United States
Hedda Nia DaCosta United States
Is This Thing On? Bradley Cooper United States
It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg
Jay Kelly Noah Baumbach United Kingdom, United States
No Other Choice 어쩔수가없다 Park Chan-wook South Korea
Nouvelle Vague Richard Linklater France
Sentimental Value Affeksjonsverdi Joachim Trier Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom
The Testament of Ann Lee Mona Fastvold United Kingdom, United States
Train Dreams Clint Bentley United States
Wake Up Dead Man Rian Johnson United States

International Competition

The festival announced its competitive sections on September 11, 2025.[6] The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the International Competition:[7]

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Black Rabbit, White Rabbit Харгӯши сиёҳ, харгӯши сафед Shahram Mokri Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates
The Currents Las corrientes Milagros Mumenthaler Switzerland, Argentina
Kontinental '25 Radu Jude Romania, Brazil, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Luxembourg
La Grazia Paolo Sorrentino Italy
The Love That Remains Ástin Sem Eftir Er Hlynur Pálmason Iceland, Denmark, France, Finland, Sweden
My Father's Shadow Akinola Davies Jr. United Kingdom, Nigeria
Renoir ルノワール Chie Hayakawa Japan, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia
The Secret Agent O Agente Secreto Kleber Mendonça Filho Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands
Silent Friend Stille Freundin Ildikó Enyedi Germany, France, Hungary
Sirāt Oliver Laxe Spain, France
Sound of Falling In die Sonne schauen Mascha Schilinski Germany
The Stranger L'Étranger François Ozon France, Belgium, Morocco
The Voice of Hind Rajab Ṣawt Hind Rajab Kaouther Ben Hania Tunisia, France
Whitetail Nanouk Leopold Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium

New Directors

The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the New Directors section:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Brand New Landscape 見はらし世代 Yuiga Danzuka Japan
Christy Brendan Canty United Kingdom, Ireland
The Condor Daughter La Hija Cóndor Álvaro Olmos Torrico Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay
Cotton Queen ملكة القطن Suzannah Mirghani Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
The Girl in the Snow L'Engloutie Louise Hémon France
Ish Imran Perretta United Kingdom
The Kidnapping of Arabella Il rapimento di Arabella Carolina Cavalli Italy
Oca Karla Badillo Mexico, Argentina
Short Summer Nastia Korkia Germany, France, Serbia
Reedland Rietland Sven Bresser Netherlands, Belgium
Only Heaven Knows Dünüyö Nurzhamal Karamoloeva Kyrgyzstan, United States
Strange River[a] Estrany Riu Jaume Claret Muxart Spain, Germany
Wind, Talk to Me Vetre, pričaj sa mnom Stefan Djordjevic Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia

Documentary Competition

The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the Documentary Competition:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
The Beauty of the Donkey La Beauté de l’Âne Dea Gjinovci Switzerland, Kosovo, France, United States
Child of Dust Dziecko z Pyłu Weronika Mliczewska Poland, Vietnam, Sweden, Czech Republic
Celtic Utopia Útóipe Cheilteach Dennis Harvey, Lars Lovén Sweden, Ireland
The Helsinki Effect Arthur Franck Finland, Germany, Norway
My Father and Qaddafi Jihan Libya
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Sepideh Farsi France, Palestine
The Tale of Silyan Tamara Kotevska North Macedonia
True North Michèle Stephenson United States, Canada

Black Perspectives

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
The Eyes of Ghana Ben Proudfoot United States
Pasa Faho Kalu Oji Australia
Seeds Brittany Shyne United States
Sun Ra: Do the Impossible Christine Turner United States

Outlook

The following films competed for the Q-Hugo Awards, for films with LGBTQ+ themes; some of these competitors appear in other sections and are already listed in previous tables:

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Bouchra Orian Barki, Meriem Bennani Italy, Morocco, United States
Emi Ezequiel Erriquez Mena Argentina, Uruguay
Hedda Nia DaCosta United States
The Holy Boy La valle dei sorrisi Paolo Strippoli Italy, Slovenia
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo La misteriosa mirada del flamenco Diego Céspedes Chile, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany
Two Times João Liberada Duas Vezes João Liberada Paula Tomás Marques Portugal
A Useful Ghost Pee Chai Dai Ka Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany
We Are Pat Rowan Haber United States

Spotlight

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Below the Clouds Sotto le nuvole Gianfranco Rosi Italy
Dracula Radu Jude Romania, Austria, Luxembourg, Brazil
Franz Agnieszka Holland Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Turkey
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Mary Bronstein
Magellan Magalhães Lav Diaz Portugal, Spain, Philippines, France
The Mastermind Kelly Reichardt United States, United Kingdom
Miroirs No. 3 Christian Petzold Germany
Orphan Árva László Nemes Hungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom
Palestine 36 Annemarie Jacir Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Primavera Damiano Michieletto Italy, France
Resurrection 狂野时代 Bi Gan China, France
Three Goodbyes Tre Ciotole Isabel Coixet Italy, Spain
Two Prosecutors Два прокурора Sergei Loznitsa Latvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania
Young Mothers Jeunes mères Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Belgium, France

Snapshots

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Arco Ugo Bienvenu France
Belén Dolores Fonzi Argentina
Calle Málaga Maryam Touzani Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium
Dry Leaf ხმელი ფოთოლი Alexandre Koberidze Germany, Georgia
Gazelle Nadir Sarıbacak, Samy Pioneer United States, Turkey
Left-Handed Girl 左撇子女孩 Shih-Ching Tsou Taiwan, France, United States, United Kingdom
Leonora in the Morning Light Lena Vurma, Thor Klein Germany, Mexico, Romania, United Kingdom
Luisa Julia Roesler Germany
The Plague Charlie Polinger Romania, United States
The President's Cake Hasan Hadi Iraq, United States, Qatar
The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan Gabrielle Russell United Kingdom, Ireland
Spilt Milk Brian Durnin Ireland, United Kingdom
This Island Esta Isla Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Puerto Rico
What Does That Nature Say to You 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 Hong Sang-soo South Korea

After Dark

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin Kitab Sijjin Dan Illiyyin Hadrah Daeng Ratu Indonesia
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Gekijô-ban chensô man reze-hen Tatsuya Yoshihara Japan
Mārama Taratoa Stappard New Zealand
Mother of Flies Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser United States
New Group Yûta Shimotsu Japan
Sisu: Road to Revenge Jalmari Helander Finland, United States

Comedy

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Adult Children Rich Newey United States
Anything That Moves Alex Phillips United States
A Poet Un poeta Simón Mesa Soto Colombia
What Marielle Knows Was Marielle Weiss Frédéric Hambalek Germany

City & State

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Before the Call Bureum Jeone James Choi South Korea
A Brief History of Chasing Storms Curtis Miller United States

Documentary

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Cover-Up Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus United States
Holding Liat Brandon Kramer United States
Landmarks Nuestra Tierra Lucrecia Martel Argentina, United States, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Denmark
The Cowboy André Hörmann Germany, United States

Retrospective

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Breathless (1960) Jean-Luc Godard France
First Cow (2019) Kelly Reichardt United States
Highest 2 Lowest (2025) Spike Lee United States
Old Joy (2006) Kelly Reichardt United States
Showing Up (2022) Kelly Reichardt United States
Sugar Cane Alley (1983) La Rue Cases-Nègres Euzhan Palcy France

Official awards

The jury formed by Melina León, Maura Delpero, Peter Kerekes and Gabriel Mayers, conceded the following awards for films shown in International Competition:[8][9][10]

The festival additionally honored the work of following film artists from across genres and disciplines.[11]

  • Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement Award: Nia DaCosta, American filmmaker.
  • Artistic Achievement Awards:
  • Spotlight Award: Hikari, Japanese filmmaker and former actress.
  • Black Perspectives Tribute and Career Achievement Award: Euzhan Palcy, Martinican film director, screenwriter, and producer
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Spike Lee, American filmmaker
  • Visionary Award: Gus Van Sant, American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician

Notes

  1. ^ Nominated for the Q Hugo Award

References

  1. ^ "Chicago fall film guide 2025: Local stories — and emerging filmmakers — dominate must-see movie list".
  2. ^ "'One Golden Summer' World Premiere to Open 61st Chicago International Film Festival". Screen Magazine. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Chicago International Film Festival sets dates for 2025". Reel Chicago. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  4. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (18 September 2025). "2025 Chicago International Film Festival Announces Full Lineup". IndieWire. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ^ "61st Chicago International Film Festival announces full slate of films". Reel Chicago. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Chicago International Film Festival Announces International Competition Selections". Screen Magazine. 11 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  7. ^ Jeremy Kay (10 September 2025). "'Sound Of Falling', 'Sirât', 'La Grazia' among Chicago international competition picks". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Thrilled to announce the award winners in the International Features Competition at the 61st #ChiFilmFest!". Instagram. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Festival Award Winners". Chicago International Film Festival. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  10. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (24 October 2025). "'Sirât' Wins Top Prize at the 2025 Chicago International Film Festival: Full Winners List". IndieWire. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Tributes and Awards at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival". Chicago International Film Festival. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
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