Displaying items by tag: Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival’s semi-centennial celebration will feature an exciting lineup of features, documentaries and shorts made in Chicago and throughout Illinois, including three World Premieres, as part of its City & State program. Recently dubbed the “Best Place to Live and Work as a Filmmaker,” by “MovieMaker” magazine, Chicago has firmly established itself as a haven for both independent and big-budget Hollywood film production. The City & State program is sponsored by Cinespace, Periscope Post & Audio and SAG-AFTRA Chicago.

"This year's City & State program is rich with innovation and creativity. Often working with very low budgets, these local directors have crafted films that are strong and singular. Several are returning filmmakers, who we are thrilled to welcome back with new work, and others are coming to the Festival for the first time. Many are trained at Chicago's world class film schools, others have honed their skills working in our vibrant film and television industry,” said Chicago International Film Festival Programming Director Mimi Plauché. “The panel event, ‘Shooting in Chicago’, is a great compliment to the film slate, which demonstrates that Chicago is truly a center for creative filmmaking."

Director Michael Caplan explores the life of Chicago author Nelson Algren in the World Premiere documentary, “Algren,” featuring evocative images by world-class Chicago street photographer Art Shay as well as interviews with Billy Corgan of “The Smashing Pumpkins” and award-winning Chicago filmmaker William Friedkin. Acclaimed Chicago-based filmmaker Stephen Cone, lauded by the Chicago Tribune for his award-winning film “The Wise Kids” (2001), will present the World Premiere of his independent film, “This Afternoon.” Director Marie Ullrich returns to the Festival for the World Premiere of her feature debut, “The Alley Cat,” born from her short “Faster!,” which was featured in the 2010 Festival’s program.

Local female filmmakers are featured prominently in this year’s City & State program, including director Ullrich, shorts directors Kris Swanberg (“Baby Mary”), Meghann Artes (“Speed Dating”), Hayoung Jeon (“Frame Walk”), Zoe Lubeck (“Lucy”) and producer and actor Grace McPhillips (“The Other One”). McPhillips, industry advocate and host of “Producer’s Patio,” a podcast on independent film producing, will also participate in the Festival’s filmmaking panel, “Shooting in Chicago.”

The “Shooting in Chicago” panel provides an opportunity for audiences to hear from Chicago and Illinois-based industry leaders, actors, independent producers, and directors and to gain insight into filmmaking in the city. The panel will be followed by a tour of Cinespace Studios and Periscope Post & Audio (with transportation courtesy of Chicago Film Tour.) This free panel will take place on Saturday, October 18 at 11 a.m., at the AMC River East (322 E. Illinois St.). Tickets for the panel must be obtained from the Box Office. For details, call 312.332.FILM.

City & State

“Algren” USA (Director: Michael Caplan) — As a passionate chronicler and champion of the underclass, Chicago author Nelson Algren (“The Man with The Golden Arm” and “Chicago, City on the Make”) was a literary genius second only to William Faulkner, according to ardent fan Ernest Hemingway. Illuminated by interviews with artists inspired by his work and embellished with a trove of Art Shay photographs, “Algren” is a long overdue celebration of an under-appreciated literary icon. World Premiere

“The Alley Cat,” USA (Director Marie Ullrich) —Jasper, a brusque bike messenger, anxiously waits for the much-anticipated “Alleycat,” her friends’ annual booze-soaked bike race across Chicago’s South Loop. When the big night finally arrives, Jasper starts off with a formidable lead, yet quickly finds herself caught in the web of her fellow racers’ longstanding secrets. A thrilling micro-budget road movie, “The Alley Cat” is also a heartrending portrait of a young woman coming to terms with her own family life. World Premiere

“This Afternoon,” USA (Director: Stephen Cone) — After accidentally stumbling into a therapy group for sex addiction, an aspiring youth pastor strikes up a friendship with a lonely housewife who has a proclivity for picking up strangers on Craigslist. The two spend the afternoon together, revealing themselves to one another through a profound and penetrating conversation which eventually leads to transformative personal revelations. Raw and sensitive, this micro-budget Chicago indie is an intimate look into individuals struggling to find fulfillment in their lives. World Premiere

“The Other One,” USA (Director: Josef Steiff) — In this bold, atmospheric story of loss and acceptance, former schoolteacher Amber returns to her childhood home to look after her ailing mother. Still haunted by a tragedy that took the life of her husband, Amber tries to cope with her mother's deteriorating mental state. As she slowly uncovers secrets from her childhood, she must also confront her own tenuous grasp on reality. Chicago Premiere

Shorts 1: City and State - Locally Sourced — Spanning animation, fiction, documentary, and experimental filmmaking, these quirky Chicago shorts offer fresh perspectives and strong new visions. Ava is desperate to find the man of her dreams in “Speed Dating.” An eight-year-old girl decides to take a neglected toddler home in “Baby Mary.” “The Fox of Bloody Woman Island” is a loving portrait of Ulf, a traditional Norwegian boat builder. “Lucy” is a story about a girl and her dog. Local icon Cloud Gate (aka the Chicago Bean) is dissolved and deconstructed in “Frame Walk.” A scientist creates the perfect woman in “A Priceless Woman” (1961). Jaspa Jenkins wants to become “civilized” in “Jaspa’ Jenkins.” “The Muck” will leave you never wanting to take a bath again. Simon is left to survive in the middle of the ocean on an airplane wing in “Drifting.”

The 50th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 9-23, 2014. The complete list of films is available at www.chicagofilmfestival.com.

Festival Passes, Ticketing and Theater Information

Festival Passes and Tickets are on sale now.

Pass options include:

Moviegoer (10 regular admissions): $100 for Cinema/Chicago members, $130 for non-members

Passport (20 regular admissions): $190 for Cinema/Chicago members, $240 for non-members

Individual ticket prices:

Regular films: $11/members, students*, and seniors*; $14/non-members  (*with valid ID)

Weekday matinees (films only): $7 tickets, Monday-Friday through 5:00pm

10 after 10: $10 tickets, every day after 10:00pm

Special Presentations: $16/members, $20/non-members

Tickets and passes can be purchased online at www.chicagofilmfestival.com, by calling 312-332-FILM (3456), or in person at the Festival Box Office at AMC River East 21 (until October 9: 7 days a week, noon – 8:00pm; October 10-23: tickets will be on sale one hour before the start of the first show until the start of the last show).

Festival screenings will be held at the AMC River East 21 Theater (322 E. Illinois St.).

For the full schedule and ticketing information, visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com

Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King”) will introduce his latest film, “The Last 5 Years” as the Centerpiece for the 50th Chicago International Film Festival (October 9 – 23). Starring Academy Award® nominee Anna Kendrick and Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan, “The Last 5 Years” will screen Wednesday, October 15, at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.) at 6 p.m.
 
“The Last 5 Years,” a rousing adaptation of the beloved Off-Broadway hit that originated at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, chronicles the tumultuous five-year relationship between struggling actress Cathy (Anna Kendrick) and rising novelist Jamie (Jeremy Jordan). Told exclusively through song, their story comes to the screen via striking solos and heartrending harmony in this uplifting romance for today’s young artists and lovers of musical cinema.

“I love musicals, and ‘The Last 5 Years’ is a charming film adaptation of a timeless stage romance," said Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival Michael Kutza. “The film takes the familiar formula of the romantic musical and makes it fresh with a by turns bright and heartrending score. LaGravenese has produced a piece that stands out for its powerful, yet subtle, rawness and vulnerability.”
 
About Richard LaGravenese
Richard LaGravenese’s credits include the screenplay for the HBO Emmy Award®-winning “Behind the Candelabra,” directed by Steven Soderbergh (Emmy Nomination for Best Writing in Television Movie/Mini Series, BAFTA nomination Best Screenplay). He previously earned Academy Award®, BAFTA and WGA award nominations for his original screenplay “The Fisher King”. His other screen writing credits include “Water for Elephants,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “A Little Princess,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Ref,” “The Mirror Has Two Faces,” “Beloved” and “Unstrung Heroes.” LaGravenese wrote and directed the films “Living Out Loud,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Paris Je T’aime,” and “Beautiful Creatures,” as well as “Freedom Writers,” (Humanitas Prize for Best Screenplay). He co-produced and co-directed (with the late Ted Demme) the Emmy®-nominated documentary “A Decade Under the Influence" (National Board of Review's William Everson Film History Award).
 

Centerpiece Ticket Information
Tickets for the Centerpiece film are $16 for Cinema/Chicago members and $20 for non-members and can be purchased by calling the Festival Hotline at 312-332-FILM (3456); or at the Festival Store:www.chicagofilmfestival.com
 
Festival Passes, Ticketing and Theater Information
Festival Passes and Tickets are on sale now.
 
Pass options include:
Moviegoer (10 regular admissions): $100 for Cinema/Chicago members, $130 for non-members
Passport (20 regular admissions): $190 for Cinema/Chicago members, $240 for non-members
 
Individual ticket prices:
Regular films: $11/members, students*, and seniors*; $14/non-members (*with valid ID)
Weekday matinees (films only): $7 tickets, Monday-Friday through 5:00pm
10 after 10: $10 tickets, every day after 10:00pm
Special Presentations: $16/members, $20/non-members

Tickets and passes can be purchased online at www.chicagofilmfestival.com, by calling 312-332-FILM (3456), or in person at the Festival Box Office at AMC River East 21 (until October 9: 7 days a week, noon – 8:00pm; October 10-23: tickets will be on sale one hour before the start of the first show until the start of the last show).
 
Festival screenings will be held at the AMC River East 21 Theater (322 E. Illinois St.). 
For the full schedule and ticketing information, visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com.
 

The 50th Chicago International Film Festival presents Spotlight Scandinavia, the fourth year of the World Cinema Spotlight Program. This year’s program highlights the exciting, rich, and diverse range of contemporary cinematic cultures across the five Nordic countries. From sizzling tales of passion and murder, to a family-friendly childhood adventure, this selection of highly acclaimed films features innovative works and exciting new voices as well as cinematic classics from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
 
For fifty years, the Chicago International Film Festival has provided audiences the unique opportunity to see thousands of groundbreaking, highly acclaimed, and thought-provoking films from around the globe and to hear directly from the talented people who’ve brought them to life. Films from Scandinavia have been an important part of this tradition, beginning in the third year of the Festival, when Swedish director Jan Troell’s “Here’s Your Life” won the top prize. Over the years, the Festival has presented the work of many prominent Nordic filmmakers, many whose work, both old and new, will be featured again in this year’s Festival, including Bent Hamer, Pirjo Honkasalo, Baltasar Kormákur, Jan Troell, and Niels Arden Oplev, among many others.
 
Reflecting this prodigious tradition, this year’s Festival is opening with “Miss Julie,” Norwegian director and actress Liv Ullmann’s torrid adaptation of August Strindberg’s classic play. Ullmann, the most internationally recognized and renowned Norwegian actress, will be in attendance for the Opening Night Gala screening and red carpet event on Thursday, October 9.
 
In total, Spotlight Scandinavia will present 20 feature-length films and a program of eight short films, many of which will be competing for awards in the International Feature, New Directors, Docufest, and Short Film Competitions. The lineup includes several retrospective screenings of important past award-winning films from the Festival, including a new digital restoration of “Here’s Your Life” as well as Lars von Trier’s Academy Award® nominated ”Breaking the Waves,” presented at the Festival in 1996.  

“Beginning in 1967, the Festival has had a long and continuous tradition of presenting and awarding exceptional films from Scandinavian masters, from Aki Kaurismäki and Fridrik Thor Fridriksson to Bille August and Tomas Alfredson,” said Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival Michael Kutza. “It is fitting that we are opening the 50th Festival with Liv Ullmann’s latest masterpiece, as we have premiered all three of the feature films she has directed, beginning with ‘Sofie’ in 1992.”

Over the past ten years, Scandinavian cinema has been a strong, vibrant presence at the Festival, with films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden dominating our competitions and taking home numerous awards,” said Chicago International Film Festival Programming Director Mimi Plauché. “Coupled with the long and rich history the Festival has of presenting the best in Scandinavian cinema over the past 50 years, the 50th anniversary is the ideal occasion to highlight the vitality and excellence of contemporary Nordic film.”
 
The 49th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 9- 23, 2014. Films will be shown at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St).
 
Spotlight Scandinavia Screenings
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared” Sweden (Director: Felix Herngren) — Hilarity ensues when an elderly man discovers a suitcase full of money and embarks on a fantastic adventure, involving a frozen corpse, a circus elephant, and a biker gang. Meanwhile, episodes from his past reveal his decades-long proclivity for changing the course of history. Based on the bestselling novel by Jonas Jonasson, this crowd-pleasing Swedish take on “Forrest Gump” combines sidesplitting comedy with genuine tenderness. Swedish and English with subtitles. Chicago Premiere
 
“101 Reykjavik” Iceland (Director: Baltasar Kormákur) — A highlight of the 36th Chicago International Film Festival’s New Directors Competition, Icelandic auteur Baltasar Kormákur’s sharp-witted breakout centers on a young Icelandic man who has an affair with his mom’s Spanish girlfriend, Lola, a fish-out-of-water lesbian (played exuberantly by Pedro Almodovar regular Victoria Abril). With the same droll wit and ribald energy as compatriot Fridik Thor Fridriksson, Kormakur gives insight not only into his winning characters, but a unique northern youth culture. Icelandic and English with subtitles. 50^th Anniversary Retrospective
 
“1001 Grams” Norway (Director: Bent Hamer) — Anna, a scientist who specializes in weights and measures, lives a life of precision, rigidity and solitude. But when her father, a fellow scientist, suffers a heart attack, Anna’s world falls out of perfect alignment. Wry and winsome, this beautifully told and thoughtful human story—and Norway’s official submission for the Academy Awards—follows Anna on a journey from Norway to France and back, as she attempts to find the right balance in her life. U.S. Premiere
 
“Breaking the Waves” Denmark (Director: Lars von Trier) — Heralded as one of the best films of the ‘90s, Lars von Trier’s emotionally ravaging breakthrough stars Emily Watson, in her Oscar-nominated debut, as an innocent Scottish girl who goes to sexual extremes to prove her unwavering love for Jan (Stellan Skarsgård), an oil-man who is paralyzed on the job. Balancing the raw and the sublime, “Breaking the Waves” is a magnificent tour-de-force whose epic intimacy powerfully translates best on the big screen.50^th Anniversary Retrospective
 
“Concrete Night” Finland, Sweden, Denmark (Director: Pirjo Honkasalo) — In Helsinki’s feverish twilight hours, impressionable 14-year-old Simo traverses the concrete jungle with his criminal brother. As the night progresses, he is exposed to poisonous influences and dubious sexual encounters that could prove damaging to his unformed young mind. A dreamy voyage shot in astonishing black and white cinematography, “Concrete Night” presents a stunning nexus between the cold-sweat surrealism of David Lynch and the fatalism of film noir. Finnish with subtitles. Chicago Premiere
 
“The Deep” Iceland (Director: Baltasar Kormákur) — Based on a true story, this harrowing survival tale recounts the events surrounding Gulli “The Human Seal” Fridporsson’s six-hour swim in the North Atlantic Ocean after his fishing boat capsized in 1985. Baltasar Kormákur’s latest film shrewdly tweaks the survivor biopic formula and presents Gulli’s ordeal as a far more complex superhero origin story overrun with existential dread and survivor’s guilt. Icelandic with subtitles. 50^th Anniversary Retrospective
 
“Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder” Norway (Director: Arild Frölich) — When young Lisa and her new neighbor Nilly team up with a reclusive inventor, an adventure begins and the farts begin to fly. Based on the popular children’s books by Jo Nesbø (“The Snowman”), “Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder” is a modern-day fairy tale lovingly brought to the big screen with a raucous mix of childhood wonder, bright colors and a wry sense of humor. Norwegian with subtitles. North American Premiere
 
“Fanny and Alexander” Sweden (Director: Ingmar Bergman) — A highpoint of not just Scandinavian cinema, but widely considered among the best films of all time, Bergman’s autobiographical masterpiece examines the highs and lows of the bourgeois Ekdahl family at the turn-of-the-twentieth-century through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander. A four-time Academy Award–winning triumph that combines Bergman’s thematic interests in religion, family and fantasy, Fanny and Alexander is an intense, sensual and sprawling epic that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Swedish with subtitles. 50^th Anniversary Retrospective
 
“Force Majeure” Sweden, Denmark, France, Norway (Director: Ruben Östlund) — When an avalanche disrupts a Swedish family’s ski vacation in the French Alps, the effect is disastrous—but not in the ways one would expect. In this razor-sharp dark comedy of bad manners, rising Swedish director Ruben Östlund (“Play”) skillfully chronicles the dissolution of a seemingly perfect family, and a father’s attempt to redeem himself and his wounded masculinity. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.Chicago Premiere.
 
“Here’s Your Life” Sweden (Director: Jan Troell) — Winner of the Gold Hugo at the 1967 Chicago International Film Festival, Jan Troell’s gem of a film poetically traces the trials and tribulations of Olof, a boy coming of age in Sweden during World War I. A visually lush, stirring bildungsroman spread out over three hours and in gorgeous black-and-white widescreen, Troell’s rarely seen stylistic tour-de-force is rightfully heralded as a classic for its emotional candor. Swedish with subtitles. 50^th Anniversary Retrospective
 
“In Order of Disappearance” Norway (Director: Hans Petter Moland) — Stellan Skarsgård stars in this witty thriller about a snowplow driver out to avenge the murder of his son. Caught between Scandinavian criminals and Serbian mobsters, Skarsgård’s mild-mannered dad transforms himself into a merciless Dirty Harry-type who doesn’t think twice before pulling the trigger. An enormously satisfying comedy, In Order of Disappearance sends up Norway’s attitudes about immigration, while ratcheting up a bloody body count. Norwegian and Swedish with subtitles. Chicago Premiere
 
“Miss Julie” Norway, UK, Ireland, France (Director: Liv Ullmann) — A country estate, Ireland 1890. Over the course of one midsummer night, the haughty Miss Julie (Jessica Chastain) and her father's lowly valet John (Colin Farrell) charm and manipulate each other. By turns seductive and bullying, savage and tender, their intimate relationship leads to a desperate plan, culminating in a final act as sublime and devastating as anything in Greek tragedy. Past Chicago Festival honoree and veteran Ingmar Bergman collaborator Liv Ullmann brings renewed vitality and emotional resonance to August Strindberg’s classic play of class, power and seduction. Scheduled to attend: director Liv Ullmann. Opening Night Film. US Premiere
 
“No Thank You” Finland (Director: Samuli Valkama) — Heli is in a midlife rut. With an oafish husband who favors video games over intimacy, she begins a torrid affair with one of her adult students—and eventually learns what she’s really been missing. Set to an exuberant jazz soundtrack, “No Thank You” is a punchy, humorous look at marital malaise and the difficulties of maintaining, and revitalizing, the luster of old relationships. Finnish with subtitles. North American Premiere
 
“Of Horses and Men” Iceland, Norway, Germany (Director: Benedikt Erlingsson) — Six deliciously morbid vignettes about people and their passionate relationships with horses intertwine in this highly acclaimed and darkly comic fable set in an Icelandic valley. Through eye-opening images that capture the absurdities of man and beast alike, often blurring the line that separates the two, the film humorously presents an unforgettable look into a community’s obsession. Icelandic, Swedish, English with subtitles. Chicago Premiere
 
“Speed Walking” Denmark (Director: Niels Arden Oplev) — Being twelve is hard enough, but for Martin, a budding speed walker, this minefield is made more bewildering by his mother’s sudden death and Denmark’s newly liberalized pornography laws. With a candid and sensitive perspective, director Niels Arden Oplev (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) uses the story of a boy’s sexual coming-of-age in the mid-‘70s as a tender allegory about a society coming to terms with its new and sudden openness. North American Premiere
 
“The Salvation” Denmark (Director: Kristian Levring) — In this faithful tribute to the classic American Western, Mads Mikkelsen (“Casino Royale”) stars as a peaceful European settler who sets out to avenge the murder of his family and cleanse the black heart of his community. With majestic desert landscapes, a ruthless black-hatted bad guy and a duplicitous lass (Eva Green), “The Salvation” miraculously deploys familiar conventions in exciting new ways. Danish and English with subtitles. Chicago Premiere
 
“Something Must Break” Sweden (Director: Ester Martin Bergsmark) — With long hair, epicene features, and an increasingly dominant alter-ego he calls Ellie, Sebastian defies easy gender identification. When the leather jacket-donning Andreas comes to his rescue during a homophobic beating, a cautious yet steamy relationship begins between the two that forces both to confront the relative fluidity of their sexualities. Unflinching and intimate, “Something Must Break” soulfully examines the permeability of identity and the ambiguity of desire. Chicago Premiere
 
“Paris of the North” Iceland, Denmark, France (Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson) — Relocated from Reykjavik to a dilapidated rural fishing village, former alcoholic Hugi spends his time teaching elementary school and attending AA meetings. His path to recovery, however, is derailed by the arrival of his philandering, beer-guzzling dad. A droll and gentle character study, “Paris of the North” is a captivating account of fathers and sons mending their stunted relationships while finding the courage to push forward with their own lives. U.S. Premiere
 
“Underdog” Sweden, Norway (Director: Ronnie Sandahl) — A financially strapped, disaffected young Swede lands in Norway in search of employment. When she begins work as a housekeeper at middle-class Steffan’s home, neither anticipates the impact she will have on their lives and his family. Ronnie Sandahl’s emotionally satisfying debut features an urban modern-day romance while tackling issues of class, privilege and the changing balance of power between Sweden and Norway. North American Premiere
 
“Vive La France” Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Norway (Directors: Helgi Felixson, Titti Johnson) — As officials and scientists debate the environmental impact of France’s nuclear program, the people of Tureia quietly continue their way of life despite living 100km away from one of the world’s largest nuclear waste dumps. “Vive La France” reveals the willful existence of a small island community, while delivering a grave lesson on the ecological consequences of nuclear testing and the political ramifications of French colonialism in Polynesia. North American Premiere
 
Shorts 4: Spotlight Scandinavia: Songs from Northern Lands
These eight films from across Scandinavia are by turns light and dark, scathing and sweet, innocent and twisted.
 
Two girls consider forging an unlikely friendship in “Amazon” (Norway). Curmudgeonly Lars-Gunnar walks dogs and relives his past in “The Dogwalker” (Sweden). A lactose-intolerant dairy farmer takes revenge on his overbearing father in “Milk and Blood” (Iceland, USA). The circle of life is explored through found footage and animation in “Cycle” (Finland). A seemingly insignificant moment takes on new meanings in one-take wonder “Money Back, Please” (Norway). “2 Girls 1 Cake” (Denmark) is a tale of revenge after a traumatic near death experience. “German Shepherd” (Sweden) poses big questions about good and evil. A group of young boys go in search of adventure in the big city in “Artun” (Iceland, Denmark).
 

 
# # #
 

Spotlight Scandinavia is made possible, in part, through grants from the following organizations: Swedish Council of America; American-Scandinavian Foundation; Finlandia Foundation National.
 
ABOUT SWEDISH COUNCIL OF AMERICA: Based in Minneapolis, MN, the mission of Swedish Council of America is to support groups and individuals who promote knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Swedish heritage in American life and to strengthen cultural and educational ties between contemporary North America and Sweden.
 
ABOUT AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION: An American non-profit organization, the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) works to build international understanding with an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing and membership offerings. The ASF is headquartered in New York City at Scandinavia House, a public forum presenting a wide range of exhibitions, films, concerts, lectures, symposia & family programs.
 
ABOUT FINLANDIA FOUNDATION NATIONAL: The mission of Finlandia Foundation National is to sustain both Finnish-American culture in the United States and the ancestral tie with Finland by raising funds for grants and scholarships, initiating innovative national programs and networking with local chapters. The organization is based in Pasadena, CA.
 
 
Tickets, Festival Passes and Theater Information
Tickets for the Opening Night Gala and screening of “Miss Julie,” are on sale now and can be purchased online at the Festival Store: www.chicagofilmfestival.com, by calling the Festival Hotline (312-332-3456), or in-person at the Festival Office (30 E. Adams, Suite 800). Film-only tickets are: Balcony: $50 ($45/members); Main Floor: $60 ($55/members). Cinema/Chicago members can use promo code OPEN50 and their current membership number for special rates. VIP tickets, which include a premium main floor seat and admission to the after party at Sidney Yates Gallery at The Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph St.), are priced at $150 per ticket.
 
Festival Passes are on sale until October 19. Pass options include:
Moviegoer (10 regular admissions): $100 for Cinema/Chicago members, $130 for non-members.
Passport (20 regular admissions): $190 for Cinema/Chicago members, $240 for non-members
 
Festival Tickets will be available to Cinema/Chicago members on September 17-18. General public tickets will be on sale starting September 19. Tickets can be purchased online via Ticketmasterwww.ticketmaster.com/chicagofilmfestival; by phone at 312-332-FILM (3456); or by visiting the Festival box office at AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.) or the Cinema/Chicago office (30 E. Adams, Suite 800) beginning September 19.

For ticketing information, visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com.
 
Festival screenings will be held at the AMC River East 21 Theater (322 E. Illinois St.). The full schedule will be announced Tuesday, September 16.
 
 
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
Led by Tourism Partner Illinois Office of Tourism and Presenting Partner Columbia College Chicago, the 50th Chicago International Film Festival's sponsors include Official Airline: American Airlines; Headquarters Hotel: JW Marriott Chicago; Major Partner: Intersites, Wintrust Community Banks; Participating Partners: AARP, Allstate, Bloomberg, Casale del Giglio, Cultivate Studios, Netrix, Stella Artois; Platinum Media Sponsors: NCM Media Networks, Ingage Media, JC Decaux, Michigan Avenue Magazine.
 
 
ABOUT CINEMA/CHICAGO
Cinema/Chicago is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to encouraging better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image. The Chicago International Film Festival is one of the year-round programs presented by Cinema/Chicago, which also include the Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards, CineYouth Festival, INTERCOM Competition, International Screenings Program, and Education Outreach Program. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive film festival.
 
The Festival and its parent organization, Cinema/Chicago, were founded in 1964 by filmmaker and graphic artist Michael Kutza to showcase great international film, which was conspicuously absent from the city’s theaters, and to bring celebrated filmmakers from around the globe to Chicago. Over the past half century, as we have grown to become a world-renowned event and evolved to reflect the changing times, the Festival has remained dedicated to its founding vision: to discover new and rising talents in filmmaking and to bring the best in international cinema and the artists behind the work to Chicago audiences. This year’s 50th anniversary Festival will feature a selection of “50th anniversary screenings,” featuring the work of returning filmmakers presenting past Festival films and/or personal favorites and important repertory films as well as new films by emerging and celebrated filmmakers alike.
 
The 50th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 9-23, 2014.
www.chicagofilmfestival.com