Great Movies
The 50th Chicago International Film Festival kicks off on October 9th with a screening of "Miss Julie," accompanied by the film's legendary director Liv Ullman. It is only one of many highlights announced today by Michael Kutza and Programming Director Mimi Plauché.
As Mr. Kutza said, “From the very beginning, I wanted the Festival to be competitive in every way, drawing attention to emerging talent and rewarding excellence. The directors we have honored include Robert Altman, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jan Troell, Hirokazu Koreeda, Mike Leigh, Mrinal Sen, Giorgi Shengelaya, Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta and Zhang Yimou, all of whom were beginning their careers. I am proud the Festival has played a role in establishing them in the international film industry.”
For its 50th anniversary, CIFF has programmed some major films from around the world including "Miss Julie," "The Last 5 Years" with Anna Kendrick, "St. Vincent" with Bill Murray and "Wild" with Reese Witherspoon.
Other major offerings at CIFF this year include Sundance horror hit "The Babadook," TIFF fave "Beyond the Lights," Telluride smash "Birdman," Cannes hit "Clouds of Sils Maria," "Force Majeure," TIFF Peoples Choice Award Winner "The Imitation Game," "It Follows," "The Look of Silence," "National Gallery," "Two Days, One Night," and "Winter Sleep."
There will also be revival screenings of "Breaking the Waves," "Fanny and Alexander," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next," "Roger and Me," "A Star is Born," and the director's cut of "Natural Born Killers"
The festival will also include a tribute to Isabelle Huppert with screenings of "The Piano Teacher," "Comedy of Power," "White Material," and "Copacabana."
Stay tuned for more coverage of the 50th annual Chicago International Film Festival and click here for more information and to pick up tickets for yourself.
Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.
