The seventh annual
Chicago Critics Film Festival is just about a week away, and there's no shortage of amazing films to choose from. Many of the highly-anticipated titles that will screen at Music Box Theatre over the course of the week will also include post-film Q&As with special guests including filmmakers and stars.
Your best best to experiencing the whole festival is to pick up an all-access pass for the duration of the event. If you see every feature film programmed, at $150 per pass it rounds out to about $7 per film; even if you see only a fraction of that, the pass still provides the best bang for your buck. See the full film schedule and pick up a pass via the Music Box site
here.
Not convinced? You're in luck, as we've got a few connections here at Third Coast Review (myself and film critic Steve Prokopy are both members of the presenting organization, the Chicago Film Critics Association). We're giving away tickets to some of the festival's most exciting films!
Read more about the films available for the ticket giveaway below, and enter to win
here.
Photo by Lowell Mayer
GREENER GRASS (screening Friday, May 17 at 9:45pm) is a deliciously twisted comedy set in a demented, timeless suburbia where every adult wears braces on their straight teeth, couples coordinate meticulously pressed outfits, and coveted family members are swapped in more ways than one in this competition for acceptance. The film is a twist on everyday suburban life both a love letter and an “FU” where the characters make life-altering decisions on a whim and being polite is held to a highest standard, even if it means you go too far. Filmmakers and stars Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe will be in attendance.
Image courtesy of Chicago Critics Film Festival
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (screening Wednesday, May 21 at 7:15pm) tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “the Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen’s powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice. Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha and star Viveik Kalra will be in attendance.
