Heading into its 61st year, the Chicago International Film Festival shows no signs of slowing down. From October 15 through 26, the festival will pop up at venues across the city for screenings, panels, talkbacks, cocktail parties and one mobile movie closet, with hundreds of films to see from across town and across the world. With so much to choose from, how can the casual moviegoer know where to begin? Thankfully, Third Coast Review readers have a crack team of film journalists at their disposal to help with that.
Over the course of the next two weeks, Steve Prokopy, Alejandro Riera and myself, (as well as a few colleagues with one-off dispatches) will share our takes on a wide selection of films featured at the festival; dig into what we share, or discover something of your own. In the meantime, here's a quick primer on how to enjoy the festival and what to look out for in the coming weeks.
But First, the Movies
In a lot of ways, going to your local film festival is like going to any other movie—there's just a lot more of them crammed into a much shorter window of time. But generally speaking, every film gets a few showtimes, and you can buy a ticket online or at the door. You can browse the list of films online and build a schedule based on screening times (remember to keep an eye on the venue, as films this year are screening at AMC Newcity, the Music Box Theatre, Siskel Film Center and elsewhere). If you want the VIP access, browse the festival's packages for the best deals; otherwise, you can buy tickets a la carte in advance or, if a film is sold out, consider heading to the theater that day anyway to possibly get what's called a Rush ticket—a last-minute ticket the festival makes available right before a film starts in order to ensure a sold-out screening.
As for what exactly to see? Start with the festival's film programs: curated sets of films organized by theme, origin or other common factor that can help give you a sense of what type of film you might be getting. The Chicago International Film Festival has a veritable cornucopia of film sections, some of which are more obvious (New Directors; Documentary Competition; Comedy) than others (OutLook, the LGBTQ program; City & State, films with Chicago and Illinois ties; After Dark, thrillers and horror movies often presented late at night). And don't forget the festival's robust slate of short films, usually presented in blocks where one ticket will sometimes get you upwards of half a dozen films in one sitting.
And of course, many festival screenings are special because they'll feature the filmmakers and/or cast and subjects in attendance to participate in post-film Q&As. Keep an eye on the festival listings to see if there will be special guests, and remember to be gracious: schedules are always changing and sometimes someone who planned to attend might not be there. It's not the festival's fault and you can still enjoy your movie.
Off-Screen Delights
Lest you believe that all there is to do at a film festival is see movies, allow me to set you straight. The beauty of a film festival, here in Chicago or anywhere else (and I've attended many of them!) is the community aspect and the chance to celebrate the art and love of film in so many ways outside of a dark theater. Many special guests will be honored over the course of this year's festival, which Chicago organizers call Tributes. This year's include everyone from Gus Van Sant and Nia DiCosta to HIKARI, Joel Edgerton and the great Spike Lee.
Elsewhere, the festival offers film lectures (film academic Nick Davis will present a conversation on the French New Wave in light of Richard Linklater's new film Nouvelle Vague), and a retrospective on filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's work (she will be in attendance at the October 22 screening of her latest, The Mastermind). For aspiring and working filmmakers in Chicago (or visiting for the festival), there's an entire conference called Industry Days, full of resources, panels and trainings designed to bring the movie industry to the Windy City. And if you just need a place to grab a drink and reflect on all the amazing cinema you're soaking up, the festival has you covered there, too, with their list of recommended hot spots.
Most notable of all for true cinephiles is the addition this year of the Mobile Criterion Closet, a roving trailer stocked with physical media that offers diehards the chance to roam the shelves for a few minutes at a time and select films to purchase at a discount. After popping up at SXSW and Toronto film festivals earlier this year, the Mobile Closet comes to Chicago October 17-19 and it's sure to be a hit (at Toronto, I heard one staffer tell someone in line at 8am that they wouldn't get in until 8pm that night).
Opening Night: One Golden Summer
Every great fest starts off with a bang, and the 61st Chicago International Film Festival is no exception; on October 15, the fest kicks off with the world premiere of a very Chicago story, One Golden Summer. Directed by Kevin Shaw (America to Me), the film recounts the Jackie Robinson West Little League team's 2014 season when they made it all the way to the world series only for things to come crashing down shortly thereafter. With a glossy, 30 for 30 sports documentary style, Shaw's film comprises both a wealth of archival footage (apparently the team had cameras on them quite a bit, and not just when playing on national television) and contemporary interviews with the players, coaches, parents and other key figures in the story that unfolded that year.
If you were a Chicagoan in 2014 (I was still living in New York at the time, so all of this was new to me!), you likely remember the story of the team that won the city's hearts on their championship run to the Little League world series; watch parties were held across town, and the team of 13 12-year-olds quickly found themselves as media darlings. The first half of Shaw's film is a triumphant ride that strikes a warm and nostalgic note cheering on a team that brought skill and sportsmanship to the field. Which makes the tonal shift in the film's second half all the more intense, as the fairy tale begins to crumble when doubt is cast on the Jackie Robinson West players' eligibility. The crux of the argument boils down to Little League team boundary maps and from where teams are allowed to draw their players, but Shaw surfaces much more nuance into the proceedings.
While the latter half plays out a bit like a true crime drama, what's most endearing about the film is watching the boys on the field back then grow into young men before our eyes. A person changes a lot from 12 to 20 or beyond, and while these young men have clearly grown up, there's nevertheless a glint of the boys they used to be in each of their eyes. Perhaps it's because it's been years, or perhaps it's because they're all well-adjusted young adults, but they each speak about their experience in measured, reflective terms that prove that no matter the outcome of the scandal, their memories—and their integrity—are what matter most.
One Golden Summer screens Wednesday, October 15; Saturday, October 18; and Sunday, October 26, with filmmaker Kevin Shaw scheduled to attend each.
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