Don Shanahan
Returning with more in-person screenings and special guests than the past few years, the 58th Chicago International Film Festival graces the Windy City beginning October 12th and running through the 23rd. Featuring 92 films and 56 short films, the festival spreads its entertaining wings across six locations, including exclusive and pop-up screenings at the Chicago History Museum, Austin Town Hall, and the Hamilton Park Cultural Center. Virtual access, by way of the Festival’s streaming platform, brings these films to all audiences, local and beyond.
Among the 92 films will be two world premieres, 14 North American premieres, and 22 United States premieres. Festival passes are on sale now online. Individual tickets are also available for purchase for both non-members and Cinema/Chicago members. The AMC River East 21 location remains the festival’s man hub with the in-person box office and merchandise store.
The 58th Chicago International Film Festival opens at the Music Box Theatre with A Compassionate Spy, directed by notable Chicago filmmaker Steve James. The film follows the historical story of University of Chicago graduate Theodore Hall’s involvement in passing vital military secrets to the Soviet Union during the Manhattan Project. To celebrate the event, the Festival will hold their first-ever ChiFilmFest Opening Night Block Party spread on Southport Avenue from the Music Box. Visitors will be treated to live music, food trucks, photo opportunities, and vendor booths from 5:00-10:00 pm on October 12th.
On the other side, Noah Baumbach’s apocalyptic black comedy White Noise, starring Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle will close the 58th Chicago International Film Festival on October 23rd. White Noise will play at the Music Box Theatre. Smack dab in the middle of the schedule, this year’s Festival Centerpiece is Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Rian Johnson’s mystery yarn reuniting him with Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc. That too plays at the Music Box Theatre on Tuesday, October 18th, complete with a Career Achievement Award presentation for Glass Onion cast member Kathryn Hahn.
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Stay connected right here to 25YL for a double blanket of coverage for the 58th Chicago International Film Festival. 25YL writers and prolific film critics Aqib Rasheed and Don Shanahan are credentialed to cover what has been North America’s longest-running competitive international film festival. More preview pieces and capsule reviews are coming soon.
For more information, visit the Festival’s website at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/. Follow the Festival through these social media handles and sites:
- Facebook: facebook.com/chicagofilmfestival/
- Twitter: @ChiFilmFest
- Instagram: @ChiFilmFest
- TikTok: @ChiFilmFest
- Hashtag: #ChiFilmFest
Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a year-round nonprofit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. Cinema/Chicago’s programs include the Chicago International Film Festival, Summer Screenings Program, CineYouth Festival, and year-round Education Program. Sponsors for the 58th Chicago International Film Festival’s sponsors include Citi, Xfinity, Adobe, Baker Tilly, Conagra, Dark Matter Coffee, IPA, Light Iron, Panavision, Periscope Post & Audio, SAGindie, The Seeker, and William Blair. Publicity is managed by Acacia Consulting Group.
