KSanders writesKyle Sanders Goes to the 60th Annual Chicago International Film Festival

by Kyle Sanders

I've seen a lot of films, but up until now, I don't think I've ever heard of The Lollipop Cover. This 1965 drama is about an ex-boxer who hitchhikes from San Francisco to Los Angeles trying to track down a junkie who is not only responsible for his sister's suicide, but owes him money.

Coming along for the journey is a motherless nine-year-old girl abandoned by her father. This film with an icky synopsis is one part John Cassavetes feature, one part Afterschool Special, but perhaps it is most notable for being the very first Golden Hugo winner of the Chicago International Film Festival--sixty years ago!

That's right, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Chicago International Film Festival, one of the most anticipated events I look forward to every year in Chicago (second only to dying the Chicago River green every St. Patrick's Day weekend, of course).

It's hard to believe I began covering this festival a little under a decade ago, but I've been attending the event since it's 50th and have no plans of stopping now!

Despite the obscure The Lollipop Cover, the festival has awarded such notable films as Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, The Official Story, Delicatessen, Amores Perros, Fat Girl, Hunger, Holy Motors, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Over 175 films and shorts from over 50 countries will be screened this year (thirteen of which will be in the International Competition), and for the first time, films from Antarctica and the Bahamas will be shown.

Some of the highlights will be the Opening Night feature The Piano Lesson (with actor John David Washington and director Malcolm Washington on hand to receive the Spotlight and Breakthrough Awards, respectively), and the festival's Centerpiece, Night Bitch (directed by this year's Visionary Award winner, Marielle Heller).

There will be Special Presentations of Steve McQueen's Blitz, Jesse Eisenberg's A Real Pain, Edward Berger's Conclave, and Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door. This year's Career Achievement Award recipient is Mike Meyers, who will be in town for a conversation with actor Dave Foley, and Andre Holland (Moonlight, Selma) will receive this year's Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement Award. 

Because this year is the festival's diamond jubilee, expect showcases honoring the rich cinematic contributions of Finland, Germany, and Italy--countries who not only have a longstanding history at CIFF, but have also provided us with some of the most celebrated auteurs in cinema.

Several retrospective screenings will take place--as well as new features--honoring the enduring power and cinematic artistry of each country. There will also be a retrospective and in-person tribute to filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu, the Japanese director who has received international acclaim with films such as After Life, Shoplifters, and Broker. Hirokazu will also receive a Career Achievement Award from the festival as well. 

There will also be new restorations of classic films from Chicago's Black Cinema. Those films include a concert documentary (Save the Children), a cult action thriller (The Spook Who Sat by the Door), and an independent romantic drama (Compensation). The festival describes this collection of movies as a "shared sense of racial solidarity and a feel for the complexities of the African American experience."

There's a lot to be discovered at this year's festival and I hope you'll take advantage of this stacked collection of titles--I know I certainly am! While I'll be out of town during the first half of the festival's presentations (don't worry, I've got plenty of online screeners to keep me busy!), expect continuous coverage from yours truly of the longest-running competitive film festival in North America! See you at the movies!

The 60th Chicago International Film Festival runs from October 16th through the 27th, with screenings and events being held at AMC NewCity 14, The Music Box Theater, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. For tickets and more information, check out chicagofilmfestival.com.