For 45 years, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought you the brightest and boldest new films and filmmakers—from Slumdog Millionaire and Reservoir Dogs to Scorsese, Fassbinder, Wenders, and Herzog—first. Did you chat with The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky or listen to Kevin Smith crack the audience up for an hour after Zack and Miri Make a Porno? Maybe you saw Viggo Mortensen, or Jada Pinkett Smith at her directorial debut? This year you can expect to see the most anticipated films and stars (Uma Thurman, Martin Landau, and Willem Dafoe to name a few), but the real fun is pushing your boundaries and discovering something new.