YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST!

For 45 years, the Chicago International Film festival has brought you the brightest and boldest new films and filmmakers – from Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog to Slumdog Millionaire and Reservoir Dogs – first. Did you hang out to chat with The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky last year? Or listen to Kevin Smith crack the audience up for an hour after Zack and Miri Make a Porno? Maybe you saw Rachel Weisz, or Jada Pinkett Smith at her directorial debut? Were you sitting near Quentin Tarantino when we premiered his smash Inglourious Basterds at our Summer Gala? Or getting an advance look at the year’s hottest films at our exclusive Cinema/Chicago Member screenings? Feel free to brag.

So what can you expect to see this year? The most anticipated films and the stars you love (Uma Thurman, Martin Landau, Willem Dafoe, Ben Foster, and on), sure, but the real fun of the Festival is pushing your boundaries and discovering something new with us….

Michael Kutza | Founder and Artistic Director