The 59th installment of the Chicago International Film Festival has revealed its International Competition selections for the upcoming event, taking place from October 11 to 22, 2023. This year’s competitive titles include 37 films in various competitions, one international premiere, 16 films making their North American premieres and 10 holding their U.S. premieres. The films hail from diverse corners of the globe, including countries such as China, Ukraine, Brazil, Rwanda, Australia, Japan, Sweden, France, and more. These films will contend for the prestigious Gold Hugo awards in categories including International Feature, International Documentary, New Directors, OutLook, and Shorts.
Several renowned filmmakers, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Aki Kaurismäki, Erik Gandini, Tatiana Huezo, and Alice Rohrwacher, known for their past participation in the competition, are returning this year. Notably, previous honorees at the Chicago International Film Festival have achieved acclaim at the Academy Awards, including last year’s Close and the 2021 entries Drive My Car and The Worst Person in the World, all earning nominations for Best International Feature Film.
The complete roster of films for the 59th Chicago International Film Festival will be released on September 18, 2023. Tickets for the opening night screening of We Grown Now are currently available for purchase. Tickets for individual films will be on sale to the general public starting September 22, 2023. Cinema/Chicago members can access pre-sale tickets beginning September 19, 2023. Get your membership now…
International Feature Competition
About Dry Grasses
Kuru Otlar Üstüne (Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden)
Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (U.S.)
Dir. Raven Jackson
Black Box (Germany)
Dir. Asli Özge
North American Premiere
La Chimera (Italy, France, Switzerland)
Dir. Alice Rohrwacher
The Delinquents
Los delincuentes (Argentina)
Dir. Rodrigo Moreno
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Nu Aștepta Prea Mult De La Sfârșitul Lumii (Romania)
Dir. Radu Jude
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Explanation for Everything
Magyarázat mindenre (Hungary)
Dir. Gábor Reisz
North American Premiere
Fallen Leaves (Finland)
Dir. Aki Kaurismäki
A Happy Day (Norway)
Dir. Hisham Zaman
U.S. Premiere
Holly (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France)
Dir. Fien Troch
North American Premiere
Only the River Flows
He Bian De Cuo Wu (China)
Dir. Wei Shujun
U.S. Premiere
Paradise is Burning
Paradiset Brinner (Sweden)
Dir. Mika Gustafson
North American Premiere
The Theory of Everything
Die Theorie Von Allem (Germany, Austria)
Dir. Timm Kröger
North American Premiere
Tótem (Mexico, Denmark, France)
Dir. Lila Avilés
New Directors Competition
Banel & Adama (France, Senegal, Mali)
Dir. Ramata-Toulaye SY
U.S. Premiere
The Battle
A Batalha da Rua Maria Antônia (Brazil)
Dir. Vera Egito
International Premiere
The Bride (Rwanda)
Dir. Myriam U. Birara
U.S. Premiere
The Burdened (Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia)
Dir. Amr Gamal
North American Premiere
Family Portrait (U.S.)
Dir. Lucy Kerr
North American Premiere
Firedream
Lumbrensueño (Mexico)
Dir. José Pablo Escamilla
North American Premiere
Foremost by Night
Sobre todo de noche (Spain)
Dir. Víctor Iriarte
North American Premiere
Goodbye Julia (Sudan, Egypt, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden)
Dir. Mohamed Kordofani
U.S. Premiere
The Hypnosis
Hypnosen (Sweden)
Dir. Ernst De Geer
North American Premiere
Lost Country (Serbia)
Dir. Vladimir Perišić
North American Premiere
Sisterhood
HLM Pussy (France)
Dir. Nora El Hourch
U.S. Premiere
Solitude
Tilverur (Iceland)
Dir. Ninna Palmadóttir
U.S. Premiere
Sweet Dreams (The Netherlands)
Dir. Ena Sendijarević
U.S. Premiere
Through the Night
Quitter la nuit (Belgium, France, Canada)
Dir. Delphine Gerard
North American Premiere
International Documentary Competition
After Work (Sweden, Italy, Norway)
Dir. Erik Gandini
North American Premiere
Alien Island
Isla Alien (Chile)
Dir. Cristóbal Valenzuela
North American Premiere
Because We Have Each Other (Australia)
Dir. Sari Braithwaite
North American Premiere
Bye Bye Tiberias (France, Belgium, Qatar, Palestine)
Dir. Lina Soualem
U.S. Premiere
The Echo
El Eco (Mexico)
Dir. Tatiana Huezo
Four Daughters (France, Tunisia)
Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania
North American Premiere
In the Rearview
Skąd dokąd (Poland, France, Ukraine)
Dir. Maciek Hamela
U.S. Premiere
Pictures of Ghosts
Retratos fantasmas (Brazil)
Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
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