Comedy legend and The Second City alumnus Mike Myers is set to receive a Career Achievement Award at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival, running October 16 – 27, 2024. “An Evening with Mike Myers” will be presented on the first Saturday of the Festival, October 19, and will be hosted by fellow comedy legend Dave Foley.
“With his creation of iconic characters from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, to performances in So I Married An Axe Murderer to the cross-generational phenomenon that is Shrek, Mike Myers’ incredible career has had an unmistakable influence on comedy, film, and our broader culture,” said Chicago International Film Festival Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “He is one of the most revered voices in comedy in Hollywood and beyond. With his razor-sharp writing, extraordinary range, and prodigious talent as a performer, Myers has established a standard of excellence that has been inspiring artists for decades.”
“There couldn’t be a more appropriate comedy genius to celebrate during Second City’s 65th Anniversary year than Mike Myers,” said The Second City Vice President Kelly Leonard. “As an alumnus of both our Chicago and Toronto stages; an incredibly gifted actor, writer and improvisor; and someone whose work serves as a cultural touchstone for generations, we are so proud to celebrate Mike’s lifetime of achievements with our friends at the Chicago International Film Festival.”
Myers, writer, producer, and star of the hit Austin Powers series, joins a pantheon of previous Career Achievement Award honorees, including Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Guillermo del Toro, Steve McQueen, Carey Mulligan, Shirley MacLaine, Al Pacino, Ron Howard, Quentin Tarantino, Viggo Mortensen, and Christopher Nolan, among others.
Further event details will be released in the lead-up to the Festival; the full slate of films and programs comprising the 60th edition of the Chicago International Film Festival will be announced on September 23, 2024. Tickets will go on sale for Cinema/Chicago members on September 24, and will be available to the general public on September 27, 2024.
North America’s longest-running competitive film festival, the 60th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 16 – 27, 2024, unspooling at venues across the city including the AMC NEWCITY 14, the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, and pop-up screenings in partnership with the Chicago Park District.