The 20th Chicago International Film Festival salutes Italian comedies and classic monster movies, and honors special effects innovator Douglas Trumbull of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner. The Gold Hugo for Best Feature goes to Kandahar by Mrinal Sen, while Danish director Lars von Trier’s The Element of Crime wins the Silver Hugo. Program highlights include Leos Carax’s debut film Boy Meets Girl, and Mike Leigh’s Meantime.
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1983
The Festival showcases a retrospective of early British musicals and a series of French and Spanish films. Tributes include Jane Russell, and “Rocky & Bullwinkle” cartoonist Jay Ward. French New Wave auteur Jacques Demy participates on the International Features Jury. Paul Cox’s Man of Flowers is screened, and Spanish director Victor Erice’s The South takes home the Gold Hugo for Best Feature.
1982
President Ronald Reagan praises the Festival, writing “the Chicago International Film Festival serves both artists and the public by providing a forum for discussion and sharing.” The Festival presents a tribute to the recently-deceased Rainer Werner Fassbinder, featuring five of his films. Chicago-born actress Ann-Margaret appears, and Robert Altman makes his first of many appearances a the Festival with his Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, which takes home top honors.
1981
The 17th Chicago International Film Festival is dedicated to French New Wave master François Truffaut, who attends to present a 12-hour marathon of his work. Also honored are Argentine director Leopoldo Torre Nilsson and “Looney Tunes” animator Isador “Friz” Freleng. The Festival presents Peter Greenaway’s directorial debut The Falls, and Margarethe von Trotta’s The German Sisters (alternatively titled Marianne & Juliane) wins the Gold Hugo.
1980
Taylor Hackford’s first feature film, Idolmaker, opens the Festival. John Houseman, Gloria Swanson, Neil Simon, William Friedkin, and film editor Verna Fields are honored. Program highlights include a special selection of new films from Scandinavia; Polish film Camera Buff, the first feature from director Krysztof Kieslowski; and German filmmaker Percy Adlon’s debut, Celeste.