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Banner: the 60th Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: Literary Adaptation


Two young girls in white dresses hold hands and run joyfully through a courtyard

The Art of Joy (L'arte della gioia)

Valeria Golino  |   Italy, United Kingdom
Italian  
Historical, Literary Adaptation, Women Centered

This stunning early 20th century tale recounts the life of Modesta, a rebellious Sicilian born into poverty who believes she’s destined for more.

A man and woman stand together looking down at a piece of paper she holds.

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire

Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich  |   United States
English, French  
Biopic, Film on Film, Literary Adaptation, Women Centered

An actress delves into the life of Suzanne Césaire, merging reality and memory to reveal the complexities of the pioneering writer and activist.

A man and woman stand with their foreheads touching, staring into eachothers eyes.

La Cocina

Alonso Ruizpalacios  |   United States, Mexico
English, Spanish  
Culinary, Drama, Literary Adaptation

An impassioned line cook stirs up chaos that threatens to collapse a frenzied Times Square kitchen in this kaleidoscopic portrait of the American Dream.

Nickel Boys

RaMell Ross  |   United States
English  
Coming of Age, Drama, Literary Adaptation

Based on the award-winning novel, the film chronicles the powerful friendship between two Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of a reform school in Florida.

A red-headed woman jogs down a street at night, dogs following her.

Nightbitch

Marielle Heller  |   United States
English  
Comedy, Horror, Literary Adaptation, Women Centered

A woman (Amy Adams) pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but her new domesticity takes a surreal turn. In this penetrating, funny, and outrageous look at the realities of being an American mom, Marielle Heller has crafted a wildly entertaining tale of female struggle and strength.

4 black men around a dining table looking off camera left.

The Piano Lesson

Malcolm Washington  |   United States
English  
Drama, Family Affairs, Literary Adaptation, Social Commentary

A family clash over an heirloom piano explodes. The battle between brother and sister — one hopes to sell it, the other refuses to give it up — unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived and who defines a family legacy.

A man stands next to a disheveled woman, nuns stand behind them.

Small Things Like These

Tim Mielants  |   Ireland, Belgium
English  
Drama, Literary Adaptation, Religion

Cillian Murphy delivers a powerhouse performance as a devoted family man who wrestles with speaking out in the face of wrongdoing in his small town.

A woman in a red dresses splashes barefoot along a lush creek.

Thesis on a Domestication (Tesis sobre una domesticación)

Javier Van de Couter  |   Argentina, Mexico
Spanish  
LGBTQ, Literary Adaptation, Sex and Sexuality

A successful trans actress defiantly embarks on a more settled chapter of her life, writing a new narrative around work, love, and family.