Competitions Announced for 57th Chicago International Film Festival

Today, the 57th Chicago International Film Festival announced our international competitions lineup. This year’s festival, running October 13 – 24, 2021, continues the tradition of introducing bold new films to American audiences for the first time, showcasing films from countries around the world, including Colombia, Jordan, France, South Africa, Cambodia, the Faroe Islands, Germany, and more. This year’s competitions will include the World Premiere of Babushkas of Chernobyl director Holly Morris’ documentary Exposure and the International Premiere of Franziska Stünkel’s The Last Execution.

The full program and screening schedule for the 57th Chicago International Film Festival will be announced on September 20, 2021. Early Bird pricing on Festival Passes are on sale now, with individual tickets going on sale September 21 for Cinema/Chicago members and September 24 to the general public. Purchase passes here

International Feature Competition

107 Mothers (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine)
Dir. Péter Kerekes
North American Premiere

Amira (Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia)
Dir. Mohammed Diab
North American Premiere

Captain Volkonogov Escaped (Russia)
Dirs. Aleksey Chupov, Natasha Merkulova
North American Premiere

Drive My Car (Japan)
Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Maixabel (Spain)
Dir. Icíar Bollaín
North American Premiere

Memoria (Colombia, Thailand, France, Germany, Mexico, Qatar)
Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Nobody Has To Know (Belgium, Scotland)
Dir. Bouli Lanners
U.S. Premiere

Paris, 13th District (France)
Dir. Jacques Audiard

Petite Maman (France)
Dir. Céline Sciamma

Prayers for the Stolen (Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Qatar)
Dir. Tatiana Huezo

Sundown (Mexico)
Dir. Michel Franco
U.S. Premiere

What Do We See When We Look At The Sky (Georgia, Germany)
Dir. Aleksandre Koberidze

The Worst Person in the World (Norway, France, Sweden, Denmark, U.S)
Dir. Joachim Trier

New Directors Competition

Amparo (Colombia, Sweden, Qatar, Germany)
Dir. Simón Mesa Soto
North American Premiere

Brother’s Keeper (Turkey)
Dir. Ferit Karahan
North American Premiere

Costa Brava, Lebanon (Lebanon, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Qatar)
Dir. Mounia Akl
U.S. Premiere

The Gravedigger’s Wife (Finland, Germany, France, Somalia, Qatar)
Dir. Khadar Ahmed
U.S. Premiere

The Last Execution (Germany)
Dir. Franziska Stünkel
International Premiere

My Brothers Dream Awake (Chile)
Dir. Claudia Huaiquimilla
North American Premiere

Robust (France)
Dir. Constance Meyer
North American Premiere

Shankar’s Fairies (India)
Dir. Irfana Majumdar
North American Premiere

Silent Land (Poland)
Dir. Agnieszka Woszczynska
U.S. Premiere

Whether the Weather Is Fine (Philippines)
Dir. Carlo Francisco Manatad
U.S. Premiere

White Building (Cambodia)
Dir. Kavich Neang
North American Premiere

Yuni (Singapore, France, Indonesia, Australia)
Dir. Kamila Andini
U.S. Premiere

International Documentary Competition

A Cop Movie (Mexico)
Dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios

Any Given Day (U.S.)
Dir. Margaret Byrne
U.S. Premiere

Babi Yar. Context (Netherlands, Ukraine)
Dir. Sergei Loznitza
North American Premiere

Exposure (U.S.)
Dir. Holly Morris
World Premiere

The Last Forest (Brazil)
Dir. Luiz Bolognesi
U.S. Premiere

The Last Shelter (France, Mali, South Africa)
Dir. Ousmane Samassekou
U.S. Premiere

The Other Side of the River (Germany, Finland)
Dir. Antonia Kilian
North American Premiere

Skál (Faeroe Islands, Denmark)
Dirs. Cecilie Debell and Maria Tórgarō
North American Premiere