2004

In May, Cinema/Chicago presents the inaugural Chicago Youth Media Festival, to showcase the work of filmmakers 21 years old and younger. Liam Neeson walks the 40th Chicago International Film Festival opening red carpet to bring Kinsey to Chicago. Audiences get a first look at Marc Forster’s Finding Neverland, Alexander Payne’s Sideways, and Annette Bening appears with István Szabo’s Being Julia. Robert Zemeckis introduces the World Premiere of The Polar Express alongside star Tom Hanks. The Festival celebrates the careers of Irma P. Hall, Harry J. Lennix, Robert Townsend, and Robin Williams, whose acceptance speech consists of an hour of improvisation.