2008

Cinema/Chicago rebrands the yearly Future Filmmakers Festival as CineYouth, continuing the tradition of uplifting the work of filmmakers age 22 or younger each Spring. In October, film legend Sidney Poitier is celebrated for his contributions to the art of film, as are Christopher Nolan, Mike Leigh, Viggo Mortensen, and Jennifer Hudson. The Festival premieres Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York. Brazilian actor-cum-auteur Matheus Nachtergaete wins Best New Director for his A Dead Girl’s Feast. The Gold Hugo for Best Feature goes to Steve McQueen’s Hunger, which also wins a Best Actor award for Michael Fassbender.