Chicago International Film Festival Kicks Off With Big Stars, Strong Slate Of Pictures

Over the past 5 years (since I was 18) I have been attending the Chicago International Film Festival, hosted in various theater locations in our glorious city. I remember the very first film I sat down to watch at my first night at CIFF, the Chicago premiere of the Swedish masterpiece Let The Right One In.  There is really quite nothing like the feeling of being in the same movie house as hundreds of like-minded equally intellectual people such as a CIFF screening. The CIFF experience basically reminded me of the power of cinema and why I cherished the world of film in the first place.

Fast forward to the present day and here we’re presented with a golden list for the upcoming 48th CIFF opening! This year they’ve made it easy, the festival will take place mainly at AMC River East 21 Theaters (322 E. Illinois St, Chicago IL). At first glance of the films being presented, jaws will drop and eyes will widen. Opening night with Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin? Are you kidding me? AND they’re world premiering their new “retired gangster” flick Stand Up Guys? I think that’s proof enough that this year’s CIFF will be bulletproof. Alas, I proceed with my excitement. What’s equally thrilling to me about this year’s lineup is how broad the spectrum of contemporaries goes. Meaning, there are new films from both old and young filmmakers alike. For example, the films in CIFF’s Main Competition range from 20-something-year-old Adam Leon‘s Gimme The Loot, to a grip of 40-year-old filmmakers including Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu (Beyond the Hills), to the master works of 72-year old Persian artiste, Abbas Kiarostami (Like Someone In Love). It’s beyond impressive to see all these generations coming together and presenting their latest work.

Let’s face it, this year’s CIFF is going to be incredible. Not only do we have the Chicago Premiere of the new Elijah Wood killer flick (Maniac), we have the new horror film from 2010 Golden Palm winner Apichatpong “Joe” Weerasethakul with his highly acclaimed Mekong Hotel. Speaking of horror, CIFF’s After Dark category is ultimately 100% this year, looks like there will be 8 heavy hitters ranging in all mediums of horror. Another highlight would be David Cronenberg‘s son Brandon’s directorial debut, Antiviral. The brilliance doesn’t stop, we’re happy to report that all the categories in this year’s festival are strong on their own. Lots of big flicks in Main Competition as well as New Directors Competition, Documentaries, World Cinema and the like. What I am most impressed about this year is the level of strength in the Black Perspectives (CIFF category founded by Spike Lee in ’97) as well as the handful of stunners in the Spotlight Middle East section. Anything from films on South African conflict to the everyday hardships in present day Iran. This is a year to learn from the films of CIFF. Look at these films as cinematic lectures, not so much as popcorn-feeding entertainment. If you’ve been keeping up with this year’s festival circuits you will be pleasantly surprised at what all is being covered and screened at CIFF this year.

Beyond the Hills

Director: Cristian Mungiu

Romania

This is a picture perfect film on the realities and non-realities of everyday life. It is told through the eyes (and lenses via Director of Photography Oleg Mutu) of a 20-something Romanian nun.  Sister Voichita has a lifelong friend visiting her at her monastery, where she and 9 other nuns live under the rule of “Papa,” their priest.

In Their Skin

Director: Jeremy Power Regimbal

Canada

In Their Skin starts off with a bang and retracts into a slower tension-building home invasion style horror film. British actor James D’Arcy proves to broaden his boundaries with his character of next-door neighbor “Bobby.” Further inducing the fear in the audience is the brilliant photography by cinematographer Norm Li.

The Last Sentence

Director: Jan Troell

Sweden

This B&W feature is camera-intensive study of the bourgeoisie and specifically the alcoholic tendencies of famous Swede journalist Torgny Segerstedt. This true-story biographical tale of love and lust in the years leading up to WWII is a touching yet brutal story of greed and miscommunication.

Room 237

Director: Rodney Ascher

USA

Room 237 is the most entertaining and thought-provoking documentary I have seen concerning the world of cinema. This film specifically deals with The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, but the documentary itself shows footage from Kubrick’s entire filmography. Theories and quasi-ridiculous claims take up the entire 100 minute lecture in this brilliant documentary on the nuances of Kubrick’s filmmaking.

Antiviral

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Canada

Antiviral is perhaps the most potent and satirical film to ever be shown at the Chicago International Film Festival. It is nothing short of a masterpiece, a gigantic caricature of our current media-obsessed society. Antiviral is the feature film debut from newcomer filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg. Cronenberg’s vision and directing paired with the death-defying perfect acting of Caleb Landry Jones in the lead role collides into a magnificent sci-fi gem.