61st Chicago International Film Festival
2025 edition of film festival
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The 61st Chicago International Film Festival took place from October 15 to 26, 2025, in Chicago, United States. The festival opened with American documentary film One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw.[2]
Official poster | |
| Opening film | One Golden Summer[1] |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Eternity |
| Location | Chicago, United States |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Awards | Gold Hugo: Sirāt |
| Hosted by | Cinema/Chicago |
| Artistic director | Mimi Plauché |
| No. of films | 181 |
| Festival date | Opening: October 15, 2025 Closing: October 26, 2025 |
| Website | www |
Festival events took place mainly around AMC NEWCITY 14, though other event venues throughout the city include the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.[3]
Background
This was the festival's second year having AMC NEWCITY 14 as the main venue. The full film line-up was announced on September 18.[4]
Official Selection
The 61st edition of the festival showcased 111 feature films and 70 short films from over 60 countries, including four world premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 18 United States premieres.[5]
Special Presentations
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Night | |||
| One Golden Summer | Kevin Shaw | United States | |
| Centerpiece | |||
| Rental Family | Hikari | United States | |
| Closing Night | |||
| Eternity | David Freyne | United States | |
| Special Presentations | |||
| Bugonia | Yorgos Lanthimos | Ireland, South Korea, United States | |
| Dead Man's Wire | Gus Van Sant | United States | |
| Father Mother Sister Brother | Jim Jarmusch | United States, Ireland, France, Italy, Japan | |
| Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | United States | |
| Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Hedda | Nia DaCosta | United States | |
| Is This Thing On? | Bradley Cooper | United States | |
| It Was Just an Accident | یک تصادف ساده | Jafar Panahi | Iran, France, Luxembourg |
| Jay Kelly | Noah Baumbach | United Kingdom, United States | |
| No Other Choice | 어쩔수가없다 | Park Chan-wook | South Korea |
| Nouvelle Vague | Richard Linklater | France | |
| Sentimental Value | Affeksjonsverdi | Joachim Trier | Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom |
| The Testament of Ann Lee | Mona Fastvold | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Train Dreams | Clint Bentley | United States | |
| Wake Up Dead Man | Rian Johnson | United States | |
International Competition
The festival announced its competitive sections on September 11, 2025.[6] The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the International Competition:[7]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Rabbit, White Rabbit | Харгӯши сиёҳ, харгӯши сафед | Shahram Mokri | Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates |
| The Currents | Las corrientes | Milagros Mumenthaler | Switzerland, Argentina |
| Kontinental '25 | Radu Jude | Romania, Brazil, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Luxembourg | |
| La Grazia | Paolo Sorrentino | Italy | |
| The Love That Remains | Ástin Sem Eftir Er | Hlynur Pálmason | Iceland, Denmark, France, Finland, Sweden |
| My Father's Shadow | Akinola Davies Jr. | United Kingdom, Nigeria | |
| Renoir | ルノワール | Chie Hayakawa | Japan, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia |
| The Secret Agent | O Agente Secreto | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands |
| Silent Friend | Stille Freundin | Ildikó Enyedi | Germany, France, Hungary |
| Sirāt | Oliver Laxe | Spain, France | |
| Sound of Falling | In die Sonne schauen | Mascha Schilinski | Germany |
| The Stranger | L'Étranger | François Ozon | France, Belgium, Morocco |
| The Voice of Hind Rajab | Ṣawt Hind Rajab | Kaouther Ben Hania | Tunisia, France |
| Whitetail | Nanouk Leopold | Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium | |
New Directors
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the New Directors section:
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand New Landscape | 見はらし世代 | Yuiga Danzuka | Japan |
| Christy | Brendan Canty | United Kingdom, Ireland | |
| The Condor Daughter | La Hija Cóndor | Álvaro Olmos Torrico | Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay |
| Cotton Queen | ملكة القطن | Suzannah Mirghani | Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan |
| The Girl in the Snow | L'Engloutie | Louise Hémon | France |
| Ish | Imran Perretta | United Kingdom | |
| The Kidnapping of Arabella | Il rapimento di Arabella | Carolina Cavalli | Italy |
| Oca | Karla Badillo | Mexico, Argentina | |
| Short Summer | Nastia Korkia | Germany, France, Serbia | |
| Reedland | Rietland | Sven Bresser | Netherlands, Belgium |
| Only Heaven Knows | Dünüyö | Nurzhamal Karamoloeva | Kyrgyzstan, United States |
| Strange River[a] | Estrany Riu | Jaume Claret Muxart | Spain, Germany |
| Wind, Talk to Me | Vetre, pričaj sa mnom | Stefan Djordjevic | Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia |
Documentary Competition
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the Documentary Competition:
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beauty of the Donkey | La Beauté de l’Âne | Dea Gjinovci | Switzerland, Kosovo, France, United States |
| Child of Dust | Dziecko z Pyłu | Weronika Mliczewska | Poland, Vietnam, Sweden, Czech Republic |
| Celtic Utopia | Útóipe Cheilteach | Dennis Harvey, Lars Lovén | Sweden, Ireland |
| The Helsinki Effect | Arthur Franck | Finland, Germany, Norway | |
| My Father and Qaddafi | Jihan | Libya | |
| Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk | Sepideh Farsi | France, Palestine | |
| The Tale of Silyan | Tamara Kotevska | North Macedonia | |
| True North | Michèle Stephenson | United States, Canada | |
Black Perspectives
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Eyes of Ghana | Ben Proudfoot | United States | |
| Pasa Faho | Kalu Oji | Australia | |
| Seeds | Brittany Shyne | United States | |
| Sun Ra: Do the Impossible | Christine Turner | United States | |
Outlook
The following films competed for the Q-Hugo Awards, for films with LGBTQ+ themes; some of these competitors appear in other sections and are already listed in previous tables:
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bouchra | Orian Barki, Meriem Bennani | Italy, Morocco, United States | |
| Emi | Ezequiel Erriquez Mena | Argentina, Uruguay | |
| Hedda | Nia DaCosta | United States | |
| The Holy Boy | La valle dei sorrisi | Paolo Strippoli | Italy, Slovenia |
| The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo | La misteriosa mirada del flamenco | Diego Céspedes | Chile, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany |
| Two Times João Liberada | Duas Vezes João Liberada | Paula Tomás Marques | Portugal |
| A Useful Ghost | Pee Chai Dai Ka | Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke | Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany |
| We Are Pat | Rowan Haber | United States | |
Spotlight
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the Clouds | Sotto le nuvole | Gianfranco Rosi | Italy |
| Dracula | Radu Jude | Romania, Austria, Luxembourg, Brazil | |
| Franz | Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Turkey | |
| If I Had Legs I'd Kick You | Mary Bronstein | ||
| Magellan | Magalhães | Lav Diaz | Portugal, Spain, Philippines, France |
| The Mastermind | Kelly Reichardt | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Miroirs No. 3 | Christian Petzold | Germany | |
| Orphan | Árva | László Nemes | Hungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom |
| Palestine 36 | Annemarie Jacir | Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan | |
| Primavera | Damiano Michieletto | Italy, France | |
| Resurrection | 狂野时代 | Bi Gan | China, France |
| Three Goodbyes | Tre Ciotole | Isabel Coixet | Italy, Spain |
| Two Prosecutors | Два прокурора | Sergei Loznitsa | Latvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania |
| Young Mothers | Jeunes mères | Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne | Belgium, France |
Snapshots
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arco | Ugo Bienvenu | France | |
| Belén | Dolores Fonzi | Argentina | |
| Calle Málaga | Maryam Touzani | Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium | |
| Dry Leaf | ხმელი ფოთოლი | Alexandre Koberidze | Germany, Georgia |
| Gazelle | Nadir Sarıbacak, Samy Pioneer | United States, Turkey | |
| Left-Handed Girl | 左撇子女孩 | Shih-Ching Tsou | Taiwan, France, United States, United Kingdom |
| Leonora in the Morning Light | Lena Vurma, Thor Klein | Germany, Mexico, Romania, United Kingdom | |
| Luisa | Julia Roesler | Germany | |
| The Plague | Charlie Polinger | Romania, United States | |
| The President's Cake | Hasan Hadi | Iraq, United States, Qatar | |
| The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan | Gabrielle Russell | United Kingdom, Ireland | |
| Spilt Milk | Brian Durnin | Ireland, United Kingdom | |
| This Island | Esta Isla | Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones | Puerto Rico |
| What Does That Nature Say to You | 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea |
After Dark
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin | Kitab Sijjin Dan Illiyyin | Hadrah Daeng Ratu | Indonesia |
| Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc | Gekijô-ban chensô man reze-hen | Tatsuya Yoshihara | Japan |
| Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand | |
| Mother of Flies | Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser | United States | |
| New Group | Yûta Shimotsu | Japan | |
| Sisu: Road to Revenge | Jalmari Helander | Finland, United States | |
Comedy
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Children | Rich Newey | United States | |
| Anything That Moves | Alex Phillips | United States | |
| A Poet | Un poeta | Simón Mesa Soto | Colombia |
| What Marielle Knows | Was Marielle Weiss | Frédéric Hambalek | Germany |
City & State
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the Call | Bureum Jeone | James Choi | South Korea |
| A Brief History of Chasing Storms | Curtis Miller | United States | |
Documentary
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover-Up | Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | United States | |
| Holding Liat | Brandon Kramer | United States | |
| Landmarks | Nuestra Tierra | Lucrecia Martel | Argentina, United States, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Denmark |
| The Cowboy | André Hörmann | Germany, United States | |
Retrospective
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breathless (1960) | Jean-Luc Godard | France | |
| First Cow (2019) | Kelly Reichardt | United States | |
| Highest 2 Lowest (2025) | Spike Lee | United States | |
| Old Joy (2006) | Kelly Reichardt | United States | |
| Showing Up (2022) | Kelly Reichardt | United States | |
| Sugar Cane Alley (1983) | La Rue Cases-Nègres | Euzhan Palcy | France |
Official awards
The jury formed by Melina León, Maura Delpero, Peter Kerekes and Gabriel Mayers, conceded the following awards for films shown in International Competition:[8][9][10]
- Gold Hugo: Sirāt by Oliver Laxe
- Silver Hugo, Jury Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania
- Silver Hugo, Best Director: Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling
- Silver Hugo, Best Actor: Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent
- Silver Hugo, Best Actress: Eszter Tompa for Kontinental '25
- Silver Hugo, Best Screenplay: Paolo Sorrentino for La grazia
- Silver Hugo, Best Cinematography: Gergely Pálos for Silent Friend
- Silver Hugo, Best Sound: Sound of Falling
- Silver Hugo, Animated Short Film: Ordinary Life
- Special Mention: My Father's Shadow
The winners in parallel sections were as follows:
- Gold Hugo, New Directors Competition: Short Summer by Nastia Korkia
- Gold Hugo, International Documentary Competition: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi
- Gold Q-Hugo, OutLook Competition: Bouchra by Orian Barki, Meriem Bennani
- Chicago Award: One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw
- Audience Award for U.S. Feature: Rental Family by Hikari
The festival additionally honored the work of following film artists from across genres and disciplines.[11]
- Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement Award: Nia DaCosta, American filmmaker.
- Artistic Achievement Awards:
- Joel Edgerton, Australian actor and filmmaker
- Clint Bentley, American film director, film producer and screenwriter
- Spotlight Award: Hikari, Japanese filmmaker and former actress.
- Black Perspectives Tribute and Career Achievement Award: Euzhan Palcy, Martinican film director, screenwriter, and producer
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Spike Lee, American filmmaker
- Visionary Award: Gus Van Sant, American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician
Notes
- Nominated for the Q Hugo Award