The 13th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, an event for which I am the co-producer and several other RogerEbert.com contributors are programmers, launches this week at the Music Box Theatre, where over two dozen Chicago premieres will unfold to the biggest audiences the festival has seen to date.
As headlines screech about the divide between critics and moviegoers, CCFF serves as a counterargument, bringing together people who write about movies, those who make them, and those who love them. In just the last few years, CCFF ticket buyers have been treated to the Chicago premieres of “Ghostlight,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Sing Sing,” “Past Lives,” “Sorry, Baby,” “Benediction,” “Twinless,” “A Little Prayer,” and so many more.
This year’s crop promises a diverse range of screenings, from the sold-out opening-night comedy “The Invite” by Olivia Wilde to the return of an iconic Chicago filmmaker on closing night with “The Sun Never Sets” by Joe Swanberg. In between, Dawn Porter (“When a Witness Recants”), Zach Schnitzer & Nate Simon (“Loafers”), Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad & Judy Greer (“Chili Finger”), and several short film directors will stop by for conversations, alongside major new premieres from Sundance, Toronto, SXSW, Venice, and Cannes.
John Early’s “Maddie’s Secret” and Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex” are going to be major Chicago events that will likely sell out, so we’ll let those screenings do their thing and highlight six other sections of the program that you should consider, too.
Find the full schedule with links to buy tickets here.
The Anniversary Screenings: “The Fly” (May 1), “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” (May 3), “Something Wild” (May 6)
While the festival is largely about new indie films, we save some space for anniversary screenings of films we love, almost always on film. All three this year are on 35mm and should provoke further conversation about their place in film history. With the dominance of A.I. in the headlines, it seemed a perfect time to revisit Steven Spielberg’s 2001 masterpiece “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence,” and the fact that “The Fly” is turning 40 this year made that prophetic piece about playing God a perfect fit. Finally, we just love Jonathan Demme and jumped at the chance to showcase one of his best films.
“Power Ballad” (May 2)
John Carney earnestly believes in the power of music. The writer/director of “Once” and “Sing Street” is back with one of his biggest movies, a comedy about a family man (Paul Rudd) who ends up co-writing a song with a giant pop star (Nick Jonas) only to watch that tune get stolen. Releasing nationwide later this year, CCFF is your chance to see this crowd-pleaser before everyone else recommends it to you.
“Loafers” (May 6) & “The Sun Never Sets” (May 7)
Joe Swanberg returns to the site of the Chicago premiere of his 2015 dramedy “Digging for Fire” with his first film in six years, the SXSW hit “The Sun Never Sets,” starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith, who will join Swanberg for a Q&A after the closing night screening. The night before, Swanberg cameos in a wonderful quarter-life crisis dramedy that’s clearly inspired by the Chicagoan’s early works. “Loafers” is a smart, subtle comedy about young people figuring out who they are and where they belong that comes from a long tradition of Chicago indies while also feeling fresh and new. Writer/director/star Zach Schnitzer will be at the fest for a conversation about his micro-budget production with producer Nate Simon.
“Chili Finger” (May 5)
Hot off rocking screenings at SXSW and Ebertfest, writer/directors Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad bring one of the best dark comedies you’ll see this year to CCFF, and star Judy Greer is coming with them! An incredible character actress for years, Greer does the best work of her career in this Coen-esque comedy about an ordinary Midwestern couple who find a finger in their chili. Or do they? John Goodman, Sean Astin, and Bryan Cranston co-star in a film that is going to have the Music Box rocking in the middle of the fest. Be there.
Four Incredible Docs: “You Had to Be There” (May 3), “When a Witness Recants” (May 4), “Black Zombie” (May 5), “Broken English” (May 7)
It is a very strong season for non-fiction filmmaking, as evidenced by one of the strongest documentary sections in CCFF history. All four are worth a look (and horror fans shouldn’t miss “Black Zombie,” pictured above), but the Centerpiece screening of the latest from Dawn Porter is the one you definitely can’t miss. The multi-talented director of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer,” and “Luther: Never Too Much” will bring her latest, a project made in collaboration with Ta-Nehisi Coates about a case that unfolded in his middle school.
All the Rest
Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee are remarkable in “Late Fame”; “Tuner” is one of the most consistently admired films of the fest circuit; “Carolina Caroline” reveals that Kyle Gallner & Samara Weaving have perfect chemistry; Neon returns to the fest with their latest soon-to-be horror hit “Leviticus”; and so many more. There’s truly something for everyone this year. See you there.
