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.
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.
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. 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. 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, JapanFrankensteinGuillermo del ToroUnited StatesHamnetChloé ZhaoUnited Kingdom, United States Hedda Nia DaCosta United StatesIs This Thing On? Bradley CooperUnited StatesIt Was Just an Accidentیک تصادف سادهJafar PanahiIran, France, LuxembourgJay KellyNoah BaumbachUnited Kingdom, United StatesNo Other Choice어쩔수가없다Park Chan-wookSouth Korea Nouvelle Vague Richard LinklaterFranceSentimental ValueAffeksjonsverdiJoachim TrierNorway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom The Testament of Ann Lee Mona FastvoldUnited Kingdom, United StatesTrain DreamsClint Bentley United States Wake Up Dead Man Rian Johnson United States
International Competition The festival announced its competitive sections on September 11, 2025. The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the International Competition:
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 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 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 CloudsSotto le nuvoleGianfranco Rosi Italy Dracula Radu Jude Romania, Austria, Luxembourg, Brazil Franz Agnieszka Holland Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, TurkeyIf I Had Legs I'd Kick YouMary BronsteinMagellanLav DiazPortugal, Spain, Philippines, FranceThe MastermindKelly ReichardtUnited States, United KingdomMiroirs No. 3 Christian Petzold GermanyOrphanÁrvaLászló NemesHungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom Palestine 36 Annemarie Jacir Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, JordanPrimavera Damiano Michieletto Italy, France Resurrection Bi GanChina, France Three Goodbyes Tre Ciotole Isabel Coixet Italy, Spain Two ProsecutorsSergei LoznitsaLatvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania Young Mothers Jean-Pierre and Luc DardenneBelgium, France
Snapshots English Title Original Title Director(s) Production countrie(s)ArcoUgo BienvenuFrance Belén Dolores Fonzi Argentina Calle MálagaMaryam TouzaniMorocco, France, Spain, Germany, BelgiumDry Leaf ხმელი ფოთოლიAlexandre KoberidzeGermany, Georgia Gazelle Nadir Sarıbacak, Samy Pioneer United States, TurkeyLeft-Handed GirlShih-Ching TsouTaiwan, 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 FranceFirst Cow (2019) Kelly Reichardt United StatesHighest 2 Lowest (2025) Spike Lee United StatesOld 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: 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.
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
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