Feeling lost in the pages and pages of films to see at this year’s fest? Here are 10 movies that are sure to stand out in the crowd.
For a closer look at what's playing, check out the CIFF Picks gallery.
By Elite Truong for Metromix
(Photo courtesy of Chicago International Film Festival)
Films are playing at 800 E. Adams St., #800 Chicago. Check out the full schedule here.
King Curling:
This goofy-sweet comedy from Norway sheds light on the down-and-dirty world of competitive curling. Atle Antonsen stars as professional curler Truls Paulsen, Norway’s answer to Will Ferrell.
See it: Oct. 16, 18, 23 ($5-$14).
Gimme the Loot:
Adam Leon makes his directorial debut with this stylish coming-of-age story about two teens from the Bronx looking to get paid for their graffiti art talents. Q&As follow both screenings.
See it: Oct. 17-18 ($11-$14). Director Adam Leon to attend.
The Central Park Five:
Ken Burns’ new documentary is as visually stunning and effective as the rest of his oeuvre, highlighting a story about wrongfully convicted black and Hispanic teens in the famous 1989 Central Park Jogger case.
See it: Oct. 14 ($16-$20). Directors Sarah Burns and David McMahon with Raymond Santana to attend.
The Sapphires:
Funnyman Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, IT Crowd) plays a talent scout with a penchant for soul who is quickly outshined by a cheeky group of Australian Aboriginal Liz-Lemons-turned-Dreamgirls, whom he coaches to hit the USO circuit in Vietnam during wartime.
See it: Oct. 12, 14 ($11-$14).
Black Pond:
British comedy lovers will appreciate the dry, dark humor of this BAFTA-nominated dramedy exploring the fallout of a regular family accused of murder after a dinner guest dies at the table.
See it: Oct. 12, 13, 19 ($5-$14).
Like Someone in Love:
Quiet but beautifully scored, the newest film from Abbas Kiarostami (Certified Copy, Close-Up) tells the story of a young girl and old man and their relationship in Tokyo.
See it: Oct. 13, 16 ($11-$14).
Night Across the Street:
Renowned Chilean director Raul Ruiz’s last film features a man in the final stages of his life, when memories, dreams and fantasies become nearly indistinguishable from one another.
See it: Oct. 19, 22 ($11-$14).
Postcards from the Zoo:
A beautiful, cheerless story about a girl abandoned in an Indonesian zoo as a baby follows her through adulthood among the animals and out into the real world. As she’s neglected by her first love, she returns to her home, the zoo, to start over again.
See it: Oct. 19-20 ($5-$14).
The Believers:
Following the real-life controversy of the cold fusion war in the United States, interviews with believers, naysayers, chemists and corporations explain the effects of the 1989 “discovery” of clean nuclear power.
See it: Oct. 16, 20 ($11-$14). Directors Clayton and Monica Long Rose to attend.
Alaskaland:
Cultures clash in this unexpected coming-of-age debut film from Nigerian director Chinonye Chukwu. A Nigerian brother and sister reunite in Alaska, causing a rift with their old-world father.
See it: Oct. 13-14, 17 ($5-$14).
To see or not to see that movie? RedEye reviews ten highly anticipated CIFF films.