THE IMITATION GAME

The 50th Chicago International Film Festival announced the winners of the Audience Choice Awards, THE IMITATION GAME (UK/USA), directed by Morten Tyldum won the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative English-Language Feature, THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED (SWEDEN), directed by Felix Herngren won the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Foreign-Language Feature, and RED ARMY (USA), directed by Gabe Polsky won the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature.

And the winners are:

Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative English-Language Feature:
THE IMITATION GAME (UK/USA), Director: Morten Tyldum
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted in 1952 by the UK government for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal at the time.

THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED

Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Foreign-Language Feature:
THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED (SWEDEN), Director: Felix Herngren
Hilarity ensues when an elderly man discovers a suitcase full of money and embarks on a fantastic adventure, involving a frozen corpse, a circus elephant, and a biker gang. Meanwhile, episodes from his past reveal his decades-long proclivity for changing the course of history. Based on the bestselling novel by Jonas Jonasson, this crowd-pleasing Swedish take on “Forrest Gump” combines sidesplitting comedy with genuine tenderness.

RED ARMY

Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature:
RED ARMY (USA), Director: Gabe Polsky
From Emmy award-winning Chicago filmmaker Gabe Polsky, “Red Army” is a documentary about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Told from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the story portrays his transformation from national hero to political enemy. An inspiring Cold War drama played out on the ice rink, “Red Army” follows a man who stood up to a powerful system and paved the way for change.

ON BEAUTY

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film:
ON BEAUTY (USA), Director: Joanna Rudnick
From Emmy-nominated filmmaker Joanna Rudnick (“In the Family”), “On Beauty” follows former fashion photographer Rick Guidotti as he focuses his lens on people who are often excluded or misrepresented in popular media. Highlighting vibrant individuals with genetic conditions, Rick’s work challenges conventional visions and helps redefine notions of beauty.