The 51st Chicago International Film Festival Junior Board will present the U.S. independent feature film James White as their Junior Board Night at the Festival on Saturday, October 17, 2015; and will present the Festival’s Emerging Artist Award to both director Josh Mond and actor Christopher Abbott.
In this Sundance-winning drama directed by Josh Mond (producer of Martha Marcy May Marlene and Simon Killer), James White is an emotionally unstable young New Yorker processing the recent death of his long-absent father. His mother, a cancer survivor who raised him from a young age, falls terminally ill. With an immersive filmmaking style putting us inside James’s head, the raw, affecting film features a revelatory lead performance from Christopher Abbott (Girls), with Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) as his ailing mother.
“We are very excited that the Junior Board has selected these amazing young talents for their Emerging Artist Award,” said Anthony Kaufman, Programmer for the Chicago International Film Festival. “In his first feature as a director, Josh Mond has crafted a remarkably assured dramatic film, which is made all the more visceral and moving by Christopher Abbott’s riveting performance.”
The Chicago International Film Festival’s Junior Board is a diverse group of young, working professionals dedicated to fundraising and volunteering to support the Festival’s year-round Education Program. Along with year-round screenings and special events, Junior Board Night reflects the Board’s passion and enthusiasm for the Festival and its mission. Previous Junior Board Night films have included The Sessions (Ben Lewin) and Low Down (Jeff Preiss).
“The Junior Board works throughout the year as ambassadors of the Festival, and Junior Board Night is one of our most highly anticipated events. We look forward to welcoming Josh and Christopher to Chicago, sharing their film with our audiences and celebrating them for their work,” says Hanna Soltys, Junior Board President.