2015 Chicago International Film Festival announces the lineup for its International Documentary Competition. Highlights of the International Documentary Competition include the World Premieres of Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows (pictured above), a Chicago-based portrait of the most sampled artist in hip-hop, and Motley’s Law, which follows tough-as-nails lawyer – and former Mrs. Wisconsin – Kimberley Motley, the only American allowed to practice law in Afghanistan.
This diverse lineup of official selections includes the multi-award-winning Polish documentary Call Me Marianna, which follows Marianna’s male-to-female transition as family and friends abandon her along the way; A Living Fire, an award-winning tour-de-force documentary of cinematography and sound design; Time Suspended, a tender, heartrending portrait of a woman committed to preserving the truths of Argentina’s horrible history in the 1970s; and In the Underground, a stunning look at coal miners and their families in China.
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival runs October 15 to 29, 2015 at the AMC River East.
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Netherlands
Director: Daan Veldhuizen
Synopsis: In a lush remote village in northern Laos, tourism is on the rise. But as Western backpackers and new technologies begin to enter the town, the locals are ambivalent. Some are eager to embrace the economic opportunities, while others remain more resistant. A beautifully photographed and complex portrait of East-meets-West, Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice captures the growing pains of “progress” with wit and subtlety.
Call Me Marianna (Mów mi Marianna)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Poland
Director: Karolina Bielawska
Synopsis: Her ex-wife won’t meet her. Her daughter rejects her. Her mother still calls her “son.” As Marianna transitions from male to female, she is abandoned by her loved ones, alone in a world unwilling to accept her true self. This multi-award-winning documentary is an intensely sympathetic and powerful account of one individual’s struggle to gain acceptance-even in the midst of profound physical hardship.
The Closer We Get
USA PREMIERE
Country: Scotland, UK
Director: Karen Guthrie
Synopsis: Scottish director Karen Guthrie’s intimate documentary is a vivid chronicle of her coming to terms with a twofold loss, one past-of her nuclear family shattered years before by her father’s departure to Africa-and one present, when her mother, the family anchor, suffers a stroke. Full of surprising revelations, Guthrie’s personal story becomes an affecting and resonant look at post-colonialism and the complicated bonds of family.
In The Underground (Di Ceng Shen Chu [地层深处])
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: China
Director: Song Zhangtao
Synopsis: Deep underneath the Earth’s surface, Chinese miners blackened with soot work long, dark days with little rest, while the stress and danger of their work increases worries at home. One has a child on the way, but can he maintain the precarious balance of his life and livelihood? Masterfully capturing the claustrophobic environments, In the Underground explores the physical and mental toll acutely felt both above and below.
The Living Fire (Zhyva Vatra)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Ukraine
Director: Ostap Kostyuk
Synopsis: “Lives begin and end, but everything goes back to the earth.” A tour-de-force of cinematography and sound design, this captivating, award-winning documentary looks at three generations of sheepherders in the Carpathian Mountains. While father and son take their flock on their annual journey through the highlands, the 82-year-old widower reflects on his past back home. A sublime look at the cycles of life and the waning of tradition.
Motley’s Law
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: Denmark
Director: Nicole N. Horanyi
Synopsis: This captivating documentary follows tough-as-nails lawyer (and former Mrs. Wisconsin) Kimberley Motley, the only American allowed to practice law in Afghanistan. Motley defends US and European citizens caught in the country’s legal and political quagmire, even as she finds herself under threat of assassination. While Motley brazenly chastises Afghani judges on behalf of her clients, she must also balance the needs of her family a world away.
Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Rob Hatch-Miller
Synopsis: Velvet-voiced soul singer Syl Johnson struggled for decades before leaving the biz in the 1980s to open a Chicago fried-fish chain. Since then, he’s become one of the most-sampled artists in hip-hop. With a lively soundtrack, this buoyant world premiere documentary celebrates one man who can’t stop the music.
Time Suspended (Tempo Suspendido)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Mexico, Argentina
Director: Natalia Bruschtein
Synopsis: For the last 40 years, activist Laura Bonaparte has fought to keep alive the memory of her children, who were “disappeared” by Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. Now Laura’s own memory is beginning to fade. Time Suspended is a tender, heartrending portrait of a woman committed to preserving the truths of her nation’s horrible history, even as they slip from her grasp.
Tough Love (Härte)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Germany
Director: Rosa von Praunheim
Synopsis: A violent German hustler, his innocent prostitute, and the shared histories of sexual abuse that bind them together: In this stranger-than-fiction romantic docu-drama, German New Wave filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim combines documentary and campy reenactments to tell the wild tale of Andreas Marquardt, now 59, a man who survived years of pimping, prison, and personal trauma to eventually find true love.
Volta a Terra
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Portugal
Director: João Pedro Plácido
Synopsis: Daniel, a charismatic young farmer in northern Portugal, is dedicated to the farming methods of his forbearers. But will dreams of love take him away from his homeland? A bittersweet coming-of-age story featuring illuminating, hypnotic photography of the Portuguese countryside amid the changing seasons, Volta à Terra is a poetic love song to traditional ways of life.Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows (2015)
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2015 Chicago International Film Festival Announces Films in Premiere Heavy International Documentary Competition
2015 Chicago International Film Festival announces the lineup for its International Documentary Competition. Highlights of the International Documentary Competition include the World Premieres of Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows (pictured above), a Chicago-based portrait of the most sampled artist in hip-hop, and Motley’s Law, which follows tough-as-nails lawyer – and former Mrs. Wisconsin – Kimberley Motley, the only American allowed to practice law in Afghanistan.
This diverse lineup of official selections includes the multi-award-winning Polish documentary Call Me Marianna, which follows Marianna’s male-to-female transition as family and friends abandon her along the way; A Living Fire, an award-winning tour-de-force documentary of cinematography and sound design; Time Suspended, a tender, heartrending portrait of a woman committed to preserving the truths of Argentina’s horrible history in the 1970s; and In the Underground, a stunning look at coal miners and their families in China.
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival runs October 15 to 29, 2015 at the AMC River East.
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Netherlands
Director: Daan Veldhuizen
Synopsis: In a lush remote village in northern Laos, tourism is on the rise. But as Western backpackers and new technologies begin to enter the town, the locals are ambivalent. Some are eager to embrace the economic opportunities, while others remain more resistant. A beautifully photographed and complex portrait of East-meets-West, Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice captures the growing pains of “progress” with wit and subtlety.
Call Me Marianna (Mów mi Marianna)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Poland
Director: Karolina Bielawska
Synopsis: Her ex-wife won’t meet her. Her daughter rejects her. Her mother still calls her “son.” As Marianna transitions from male to female, she is abandoned by her loved ones, alone in a world unwilling to accept her true self. This multi-award-winning documentary is an intensely sympathetic and powerful account of one individual’s struggle to gain acceptance-even in the midst of profound physical hardship.
The Closer We Get
USA PREMIERE
Country: Scotland, UK
Director: Karen Guthrie
Synopsis: Scottish director Karen Guthrie’s intimate documentary is a vivid chronicle of her coming to terms with a twofold loss, one past-of her nuclear family shattered years before by her father’s departure to Africa-and one present, when her mother, the family anchor, suffers a stroke. Full of surprising revelations, Guthrie’s personal story becomes an affecting and resonant look at post-colonialism and the complicated bonds of family.
In The Underground (Di Ceng Shen Chu [地层深处])
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: China
Director: Song Zhangtao
Synopsis: Deep underneath the Earth’s surface, Chinese miners blackened with soot work long, dark days with little rest, while the stress and danger of their work increases worries at home. One has a child on the way, but can he maintain the precarious balance of his life and livelihood? Masterfully capturing the claustrophobic environments, In the Underground explores the physical and mental toll acutely felt both above and below.
The Living Fire (Zhyva Vatra)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Ukraine
Director: Ostap Kostyuk
Synopsis: “Lives begin and end, but everything goes back to the earth.” A tour-de-force of cinematography and sound design, this captivating, award-winning documentary looks at three generations of sheepherders in the Carpathian Mountains. While father and son take their flock on their annual journey through the highlands, the 82-year-old widower reflects on his past back home. A sublime look at the cycles of life and the waning of tradition.
Motley’s Law
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: Denmark
Director: Nicole N. Horanyi
Synopsis: This captivating documentary follows tough-as-nails lawyer (and former Mrs. Wisconsin) Kimberley Motley, the only American allowed to practice law in Afghanistan. Motley defends US and European citizens caught in the country’s legal and political quagmire, even as she finds herself under threat of assassination. While Motley brazenly chastises Afghani judges on behalf of her clients, she must also balance the needs of her family a world away.
Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Rob Hatch-Miller
Synopsis: Velvet-voiced soul singer Syl Johnson struggled for decades before leaving the biz in the 1980s to open a Chicago fried-fish chain. Since then, he’s become one of the most-sampled artists in hip-hop. With a lively soundtrack, this buoyant world premiere documentary celebrates one man who can’t stop the music.
Time Suspended (Tempo Suspendido)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Mexico, Argentina
Director: Natalia Bruschtein
Synopsis: For the last 40 years, activist Laura Bonaparte has fought to keep alive the memory of her children, who were “disappeared” by Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. Now Laura’s own memory is beginning to fade. Time Suspended is a tender, heartrending portrait of a woman committed to preserving the truths of her nation’s horrible history, even as they slip from her grasp.
Tough Love (Härte)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Germany
Director: Rosa von Praunheim
Synopsis: A violent German hustler, his innocent prostitute, and the shared histories of sexual abuse that bind them together: In this stranger-than-fiction romantic docu-drama, German New Wave filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim combines documentary and campy reenactments to tell the wild tale of Andreas Marquardt, now 59, a man who survived years of pimping, prison, and personal trauma to eventually find true love.
Volta a Terra
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: Portugal
Director: João Pedro Plácido
Synopsis: Daniel, a charismatic young farmer in northern Portugal, is dedicated to the farming methods of his forbearers. But will dreams of love take him away from his homeland? A bittersweet coming-of-age story featuring illuminating, hypnotic photography of the Portuguese countryside amid the changing seasons, Volta à Terra is a poetic love song to traditional ways of life.
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Chicago International Film Festival Reveals City & State Lineup of Local Films
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival, taking place October 15 to 29, 2015, announced the film lineup for this year’s City & State program. The City & State program of narrative, documentary, and short films celebrates Illinois’ rich filmmaking tradition and showcases the best films with Illinois roots. Each Official Selection is eligible for the Chicago Award.
With the largest number of local film selections to date, this year’s City & State program is led by three World Premieres: 1) a documentary about Chicago’s beloved “Breakfast Queen,” 2) a portrait of the most sampled artist in hip hop, and 3) a big-hearted family drama.
The City & State program highlights the trendiest Chicago restaurants, a funny and heartbreakingly honest film from Chicagoan Stephen Cone, and an Evanston-set drama with a commanding performance from Taryn Manning (“Orange is the New Black”). The program also includes the return of local Festival alumni including directors Bradley Bischoff, Joel Benjamin, Jack C. Newell, and Malik Bader, who also stars in Bishoff’s Nomad.
FILMS
All films listed will receive their Chicago premiere at the Festival unless otherwise indicated.
Breakfast At Ina’s
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Mercedes Kane
Synopsis: Famous for its Heavenly Hots (pancakes topped with fruit compote), Ina’s was a Chicago breakfast institution. Every customer received a warm welcome from proprietor and chef Ina Pinkney, the “Breakfast Queen.” After 33 years in the restaurant business, Pinkney retired in 2013. Following the restaurant’s final month, Breakfast at Ina’s celebrates a beloved Chicago eatery and a woman who achieved her dream against the odds.
Cash Only
USA PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Malik Bader
Synopsis: In this gritty Detroit-set thriller, Elvis Martini (writer-star Nickola Shreli, in a gripping performance) is a single Albanian father and landlord trying to do the right thing. But since he’s in debt to both bookies and his daughter’s school, Elvis needs to come up with some serious money fast. Chicago director Malik Bader delivers a riveting and assured genre film, complete with rich cultural details and a shockingly gruesome finale.
For Grace
Country: USA
Director: Kevin Pang and Mark Helenowski
Synopsis: After cooking his way through Chicago’s top kitchens, renowned Chef Curtis Duffy begins plans for his dream establishment, Grace. A delicious look at what it takes to build one of the world’s greatest restaurants, and the complex story of a man forging a new future out of his traumatic past.
Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party
Country: USA
Director: Stephen Cone
Synopsis: Henry’s turning 17, and he thinks he might be gay. But he’s not telling his pastor father, who’s throwing him a pool party. Soon, school mates and church friends are spending a sunny, hormonal afternoon together in their swimsuits. Unfolding over the course of one day, this funny and heartbreakingly honest portrait from Chicagoan Stephen Cone explores the intersection between devout faith and burgeoning sexuality.
A Light Beneath Their Feet
Country: USA
Director: Valerie Weiss
Synopsis: In a commanding performance, Taryn Manning (“Orange is the New Black”) plays an Evanston mother, wrestling with bipolar disorder and an imminent empty nest. Dedicated daughter Beth has a bright future ahead, but must decide if she will stay near home to care for her unpredictable mom or follow her own path. Emotionally raw and bracingly honest, this coming-of-age drama balances the pull of family obligation against personal aspirations.
The Middle Distance
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Patrick Underwood
Synopsis: Womanizing workaholic Neil returns to Michigan to reunite with his brother after their father dies. As they try to renovate and sell the family home, their interactions are as chilly as the frost-covered February landscape. But Neil’s façade thaws under the glow of his brother’s charismatic fiancée. With his feature debut, Chicago writer-director Patrick Underwood crafts a big-hearted romantic melodrama about what it means to rebuild.
Open Tables
Country: USA
Director: Jack C. Newell
Synopsis: Food and conversation abound in this sumptuous comedy from Chicago writer-director-actor Jack C. Newell. Over dinner, friends trade wild stories about relationships, including a woman who falls in love with an amnesiac, a couple who met through their former partners, and an unforgettably sexy trip to Paris. Filmed locally, with improvisational dialogue and a cast plucked from the city’s improv scene, Open Tables is a smorgasbord of fun.
Radical Grace
Country: USA
Director: Rebecca Parrish
Synopsis: Politically outspoken and unapologetically feminist, the “Nuns on the Bus” protest group rebels against a Vatican-ordered censure by embracing social activism as a form of spiritual practice. An indelible exploration of the evolving views changing the face of Catholicism under the leadership of Pope Francis, Chicago-based filmmaker Rebecca Parrish’s uplifting, humanistic documentary is a call for equality that transcends boundaries.
Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Rob Hatch-Miller
Synopsis: Velvet-voiced soul singer Syl Johnson struggled for decades before leaving the biz in the 1980s to open a Chicago fried-fish chain. Since then, he’s become one of the most-sampled artists in hip-hop. With a lively soundtrack, this buoyant world premiere documentary celebrates one man who can’t stop the music.
Shorts Program: City & State
City & State shorts program featuring fiction, animation, and documentary works from local talent. In Nomad (directed by Brad Bischoff), a husband tries to take his wife out for the night, but their guests stand in his way. Discover a forbidden planet in Chasm (directed by Joel Benjamin). The documentary I Am the Passenger (directed by Todd Lauterbach) attempts to fill a hole in the filmmaker’s memory. In Unknown Unknown (directed by Ed Flynn) grocery shopping has never felt so off. Old-time radio undergoes an extreme makeover in Retrocognition (directed by Eric Patrick). An ominous announcement turns a young woman’s world upside down in Marlene (directed by Andy Berlin). Nick Santore (directed by Jake Zalutsky) documents a bittersweet relationship between a father and his son. The Same River Twice (directed by Weijia Ma) infuses childhood memories with life and color. 93 min
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2015 Chicago International Film Festival Reveals First 24 Films + Events incl. Cannes Winner DHEEPAN
The Chicago International Film Festival, revealed its first 24 films and several events to be featured at the 51st edition of the Festival taking place this October 15 to 29 2015. This initial lineup announcement includes the top prizewinner from the Cannes Film Festival, a look at what it takes to build one of the world’s greatest restaurants, a once-lost Sherlock Holmes film, a Guillermo del Toro-produced buddy movie, and breakout performances from Michael Caine, Cate Blanchett, and Sarah Silverman.