The Chicago International Film Festival taking place October 15 to 29, 2015, announced the lineup for its New Directors Competition. Films in the New Directors Competition are receiving their World, North American, or U.S. Premiere at the Festival.
This diverse lineup includes the stunningly composed GREATER THINGS receiving its World Premiere; EMBERS (pictured above), a thought-provoking sci-fi film having its NorthAmerican Premiere; HECTOR with powerhouse actor Peter Mullan (War Horse) in his best performance in years; SPARROWS, a bittersweet coming-of-age story about learning to stand up for yourself; THE MIDDLE DISTANCE from Chicago director Patrick Underwood receiving its World Premiere; and THE THIN YELLOW LINE produced by Guillermo del Toro.
2015 Chicago International Film Festival New Directors Competition: first and second feature films
Embers
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Claire Carré
Synopsis: After a global neurological epidemic, survivors exist with no long-term memory, left adrift in a world no one can fully remember. A young woman in quarantine yearns for freedom, while two lovers, a young criminal, and an abandoned child struggle for love and connection. Like Memento en masse, this thought-provoking sci-fi film elegantly imagines a world where our past isn’t there to guide us.
Greater Things
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: UK/Japan
Director: Vahid Hakimzadeh
Synopsis: In this stunningly composed meditation on space and human relationships, an adrift Iranian architect, a disengaged Japanese couple, and a Lithuanian mixed martial arts fighter search for connection in modern Japan. From the stylishly designed shops of Tokyo to a minimalist glass suburban home to a mysterious tree house in the woods, Greater Things reveals the strange places we inhabit, and how they can both unite and divide us.
Hector
USA PREMIERE
Country: UK
Director: Jake Gavin
Synopsis: Powerhouse actor Peter Mullan (War Horse) delivers his best performance in years as a homeless man journeying across the UK to reach his relatives for Christmas. First-time director Jake Gavin deftly mines humor and warmth from the seemingly bleak premise, as Hector finds family in the unlikeliest of places. Sometimes, simply putting one foot in front of the other can be its own triumph.
The Here After (Efterskalv)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Sweden
Director: Magnus von Horn
Synopsis: After serving time in juvenile detention, teenager John returns to the strained confines of the home he shares with his father and younger brother. As he attempts to reintegrate into home and school life, the shadow of his violent past haunts him, his family, and their scarred community. Tensions mount until John has no choice but to face the pain he has caused.
The Homecoming (Blóðberg)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iceland
Director: Björn Hlynur Haraldsson
Synopsis: Self-help author Gunnar’s humdrum routine is shaken when he realizes his son’s new fiancée may be a bit closer to him than they think. He must choose between keeping his secret or protecting his son. A dark, unpredictable “family” comedy ensues, as everyone scrambles to recover their grip on the truth.
Magallanes
USA PREMIERE
Country: Peru
Director: Salvador del Solar
Synopsis: Peruvian actor Salvador del Solar makes a remarkably confident directorial debut with the gripping Magallanes. A misfortune-plagued cabbie (Damián Alcázar) quietly bears the emotional and psychological scars of his military
service – but his trauma resurfaces when a woman from his past takes a seat in his taxi. In this unflinching tale of a man’s dangerous quest for redemption, the road to atonement is a bumpy one.
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.
Nahid
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iran
Director: Ida Panahandeh
Synopsis: Nahid, a young divorcée, is allowed to live with her son, but only on the condition that she does not remarry. Hoping to move in with the man she loves, Nahid considers another option called “temporary marriage.” But is this legal loophole a salvation or a curse? Starring A Separation’s Sareh Bayat, this accomplished Cannes Film Festival award winner weighs the rewards of domestic security against the sacrifices of personal freedoms.
Orphans of Eldorado (Órfãos do Eldorado)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Brazil
Director: Guilherme Coelho
Synopsis: In this sensual, mythical tale of obsession, a man returns to his hometown by the Amazon, where he resumes a dangerous old affair and begins another one with a woman who seems to emerge and disappear from the river itself. An immersive film that plunges into Oedipal desires and Brazilian legends.
Red Spider (Czerwony pajak)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Poland
Director: Marcin Koszalka
Synopsis: In this unconventional, unsettling serial killer film, a gifted young athlete develops a dangerous fascination with brutal murders occurring across Communist-era Krakow. With breathtaking cinematography and striking period detail, renowned cinematographer and documentarian Marcin Koszalka brings the paranoia of the time period to life, forgoing sensationalist violence in favor of a haunting, disquieting look at guilt and madness.
Road to La Paz (Camino a La Paz)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Argentina
Director: Francinso Varone
Synopsis: Unemployed and adrift, 30-something Sebastian (Rodrigo de la Serna, The Motorcycle Diaries) takes on work as a private driver almost on a whim. When elderly Muslim client Jalil offers Sebastian a large sum to drive him to La Paz, Bolivia, the two set off on a life-changing 2,000 mile journey. By turns heartwarming and hilarious, this road movie spans generational, cultural, and religious divides on a tour through the South American continent.
Sparrows
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iceland
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Synopsis: Forced to return to the remote village of his childhood to live with his estranged father, teenager Ari has never felt more isolated. While his hard-partying dad and loving but frail grandmother do their best to mend the broken past, local bullies and rough living leave Ari struggling to find his place. Unfolding with pathos and understated emotion, Sparrows is a bittersweet coming-of-age story about learning to stand up for yourself.
The Thin Yellow Line (La delgada línea amarilla)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Mexico
Director: Ceslo García
Synopsis: This hilarious Guillermo del Toro-produced buddy movie follows five men tasked with painting the median line on a lonely rural road. Good-natured male bonding blends with gorgeous landscape cinematography in this thoughtful portrayal of a day’s honest work in modern Mexico.
Underground Fragrance (Di Xia Xiang)
USA PREMIERE
Country: China
Director: Pengfei Song
Synopsis: On the rapidly urbanizing outskirts of Beijing, Yong Le spends his days scouring homes scheduled for demolition for furniture to pawn and his nights in the sub-basement of a high-rise apartment building. After an accident blinds him, a nightclub dancer, hoping to secure a day job with a real estate developer, nurses him back to health. Produced by Tsai Ming-Liang, the film adapts his signature meditative social realism, revealing a world in which everyone, literally and figuratively, is looking to move up.The Middle Distance
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2015 Chicago International Film Festival New Directors Competition Lineup Revealed
The Chicago International Film Festival taking place October 15 to 29, 2015, announced the lineup for its New Directors Competition. Films in the New Directors Competition are receiving their World, North American, or U.S. Premiere at the Festival.
This diverse lineup includes the stunningly composed GREATER THINGS receiving its World Premiere; EMBERS (pictured above), a thought-provoking sci-fi film having its NorthAmerican Premiere; HECTOR with powerhouse actor Peter Mullan (War Horse) in his best performance in years; SPARROWS, a bittersweet coming-of-age story about learning to stand up for yourself; THE MIDDLE DISTANCE from Chicago director Patrick Underwood receiving its World Premiere; and THE THIN YELLOW LINE produced by Guillermo del Toro.
2015 Chicago International Film Festival New Directors Competition: first and second feature films
Embers
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Country: USA
Director: Claire Carré
Synopsis: After a global neurological epidemic, survivors exist with no long-term memory, left adrift in a world no one can fully remember. A young woman in quarantine yearns for freedom, while two lovers, a young criminal, and an abandoned child struggle for love and connection. Like Memento en masse, this thought-provoking sci-fi film elegantly imagines a world where our past isn’t there to guide us.
Greater Things
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: UK/Japan
Director: Vahid Hakimzadeh
Synopsis: In this stunningly composed meditation on space and human relationships, an adrift Iranian architect, a disengaged Japanese couple, and a Lithuanian mixed martial arts fighter search for connection in modern Japan. From the stylishly designed shops of Tokyo to a minimalist glass suburban home to a mysterious tree house in the woods, Greater Things reveals the strange places we inhabit, and how they can both unite and divide us.
Hector
USA PREMIERE
Country: UK
Director: Jake Gavin
Synopsis: Powerhouse actor Peter Mullan (War Horse) delivers his best performance in years as a homeless man journeying across the UK to reach his relatives for Christmas. First-time director Jake Gavin deftly mines humor and warmth from the seemingly bleak premise, as Hector finds family in the unlikeliest of places. Sometimes, simply putting one foot in front of the other can be its own triumph.
The Here After (Efterskalv)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Sweden
Director: Magnus von Horn
Synopsis: After serving time in juvenile detention, teenager John returns to the strained confines of the home he shares with his father and younger brother. As he attempts to reintegrate into home and school life, the shadow of his violent past haunts him, his family, and their scarred community. Tensions mount until John has no choice but to face the pain he has caused.
The Homecoming (Blóðberg)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iceland
Director: Björn Hlynur Haraldsson
Synopsis: Self-help author Gunnar’s humdrum routine is shaken when he realizes his son’s new fiancée may be a bit closer to him than they think. He must choose between keeping his secret or protecting his son. A dark, unpredictable “family” comedy ensues, as everyone scrambles to recover their grip on the truth.
Magallanes
USA PREMIERE
Country: Peru
Director: Salvador del Solar
Synopsis: Peruvian actor Salvador del Solar makes a remarkably confident directorial debut with the gripping Magallanes. A misfortune-plagued cabbie (Damián Alcázar) quietly bears the emotional and psychological scars of his military
service – but his trauma resurfaces when a woman from his past takes a seat in his taxi. In this unflinching tale of a man’s dangerous quest for redemption, the road to atonement is a bumpy one.
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.
Nahid
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iran
Director: Ida Panahandeh
Synopsis: Nahid, a young divorcée, is allowed to live with her son, but only on the condition that she does not remarry. Hoping to move in with the man she loves, Nahid considers another option called “temporary marriage.” But is this legal loophole a salvation or a curse? Starring A Separation’s Sareh Bayat, this accomplished Cannes Film Festival award winner weighs the rewards of domestic security against the sacrifices of personal freedoms.
Orphans of Eldorado (Órfãos do Eldorado)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Brazil
Director: Guilherme Coelho
Synopsis: In this sensual, mythical tale of obsession, a man returns to his hometown by the Amazon, where he resumes a dangerous old affair and begins another one with a woman who seems to emerge and disappear from the river itself. An immersive film that plunges into Oedipal desires and Brazilian legends.
Red Spider (Czerwony pajak)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Poland
Director: Marcin Koszalka
Synopsis: In this unconventional, unsettling serial killer film, a gifted young athlete develops a dangerous fascination with brutal murders occurring across Communist-era Krakow. With breathtaking cinematography and striking period detail, renowned cinematographer and documentarian Marcin Koszalka brings the paranoia of the time period to life, forgoing sensationalist violence in favor of a haunting, disquieting look at guilt and madness.
Road to La Paz (Camino a La Paz)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Argentina
Director: Francinso Varone
Synopsis: Unemployed and adrift, 30-something Sebastian (Rodrigo de la Serna, The Motorcycle Diaries) takes on work as a private driver almost on a whim. When elderly Muslim client Jalil offers Sebastian a large sum to drive him to La Paz, Bolivia, the two set off on a life-changing 2,000 mile journey. By turns heartwarming and hilarious, this road movie spans generational, cultural, and religious divides on a tour through the South American continent.
Sparrows
USA PREMIERE
Country: Iceland
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Synopsis: Forced to return to the remote village of his childhood to live with his estranged father, teenager Ari has never felt more isolated. While his hard-partying dad and loving but frail grandmother do their best to mend the broken past, local bullies and rough living leave Ari struggling to find his place. Unfolding with pathos and understated emotion, Sparrows is a bittersweet coming-of-age story about learning to stand up for yourself.
The Thin Yellow Line (La delgada línea amarilla)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Mexico
Director: Ceslo García
Synopsis: This hilarious Guillermo del Toro-produced buddy movie follows five men tasked with painting the median line on a lonely rural road. Good-natured male bonding blends with gorgeous landscape cinematography in this thoughtful portrayal of a day’s honest work in modern Mexico.
Underground Fragrance (Di Xia Xiang)
USA PREMIERE
Country: China
Director: Pengfei Song
Synopsis: On the rapidly urbanizing outskirts of Beijing, Yong Le spends his days scouring homes scheduled for demolition for furniture to pawn and his nights in the sub-basement of a high-rise apartment building. After an accident blinds him, a nightclub dancer, hoping to secure a day job with a real estate developer, nurses him back to health. Produced by Tsai Ming-Liang, the film adapts his signature meditative social realism, revealing a world in which everyone, literally and figuratively, is looking to move up.
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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