20th Annual Free Screenings Program Celebrates 60 Years of Showcasing Women-Directed Films at the Chicago International Film Festival, May 22 - September 25
CHICAGO, Illinois (May 2, 2024) – Cinema/Chicago, presenter of the Chicago International Film Festival, today announced the full lineup of films to be showcased at the 20th edition of the Summer Screenings series, running May 22 - September 25, 2024. This year’s series pays tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Chicago International Film Festival, celebrating the Festival’s rich history of programming women-directed films by presenting new or little-seen work from its distinguished roster of Festival alumnae. The program is free and open to the public, with films presented at 6:30 p.m. each week at the Chicago History Museum (May 22 - July 2) or Chicago Cultural Center (July 10 - September 25). Advance registration is encouraged; tickets available the week prior to each screening at www.chicagofilmfestival.com.
Featuring an eclectic mix of films and genres, from an off-beat collection of animated shorts and riveting family dramas, to witty social satires and fiery historical musicals, this year’s program is a dynamic exploration of incredible films made by women from 19 countries around the globe.
“The Chicago International Film Festival has a six-decades-long tradition of programming films made by women, and so as the Summer Screenings series celebrates 20 years, we are highlighting that history to present work from women who have screened their films at the Festival over the decades and who are making new inroads into their national cinemas now,” said Cinema/Chicago Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “This year’s Summer Screenings series perfectly captures the Festival’s rich history and the diverse, incredible films being written and directed by women around the world.”
The 20th Summer Screenings Series schedule is as follows:
Wednesday May 22, 2024
CHIARA (Italy)
Dir. Susanna Nicchiarelli
Assisi, 1211. 18-year-old Chiara is convinced by her friend Francesco to take a vow of poverty. Cutting ties with her wealthy family, she embarks on a journey of devotion, passion, and rebellion. Based on the real life of Santa Chiara of Assisi, this impassioned musical tracks one woman’s lifelong, revolutionary fight for equality. Italian with subtitles.
Susanna Nicchiarelli wrote KIDNAPPED, a festival selection in 2023.
Chicago History Museum
Wednesday May 29, 2024
KLONDIKE (Ukraine)
Dir. Maryna Er Gorbach
July 2014. A Ukrainian family living near the border with Russia finds themselves in the center of a war zone. Pregnant Irka and husband Tolik resolve to remain in their home, though it’s now missing a wall. As they rebuild, they’re forced to reckon with a new reality—one that includes a mysterious plane crash, rumors of a separatist movement, and the escalation of war. Ukrainian, Russian with subtitles.
Chicago History Museum
Wednesday June 5, 2024
ALL OF A SUDDEN Auf Einmal (Germany)
Dir. Asli Özge
In this bracing psychological thriller, the unassuming Karsten finds his life spiraling out of control. After hosting a small but wild party, a mysterious woman is found dead at his apartment. As the last person to see her alive, Karsten is met with immediate suspicion. He insists there was no foul play, but even his closest friends begin to doubt his innocence. German with subtitles.
Asli Özge’s LIFELONG appeared at the Festival in 2013, and BLACK BOXscreened in 2023.
Chicago History Museum
Wednesday June 12, 2024
PERFECT 10 (U.K.)
Dir. Eva Riley
Troubled at home and bullied at school, 15-year-old Leigh is struggling to focus on her upcoming gymnastics competition. When Joe, her previously unknown half-brother, shows up at the front door in need of a place to stay, she finds a much-longed-for sense of connection and belonging. As the two form a friendship, Leigh finds herself drawn into Joe’s dangerous world.
Eva Riley’s short PATRIOT appeared in the 2015 Festival.
Chicago History Museum
Tuesday June 18, 2024
LIES WE TELL (Ireland)
Dir. Lisa Mulcahy
Ireland, 1864. Newly orphaned heiress Maud becomes the ward of her distant Uncle Silas. She welcomes Silas and his children into her isolated manor but discovers that his intentions are far from benign as his chilling past comes into present focus. Up against escalating danger, Maud is determined to fight for her birthright to the bitter end in this white-knuckle, atmospheric thriller. English with subtitles.
Chicago History Museum
Wednesday June 26, 2024
THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN (Canada)
Dirs. Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
Áila encounters Rosie on a rainy Vancouver street—pregnant, barefoot, sobbing and fleeing domestic abuse. Compelled to help her, she offers her home as refuge. Over the course of a single day, the two connect, unpack Rosie's traumas, and form an intimate bond. This tender drama explores ideas of motherhood, self-care, and the drastically different lives of two Indigenous women.
Kathleen Hepburn’s NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL appeared in the 2017 Festival.
Chicago History Museum
Tuesday July 2, 2024
KILLING JESUS Matar a Jesús (Colombia)
Dir. Laura Mora
Two men on a motorcycle. Shots are fired. Another man is left dead on the ground: Paula’s father has been assassinated. The authorities offer no answers. With revenge in her sights, Paula, an art student, desperately sets out to find her father’s killer. By chance, she meets him—dancing, smiling—at a nightclub. The two grow closer. His name is Jesús. He wants to be with her. She wants to kill him. Spanish with subtitles.
Laura Mora’s THE KINGS OF THE WORLD appeared in the 2022 Festival, and KILLING JESUS was in the Festival and won the Roger Ebert Award in 2017.
Chicago History Museum
Wednesday July 10, 2024
SIBYL (France)
Dir. Justine Triet
Sibyl (Virginie Eifira) is struggling. Unsatisfied with her work as a therapist, she decides to curb her caseload and attempt to write a novel. Suffering from writer’s block, she reluctantly agrees to counsel Margot, a mercurial young film actress embroiled in a messy affair with her co-star. Taking a page straight out of Margot’s tumultuous life, the novel practically starts to write itself. French with subtitles.
Justine Triet’s ANATOMY OF A FALL screened at the 2023 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday July 17, 2024
ZURICH (The Netherlands)
Dir. Sacha Polak
Adrift and searching, Nina wanders Europe in an attempt to flee her painful past. While taking refuge at a rest stop, she befriends Matthias, a German trucker and the two form a bond. As their intimacy intensifies, memories of her former life begin to haunt her. What is she running from? Steeped in mystery, ZURICH is a nuanced portrait of trauma, love, and healing. Dutch and German with subtitles.
Sacha Polak’s HEMEL screened at the 2012 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday July 24, 2024
NEXT SOHEE Daeum Sohee (South Korea)
Dir. July Jung
Sohee, an overachieving high schooler, is optimistic about her future. After accepting an internship at a call center, she’s thrown into a chaotic world of grueling hours, crippling expectations, and low pay. Under mounting pressure, she takes her own life. Police detective Yoo-Jin begins an all-consuming investigation into Sohee’s tragic death. This ripped-from-the-headlines social procedural is a gripping condemnation of modern working culture. Korean with subtitles.
July Jung’s A GIRL AT MY DOOR screened at the 2014 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday July 31, 2024
THE CHAMBERMAID La camarista (Mexico)
Dir. Lila Aviles
Eve is invisible – as a maid at a high-end Mexico City hotel, it’s her job to stay out of sight. Long hours leave her dreaming of a better life for her family as she attempts to rise above workplace hierarchies. Set entirely within the hermetic confines of the hotel, THE CHAMBERMAID is both a deeply moving character study and a frankly observed examination of social class. Spanish with subtitles.
Lila Aviles’ TOTÉM screened at the 2023 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday August 7, 2024
RADIANCE Hikari (Japan)
Dir. Naomi Kawase
Misako writes and records film audio descriptions for vision-impaired audiences, passionately translating cinematic experiences through verbal description. While soliciting feedback from a focus group panel, she meets Masaya, a renowned photographer who is slowly losing his eyesight. The two form an unlikely connection as she draws inspiration from his photographs and his way of seeing the world. Japanese with subtitles.
Naomi Kawase’s SWEET BEAN screened at the 2015 Festival, and her TRUE MOTHERS screened at the 2020 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday August 14, 2024
ROSA’S WEDDING La boda de Rosa (Spain)
Dir. Icíar Bollaín
Facing her 45th birthday, Rosa has a startling revelation. She is unhappy. Between long work hours and caring for her elderly father, there’s little time left for herself. Drastic measures are in order. The plan? To get married, wedding and all, to herself. Equal parts human, hilarious, and inspirational, ROSA’S WEDDING is an affecting story of independence and self-determination. Spanish, Valencian with subtitles.
Icíar Bollaín’s MAIXABEL screened at the 2021 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday August 21, 2024
ELECTROPHILIA Los Impactados (Argentina)
Dir. Lucía Puenzo
After surviving a lightning strike during a terrifying countryside storm, Ada is reeling. As she recovers physically from the blast, a series of strange visual and auditory hallucinations begin to plague her. Searching for answers, she joins a support group for lighting strike survivors led by a charismatic, controversial doctor. Will his unconventional methods lead to a cure? Spanish with subtitles.
Lucía Puenzo’s THE GERMAN DOCTOR screened at the 2013 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday August 28, 2024
MURMUR OF THE HEARTS Nian Nian (Taiwan)
Dir. Sylvia Chang
This tender and introspective drama connects the lives of three seemingly disparate characters: an unexpectedly pregnant painter, a distracted tour guide, and a talentless boxer. Each at a crossroads, they’re forced to reflect on their pasts as they prepare for uncertain futures. Expertly balancing these narrative threads, the film is an elegant, surreal portrait of a generation in flux. Mandarin with subtitles.
Sylvia Chang’s SIAO YU screened at the 1995 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday September 4, 2024
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILMS (Australia)
Featuring work by Noora Niasari, Kitty Green, Sari Braithwaite, and Shannon Murphy
A casting call peers past fiction and reminds us of the human cost of war in The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul. In Waterfall, a family road trip deteriorates when 14-year-old Zahra cannot come to terms with her mother’s new fiance. In a remote forest, an actress immerses herself in the world of the mythical ‘Yowie’ (a mythical creature in Australian folklore) in an attempt to scare thrillseekers in Eaglehawk. Paper Trails lovingly documents the life and work of Anne Deveson, writer, activist, mental health advocate, and the first female on-screen broadcaster in Australia.
Kitty Green’s THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL screened at 2016’s Festival; Shannon Murphy’s BABYTEETH screened in 2019; Sari Braithwaite’s CENSORED appeared in 2018 and her BECAUSE WE HAVE EACH OTHER screened in 2023; and Noora Niasari’s SHAYDA also screened in 2023.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday September 11, 2024
GOING PLACES: CHICAGO SHORT FILMS (U.S.)
Featuring work by: McKenzie Chinn, Linh Tran, Fawzia Mirza, Anam Abbas, Alex Heller, Weijia Ma, Amrita Singh
These shorts, all featured at past Festivals, display the brilliance and variety of our city’s incredible filmmakers. They explore a friendship in crisis (A Real One), the sisterhood bonds (Video Funeral), the inherent comedy of an overprotective mother (Grizzlies), a meditative cab ride (Saya), the meaning of success (Winning in America) and a supernatural animation (Step Into the River).
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday September 18, 2024
THE WEDNESDAY CHILD Szerdai gyerek (Hungary)
Dir. Lili Horvát
Headstrong teen mother Maja has lost custody of her toddler. Abandoned as a child herself, she’s determined to avoid her mother’s mistakes and earn back the right to care for her child. When a social program offers small business loans, she jumps at the chance for redemption. Anchored by a raw, natural performance, this moving coming-of-age tale is a testament to the power of second chances. Hungarian with subtitles.
Lili Horvát’s PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME screened at the 2020 Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
Wednesday September 25, 2024
SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: THE WONDERFULLY WEIRD WORLD OF NIKI LINDROTH VON BAHR (Sweden)
Dir. Niki Lindroth von Bahr
Over the past decade sculptor and animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr has utilized stop motion animation to breathe life into anthropomorphised animal puppets. From pigeons singing in a zoo in Something to Remember to a pedantic spa manager in Bath House to the delightful rabbit and fox neighbors Tord and Tord to the existential marketplace musical The Burden, this showcase of her work conjures hilarious, bizarre, and even profoundly moving worlds where human and animal merge. Swedish with subtitles.
TORD AND TORD screened in 2010, BATH HOUSE in 2014, and THE BURDEN in 2017 at the Festival.
Chicago Cultural Center
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Festival Information
Celebrating its 60th edition October 16 - 27, 2024, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive international film festival. Showcasing acclaimed and exciting new films from around the world, the 60th edition will be held in person in theaters and venues around the city and virtually, featuring a select program of films with closed captions. From dramas and thrillers to documentaries and comedies, the Festival presents a vast diversity of offerings, featuring competitive categories and programs including Black Perspectives; International Comedy; Women in Cinema; OutLook; After Dark; and the City & State program, showcasing films made in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
2024 Summer Screenings Sponsors and Partners
Led by Major Sponsor Allstate, the 20th Summer Screenings program is produced in partnership with Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Chicago History Museum. This program is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
About Cinema/Chicago
Cinema/Chicago, the presenting organization of the Chicago International Film Festival, is a year-round nonprofit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering better communication between people of diverse cultures through the art of film and the moving image. Cinema/Chicago's programs include the Chicago International Film Festival, Summer Screenings Program, CineYouth Festival, and year-round Education Program. Celebrating its 60th edition October 16 - 27, 2024, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive film festival. For more information, please visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.