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• 61st Chicago International Film Festival

  • Start
    Wed, October 15, 2025
  • End
    Mon, May 25, 2026
  • Location
    AMC NEWCITY (1500 N. Clybourn Ave.), Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State St.), Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.), Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.), Reva and David Logan for the Arts (915 E. 60th St.), National Museum of Mexican Art (1

    

  Celebrating its 61st edition October 15 - 26, 2025, the Chicago International Film Festival is North America's longest-running competitive international film festival.

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  Showcasing acclaimed and exciting new films from around the world, the 61st edition will be held in person in theaters and venues around the city, featuring a select program of films with open and closed captions. From dramas and thrillers to documentaries and comedies, the Festival’s lineup spans a wide range of genres. Signature competitive sections and curated programs include Black Perspectives; International Comedy; Women in Cinema; OutLook; After Dark; and the City & State program, showcasing films made in Chicago and throughout Illinois.

  Full schedule announced in mid-September.

  Discover More about CIFF

  Official Website 

  chicagofilmfestival.com

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• FACETS: Anime Club

  • Start
    Thu, January 08, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Thu, December 10, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    12 sessions
  • Location
    FACETS (1517 W Fullerton Ave.)

  
  

  

  Every second Thursday, FACETS Film Club Members are invited to explore the exciting world of anime with a mystery selection of OVAs, complete series, features, and short films, hand-picked with the help of our regular attendees.

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  Anime Club screenings are a Film Club Member ($15 /month or $150 /year) exclusive perk and include two free tickets, so that members can invite a plus one. This film series encourages community building and discussion around all things anime, featuring built in intermissions every month where members are invited to hang out in the FACETS Studio or Lounge to chat about the films, grab a drink, rent rare DVDs or VHS, and and let us know what other anime they’d like to see on the big screen by voting in our suggestion box. 

  Every month, we offer exclusive drink specials like Sapporo and hold a raffle where members can enter to win unique event posters and curated anime prizes. To enter the raffle, members must purchase a concession for $4 or more. Become a member today to join a community of cinephiles with exclusive access to rare, hard-to-find films and be the first to know about to all FACETS anime-related programming.

  

  Anime Club is programmed by Emma Greenleaf, FACETS‘ Marketing Manager & Nick Edelberg, FACETS‘ Program Operations Manager. 

  

  Discover More about FACETS

  Official Website 

  facets.org

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• FACETS: Film Trivia

  • Start
    Sat, January 10, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Sat, December 12, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    12 sessions
  • Location
    FACETS (1517 W Fullerton Ave.)

  
  

  Film Trivia is back, but with a new look, feel, and host: Syd Wrigley.

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  Join FACETS at 4:00pm every second Saturday for Film Trivia, a free team-based game with special film memorabilia prizes. 

  January trivia will feature categories focused on celebrating Rob Reiner, directorial debuts, a special winter wonderland video category, and much more.

  

  MEET YOUR HOST

  Syd Wrigley (She/They) is the FACETS Film Trivia host, as well as a filmmaker and video artist based in Chicago. She is currently a senior at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, pursuing her BFA in Film/Video/New Media.

  

  Discover More about FACETS

  Official Website 

  facets.org

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• FACETS: Cold Sweat

  • Start
    Fri, January 16, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Fri, December 18, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    12 sessions
  • Location
    FACETS (1517 W Fullerton Ave.)

  
  

  

  FACETS' monthly COLD SWEAT series plunges into the unsettling world of horror and cult cinema, offering unexpected, visceral double features that'll send a chill down your spine.

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  Each month, we’ll present a meticulously curated pair of films that push the boundaries of fear, blending classic chills with fresh, innovative scares. But this series isn’t just about the fright—it’s a journey into the psychology and physiology of horror. Why do we willingly subject ourselves to fear-inducing experiences? What is it about the adrenaline rush and the shivers that keeps us coming back for more? COLD SWEAT delves into these questions, exploring the complex relationship between our physical reactions and emotional responses when watching terrifying films. 

  
  

  Upcoming Double Features:

  Noroi: The Curse + Lake Mungo (Friday, Jan. 16 @ 7pm & 9:15pm)

  Birth + To Die For (Friday, Feb. 20 @ 7pm & 9pm)

  City of the Living Dead + The Day of the Beast (Friday, Mar. 20 @ 7pm & 9pm)

  

  COLD SWEAT is programmed by Nick Edelberg, FACETS’ Program Operations Manager and Emma Greenleaf, FACETS’ Marketing Manager. 

  

  Discover More about FACETS

  Official Website 

  facets.org

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• Sapphopalooza 2026

  • Start
    Sat, May 09, 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM
  • End
    Sun, May 31, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.)

  
  

  

  Sapphopalooza is Back for a Round 2!

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  Back by popular demand, Sapphopalooza returns for a second year! From the island of Lesbos to the Music Box Theatre, sapphic culture has always found its way into hidden corners of cinema, visible to those who know where to look. Featuring visionary artists and queer icons like Chantal Akerman, Alla Nazimova, Kristen Stewart, F.W. Fassbinder, Janelle Monae, and more, this series honors the many ways queer storytelling has been boldly brought to life.

  This year’s series features Todd Haynes’s CAROL screening in gorgeous 35mm, and a special double feature of BABA YAGA + VIRGIN WITCH with author Payton McCarty-Simas (That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film) in person, a very rare theatrical screening of DIRTY COMPUTER, and GO FISH with writer and actor Guinevere Turner in person.

  Discover the on-screen evolutions of sapphic desire from shadows and subtext to unapologetic celebrations of love and identity, all month long. Only at the Music Box.

  

  Discover More about Music Box:

  Official Website 

  musicboxtheatre.com

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• On Set: Conversations - Directing the Craft with Sam Bailey & Chinaka Hodge

  • When
    Fri, May 29, 2026
  •  
    6:30 PM
  • Location
    Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60602

    

  Please Welcome Sam Bailey and Chinaka Hodge to a Special Night of On Set: Conversations

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  ​Get ready for a night of illuminating conversations between two key creative voices behind the Chicago-filmed hit Marvel Television series Ironheart: Director and Executive Producer Sam Bailey, and Writer/Producer Chinaka Hodge. Veteran powerhouses reveal the dynamics of their partnership as they navigated the ebbs and flows of producing the series. ​

  Discover More about On Set: Conversations:

  Official Website 

  chicago.gov

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• Little Fort Environmental Film Festival

  • Start
    Sat, June 20, 2026
  • End
    Sun, June 21, 2026
  • Location
    Waukegan, Illinois

  
  

  
  

  A 2-Day International Film Festival on the Shores of Lake Michigan, Little Fort Film Festival Premieres June 20-21, 2026 in Waukegan, Illinois!

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  The June 20-21, 2026 festival will be at three venues in the City of Waukegan, promoted in both English and Spanish and is an inclusive event for all. If you are interested in climate change, environmental protection, plastic pollution, invasive species, drinking water, access to health, environmental justice or agricultural pollution, submit your film to Little Fort Film Festival

  Este festival se realizará en tres sedes en la ciudad de Waukegan, se promocionará tanto en inglés como en español y es un evento inclusivo para todos. Si está interesado en el cambio climático, la protección ambiental, la contaminación plástica, las especies invasoras, el agua potable, el acceso a la salud, la justicia ambiental o la contaminación agrícola, envíe su película al Little Fort Film & Music Festival

  Discover More about LFFF

  Official Website 

  wwwwww.littlefortfilmfestival.org

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• The Independent Film Exhibition Conference (IND/EX)

  • Start
    Mon, June 22, 2026
  • End
    Thu, June 25, 2026
  • Location
    Chicago Loop

    

  IND/EX is Back and Better Than Ever

  The Independent Film Exhibition Conference (IND/EX) returns to Chicago June 22-25, bringing together art house cinema and film festival professionals from around the country for four days of community education, networking, and industry advancement.

  Your pass will include the Open Night Party at the Chicago Cultural Center, a Music Box Theatre screening, 12+ program blocks specifically made for art house and film fest professionals, Trivia at Joe's on Weed Street, and so much more.

  Programming blocks will cover an array of topics, such as "Demystifying Grants: A Practical Guide for Beginners", "Reframing the Moviegoing Experience Through a Trauma-Informed Lens", "Which Should Lead: The Numbers or the Vision?", and so much more.

  Regular pricing ends May 1st, and ticketing completely closes on May 21st. Get your passes today!

  Discover More about IND/EX

  Official Website 

  www.indiefilmex.org

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• 62nd Chicago International Film Festival

  • Start
    Wed, October 14, 2026
  • End
    Sun, October 25, 2026
  • Location
    AMC NEWCITY (1500 N. Clybourn Ave.), Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State St.), Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.), Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.), Reva and David Logan for the Arts (915 E. 60th St.), and MORE!

    

  The Chicago International Film Festival is Once Again Taking Over Chicago

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  As the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, The Chicago International Film Festival brings more than 150 films from around the world to Chicago. Featuring World, North American and U.S. premiere screenings, the Chicago International Film Festival also includes special celebrity appearances, post-screening panel Q&As and in-person tributes to legendary filmmakers, offering moviegoers the ultimate Chicago film experience.

  Full festival schedule being released the month before CIFF.

  Discover More about CIFF

  Official Website 

  chicagofilmfestival.com

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