The 61st Chicago International Film Festival served up a wide range of stellar entertainment

The Chicago International Film Festival turned 61 in 2025 and presented a wide range of important films from Oct. 15-26. Screenings were shown in several venues across the city and red carpets were held beforehand to give industry professionals a chance to promote their various projects. Opening night kicked off on Oct. 15 at the Music Box Theatre with sports feature One Golden Summer and the momentum continued on the following evening at AMC NEWCITY 14 on the second floor.

Director Mary Bronstein of the effective film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You talked about casting Rose Byrne, who plays Linda, a woman navigating the challenges of life while her daughter suffers from an illness. She said, “I wrote a script for someone who understood comedy and could also do a raw, visceral performance. I was looking for someone beloved because even on a subconscious level, when you first see her face, there's a kindness that's needed towards her. People love Rose Byrne, so that was a tool to take the audience a little further than if it were someone else. Those ingredients made for a very short list and she was at the top of it. I was so lucky and her performance was fantastic.”

When asked about reactions from early screening, Bronstein stated, “I've had all kinds of reactions, such as from mothers who have children with special needs, which have been very intense. There has been wonderful engagement from men who are parents and tell me they are going to call their mom or their wife and apologize. People have many emotions about this film. It's about being overwhelmed and having trauma. There have been some very excited young people with the film and I think that's because it's something new. It doesn't spoon-feed to them or patronize them, so they get into it.”

Before a screening on Oct. 18, producer of The Voice of Hind Rajab, Odessa Rae, outlined the plot by saying, “It's about a girl in Gaza who was trapped in a car and called for help. It's based on a true story and it was a harrowing account of a child crying for help in a war zone. It has been moving to watch audiences around the world be able to see it in a theater.”

The film won the Silver Lion in Venice and the Silver Hugo Jury Prize in Chicago.

On Oct. 20, Actor Joel Edgerton, director Clint Bentley and executive producer Greg Kwedar walked the red carpet at Music Box Theatre for their collaboration on Train Dreams. The film was co-written by Bentley and Kwedar and was based on a novella by Denis Johnson. It follows a man named Robert Grainier who works on creating a railroad across the United States.

Edgerton leads the cast as Grainier and spoke about the growth of his career, saying, “All work builds on the next thing, but what I brought into this character from previous experiences were thoughts about my life and family. It makes this film much more personal than I have felt in a long time.”

Bentley said, “I wanted to celebrate a very average, beautiful life. If people walk away with more of an appreciation of their family, then I have done my job.” He described the streaming company Netflix as being “a joy to work with” and is happy with the care they have taken with his project.

Netflix releases Train Dreams in theaters on Nov. 7 before streaming on Nov. 21.

The fest had its highest profile red carpet on Oct. 24 at NEWCITY, with iconic filmmaker Spike Lee taking home a Lifetime Achievement Award and director of Sugar Cane Alley, Euzhan Palcy, receiving a Black Perspectives Tribute and Career Achievement Award.

The accolades were well deserved and brought attention to dynamic work from sometimes marginalized creatives within the world of show business. There were 114 feature films and 70 short films screened across Chicago this year. Look for next year's programming at chicagofilmfestival.com in the future.