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Chicago Critics Film Festival

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The 13th Chicago Critics Film Festival will be held May 1-7, 2026 at @musicboxchicago. Early bird passes on sale soon.

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We are almost one week away from the 13th Chicago Critics Film Festival at the historic @musicboxchicago! Have you gotten your tickets yet??

We have curated the best of the best from festivals all over the world, including Sundance, TIFF, SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Dances with Films, Venice, and Cannes, and are bringing them direct to you!

All three of our anniversary titles will be presented on glorious 35mm, as well as our sold-out opening night film THE INVITE. Director-star @oliviawilde will be here in person for a post-film Q&A!

Get your passes and individual tickets now at 🔗⬆️ by @chicagocritics

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And now our shorts programming!

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 – Q&A to follow with directors Anna Baumbarten, Carlos Lerma, Curtis Matzke, and Nick Sansore

CANDY BAR - @nashedgerton
VAMPIRE - @carloselerma
BOUNCY BROTHERS - @nicholasjsantore
THE CREATURE OF DARKNESS - @raywhitaker89 and @lisa.mariemalloy
BALLOON ANIMALS - @annabellabaum
A MUSEUM OF MYSELF - @curtismatzke
AGNES - @leah_vlemmiks_photo
PAPER TRAIL - @don_hertzfeldt

SHORTS PROGRAM 2

Q&A to follow with Carter Amelia Davis, Jet Harris and Antonio L. Rodriguez, and Stephen Tronicek.

ONE SENTENCE - @stephentronicek
COYOTES - @said.zagha
MANGITTATUARJUK (THE GNAWER OF ROCKS) - @flaherty8974
GLORY/US - @jet.on.set
HOMEMADE GATORADE - @sweet.stench
CLIMATE CONTROL - @sarah_lasley
THE SEEING EYE DOG WHO SAW TOO MUCH - @ericjackowitz by @chicagocritics

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OPENING NIGHT: THE INVITE on 35mm with director and star Olivia Wilde scheduled to attend!
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Also stars Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz & Edward Norton

WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS - Filmmaker Dawn Porter scheduled to attend!
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates remembers learning that a boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. As an adult, he learns the truth about the three innocent teens who were convicted.

CHILI FINGER - Filmmakers Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad scheduled to attend!
When a woman discovers a severed human finger in her bowl of chili, she blackmails the regionally-beloved fast-food chain for $100,000. Stars Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman.

LOAFERS - Filmmaker/star Zach Schnitzer & producer Nate Simon scheduled to attend
Amid a post-grad haze, best friends Isaac & Cameron navigate the shifting terrain of their relationships, grappling w/ the deeper question of whether their once unbreakable friendship can survive the weight of change.

CLOSING NIGHT: THE SUN NEVER SETS - Filmmaker Joe Swanberg & star Cory Michael Smith scheduled to attend!
A woman (Dakota Fanning)’s relationship w/ her older, divorced boyfriend (Jake Johnson) hits a rough patch just as her ex (Smith) reappears in her life, leading to complicated emotions & messy entanglements.

Tickets and passes on sale at 🔗⬆️ by @chicagocritics

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Antonio and I bullied everyone into voting for Glory/Us as the @chicagocritics Audience Choice Award!

That’s what we do. Indoctrinating the youth with the gay agenda. Thank you to everyone who came out and watched us talk about holes. 🕳️

I’m so grateful that people received our slut themed movie with nuance and conversation. Queer sex is more than just sex- it’s a means of connection, community, and self love. Cue single tear. taken in Music Box Theatre by @chicagocritics

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We are so pleased to announce the winners of this year's Chicago Critics Film Festival Audience Awards sponsored by Rotten Tomatoes for narrative and documentary feature.

The narrative award goes to Walter Thompson-Hernandez's IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME.

Documentary award goes to @dawnporter's WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS. by @chicagocritics

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Joe Swanberg’s THE SUN NEVER SETS closed out the Chicago Critics Film Festival.

Take a look at last night’s screening and get ready for the film, coming to theaters this summer and starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith. Photo credit: @kate_scott_photography by @chicagocritics

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Yesterday screenings of BROKEN ENGLISH and THE SUN NEVER SETS with director Joe Swanberg and @corymichaelsmith closed out the festival. Cake and revelry was had in the @musicboxlounge afterwards.

And that’s a wrap for the 13th edition of the Chicago Critics Film Festival! Audience awards will be announced shortly.

Thank you as always to the staff at @musicboxchicago and to the pass holders and everyone who came out this past week!

See you all again next year!

📸 @kate_scott_photography by @chicagocritics

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The penultimate day of our festival included the Chicago premiere of ROMERÍA co-presented by @instituto_cervantes_de_chicago, the hometown premiere of LOAFERS with writer-director-star @zach.schnitzer and producer @nate_sim02 (plus many of the cast and crew!) on hand for a post-screening Q&A, and lastly a 40th anniversary 35mm screening of Jonathan Demme’s SOMETHING WILD!

Tonight we close out the 13th edition of our festival with the Chicago premiere of BROKEN ENGLISH, an experimental documentary about Marianne Faithfull, and the Chicago premiere of THE SUN NEVER SETS featuring a post-screening Q&A with writer-director Joe Swanberg and actor-producer @corymichaelsmith!

Pass holders are encouraged to stick around the @musicboxlounge afterwards for cake!

📸 @kate_scott_photography by @chicagocritics

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🍹🥂 @chicagocritics fest drink specials available May 1st-7th featuring Lulu’s Escape for “Something Wild” & The Wilde Party for “The Invite” taken in Music Box Lounge by @chicagocritics

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About last night. . . the Chicago premiere of IF THEY GO WILL THEY MISS ME co-presented by @blackfilmclubcltv brought the house down. As did the sold out Chicago premiere of CHILI FINGER with directors @eddbenda and @livelaughlurch and star @missjudygreer in conversation afterwards. The Chicago premiere of BLACK ZOMBIE co-presented by @blackwomendirectors closed out the night.

Tonight we have the Chicago premieres of ROMERÍA co-presented by @instituto_cervantes_de_chicago and LOAFERS with director @zach.schnitzer and producer @nate_sim02, plus a 40th anniversary 35mm screening of Jonathan Demme’s SOMETHING WILD!

📸 @kate_scott_photography by @chicagocritics

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On why I made ‘Vampire’ end that way! ⛽️🔥🏃 Q&A clip from @chicagocritics at @musicboxchicago 💫 taken in Music Box Theatre by @chicagocritics

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A great Monday on the books! The Chicago premiere of THE LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD with an introduction by @iicchicago and beer tasting by @corridorchicago. Then the great @dawnporter in conversation with @812filmreviews after the Chicago premiere of her doc WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS. Lastly, the Chicago premiere of TIME AND WATER co-presented by @sierraclubchicago and a special video introduction from director @unadosa.

The fest continues tonight with the Chicago premieres of IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME co-presented by @blackfilmclubcltv, CHILI FINGER with directors @eddbenda and @livelaughlurch and star @missjudygreer, and BLACK ZOMBIE co-presented by Music Box of Horrors and @blackwomendirectors.

📸 @kate_scott_photography by @chicagocritics

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