CHICAGO CRITICS FILM FESTIVAL Announces Full Program Lineup, Special Guests and Recipients of 2025 Emerging Critics Grant
12th Annual Festival Opens with THE BALTIMORONS, with filmmaker Jay Duplass attending; Angus MacLachlan’s A LITTLE PRAYER to close, featuring stars David Strathairn and Jane Levy in person; centerpiece is A24’s SORRY, BABY, filmmaker and star Eva Victor to attend
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA), the Chicago-area print, online and broadcast critics group that celebrates the art of film and film criticism, today announces the complete lineup, schedule and special guests expected for the twelfth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, May 2-8 at the city’s historic Music Box Theatre.
The festival opens with a screening of THE BALTIMORONS, with filmmaker Jay Duplass, co-writer/star Michael Strassner and star Liz Larsen scheduled to attend. The week-long event closes with Angus MacLachlan’s A LITTLE PRAYER, including MacLachlan, Jane Levy, David Strathairn scheduled to attend. Additional selected films for the 2025 festival include Chicago premieres of the most anticipated films of the year, including James Sweeney’s TWINLESS starring Dylan O’Brien and Lauren Graham; Sarah Friedland’s FAMILIAR TOUCH; and A24’s SORRY, BABY with filmmaker and star Eva Victor scheduled to attend for the festival’s centerpiece screening.
More information on the complete schedule and anticipated special guests is below and online; festival passes and individual tickets are also available online here.
In addition to the more than 20 acclaimed new feature films and two short film programs making their Chicago premieres, the festival will present several anniversary screenings, including an 85th anniversary screening of Charlie Chaplin’s classic THE GREAT DICTATOR, and a 30th anniversary screening of STRANGE DAYS, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett. Both will be presented on 35mm film.
Filmmakers and special guests also expected to attend and participate in post-film Q&As include Kathleen Chalfant (FAMILIAR TOUCH), Matthew Shear (FANTASY LIFE); Alex Ullom (IT ENDS); and a selection of filmmakers from both Shorts Programs included in the festival schedule. Additional special guests are expected to be announced in the lead-up to the festival (full shorts program descriptions online here).
As official sponsor of the festival’s Audience Award, Rotten Tomatoes joins the CFCA in presenting the CFCA / Rotten Tomatoes Emerging Critics Grant, this year awarded to Daniella Mazzio and Danielle Momoh. Each will receive a $2,500 grant, an all-access pass to the Chicago Critics Film Festival, mentorship opportunities with Chicago Film Critics Association members and the opportunity to pitch story ideas to Rotten Tomatoes editorial staff. Learn more about this year’s selected honorees here. The committee also recognized Jordan Barrant, Christian Craig and Farouk Kannout with special recognition for their potential and promise as film journalists.
Annually, the Chicago Critics Film Festival features a selection of acclaimed films chosen by members of the organization. The selections are a combination of recent festival favorites and as-yet-undistributed works from a variety of filmmakers, from established Oscar winners to talented newcomers. In recent years, the festival has provided Chicagoans their first opportunity to see acclaimed films like Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow, Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing, Celine Song’s Best Picture Oscar® Nominee Past Lives, Matt Johnson’s Blackberry, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter and The Power of the Dog, for which Jane Campion won the Oscar for Best Director.
With every indication that this year’s program will be just as promising, the best way to ensure access to every aspect of the week-long event is to secure a festival pass, just $200 and available online here. Follow the CFCA and the festival on Twitter/X at @chicagocritics, on Facebook and Instagram.The complete lineup for the 12th annual Chicago Critics Film Festival is below, including screening dates/times and special guests expected to attend. Explore the entire schedule and secure tickets/passes in advance at www.chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com. More info here.
