The curtain is going up on North America’s longest-running competitive film festival! The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival unspools October 14–25, 2026, with an extraordinary lineup: 113 feature films and 57 shorts, including four world premieres, 15 North American premieres and 21 U.S. premieres, showcasing cinema from more than 60 countries — from Japan and Sweden to Argentina, Iran, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea and the Central African Republic.
Opening Night brings the Cannes sensation Club Kid, about a club promoter whose whirlwind lifestyle is upended by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had, with writer-director-star Jordan Firstman receiving the festival’s Breakthrough Award. The Centerpiece presentation is Mouse from Chicago filmmaking duo Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, screening October 21. Closing Night features Behemoth!, starring Pedro Pascal as a gifted cellist on an epic journey through time and music.
This year’s tributes honor Carrie Coon, Sophie Okonedo, Ira Sachs, Andrew Haigh, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Marlon Wayans, and the beloved Black Perspectives program celebrates its 30th anniversary. With Industry Days, the Physical Media Fair, family programming and red-carpet events across the city, it’s two full weeks of the best cinema on the planet — right here in Chicago.
Photo: Cinema/Chicago
