61st Chicago International Film Festival
The 61st Chicago International Film Festival took place from October 15 to 26, 2025, in Chicago, United States. The festival opened with American documentary film One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw.
Festival events took place mainly around AMC NEWCITY 14, though other event venues throughout the city include the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.
Background
This was the festival's second year having AMC NEWCITY 14 as the main venue. The full film line-up was announced on September 18.Official Selection
The 61st edition of the festival showcased 111 feature films and 70 short films from over 60 countries, including four world premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 18 United States premieres.International Competition
The festival announced its competitive sections on September 11, 2025. The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the International Competition:New Directors
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the New Directors section:Documentary Competition
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the Documentary Competition:Outlook
The following films competed for the Q-Hugo Awards, for films with LGBTQ+ themes; some of these competitors appear in other sections and are already listed in previous tables:Official awards
The jury formed by Melina León, Maura Delpero, Peter Kerekes and Gabriel Mayers, conceded the following awards for films shown in International Competition:- Gold Hugo: Sirāt by Oliver Laxe
- Silver Hugo, Jury Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania
- Silver Hugo, Best Director: Mascha Schilinski for Sound of Falling
- Silver Hugo, Best Actor: Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent
- Silver Hugo, Best Actress: Eszter Tompa for Kontinental '25
- Silver Hugo, Best Screenplay: Paolo Sorrentino for La grazia
- Silver Hugo, Best Cinematography: Gergely Pálos for Silent Friend
- Silver Hugo, Best Sound: Sound of Falling
- Silver Hugo, Animated Short Film: Ordinary Life
- Special Mention: My Father's Shadow
- * Joel Edgerton, Australian actor and filmmaker
- * Clint Bentley, American film director, film producer and screenwriterSpotlight Award: Hikari, Japanese filmmaker and former actress.Black Perspectives Tribute and Career Achievement Award: Euzhan Palcy, Martinican film director, screenwriter, and producerLifetime Achievement Award: Spike Lee, American filmmakerVisionary Award: Gus Van Sant, American filmmaker, photographer, painter, and musician