(*Photos are nearly all mine, taken at the respective film festivals. Installment #2 describing festivals of the past 21 years I’ve attended.)
Peter Bogdanovich.
2016: Damien Chazelle showed up to promote “La La Land.” He was very gracious and friendly. I anticipated “La La Land” winning for Best Picture (and so did most of the Academy when the team of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway somehow announced the wrong film as Best Oscar winner that year), but it did not. Peter Bogdanovich was given a Lifetime Achievement Award . Also present were Geraldine Chaplin as the head of the jury, a Tribute to Director Steve McQueen, and Danny Glover appearing with the Nigerian film “93 Days” about the spread of the Ebola virus epidemic in Africa. It was bloody disappointing. Both adjectives apply. Glover was presented a Visionary Award.
Geraldine Chaplin.
Chadwick Boseman of “Black Panther”
Sterling K. Brown
Damien Chazelle, Writer/Director of “La La Land” and “Whiplash.”
Closing night Tribute to Michael Shannon, along with showing of Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.”
Playwright/actor (“August: Osage County”) Tracy Letts, at the showing of “Lady Bird” in Chicago in 2017.
2017: The film “Marshall” was a big one this year, with Chadwick Boseman and Sterling K. Brown in attendance. I had the opportunity to speak with Vanessa Redgrave about her direction of the film “Sea Sorrow,” concerning the immigrants washing up on the shores of countries like Greece. Redgrave was there with her son and quoted former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, saying that the plan was to take countries like England to court to force them to deal with the immigrants flocking to their shores. The films that impressed me this year were “Lady Bird” (Tracy Letts in attendance), Ruben Ostland’s Swedish film “The Square,” and Michael Shannon appearing on behalf of “The Shape of Water,” as was Michael Stuhlbarg (“Call Me By Your Name”). I remember chatting with Michael Stuhlbarg in the lobby area. As I spoke with Michael Shannon on the Red Carpet, he asked me, “How did you like me in ‘Hud?;” I attribute this to Shannon’s puckish sense of humor, as “Hud” was a 1963 Paul Newman vehicle, which I well knew. I also asked him what his favorite role was, and he said, without hesitation, “Take Shelter,” which also happens to be my favorite of his many fine films. I was surprised that he would answer the question at all, as it’s a little like asking someone which child is their favorite.
Director Steve Gukas and star of “93 Days” Danny Glover.
Michael Stuhlbarg: Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (aka, Dmitri) in “The Shape of Water.”
Sir Patrick Stewart give Lifetime Tribute Award at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival on October 25, 2017.
Viola Davis.
Ron Perlman in the background and Guillermo del Toro on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival. (2010).
2018: This year the U.K.’s Steve McQueen’s film “Widows” screened and he was given an award. Among those who appeared on behalf of the film were Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, and Brian Tyree Henry. (Seen more recently co-starring in the 2022 Jennifer Lawrence film “Causeway.”) William Friedkin—the GREAT William Friedkin—appeared and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. I had just heard him in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar talking about his film project, “The Devil and Father Amorph,” where he went in, solo, with a GoPro Camera and filmed a demonic possession and an exorcism. It was a far cry from “The French Connection” (1971), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985), but it was a “local boy makes good” moment, as Friedkin began his career working for WGN and making documentaries. Carey Mulligan also received an Artistic Achievement Award and appeared to promote Paul Dano’s film “Wildlife.”
Helen Hunt at the screening of “The Sessions” on October 20th in Chicago.
Jason Reitman was on hand with “The Front Runner” about the ill-fated Gary Hart campaign for the Senate. When I spoke with Reitman in Nashville last month, where he was promoting his latest film “Saturday Night,” he made the humorous comment that I might be the only one in the theater during the Q&A who had seen “The Front Runner” and said, “I guess audiences are more enthused about SNL than about Gary Hart.” “The Hate U Give” showed this year as did Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased.” And—-most notably for me—Robert Forster was present with “What They Had,” a wonderful film that co-starred Michael Shannon and dealt with the effects of Alzheimer’s on the family unit. I took the opportunity to tell Robert Forster how much I had enjoyed his 1969 appearance in “Medium Cool” for Haskell Wexler and he was very gracious in saying I was too young to have seen it when it was new (wrong.) I will always remember this exchange with Robert Forster, because he died exactly one year later to the day on October 11, 2019, a fact which has stuck with me.
Interviewing Vanessa Redgrave on the Red Carpet in Chicago.
Michael Kutza (CIFF founder) points out that the Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement award is one inch taller than the Oscar while awarding it in presenting it to Director Steve McQueen.
Robert Forster, taken exactly one year to the day before his death.
Gael Garcia Bernal in Chicago to receive a Tribute and screen his second film on October 26th, 2019. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
2019: The thing I remember the most about the 55th CIFF, besides the screening of “Clemency,” was the appearance of Gael Garcia Bernal with his directorial effort, “Chicuarotes.” This was the largest crowd I remember seeing crowded in to a theater, all to see Bernal. I had a seat, but others were sitting on the steps to the theater. I left before the film ended; I felt bad that so many didn’t have a real seat.
2020: This was the year of the pandemic. I watched “One Night in Miami” (Regina King) via streamer and others by streaming, like most of America.
Rebecca Hall, director of “Passing,” in Chicago in 2021.
Kenneth Branaugh on October 21, 2021, with his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.(Photo by Connie Wilson.)
2021: This was the year that Sir Kenneth Branagh showed up with “Belfast,” which seemed to have a good shot at winning an Oscar. Rebecca Hall also appeared, promoting her film “Passing,” about a Black woman passing for white. For that one, I actually bought the book and read it, as it was short. Todd Haynes “The Velvet Underground” also screened and the documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” which was a local success story about the election for Mayor.
58th Chicago International Film Festival logo
2022: The opening film was the documentary “A Compassionate Spy” by local director Steve James. His documentaries are great, but this one was a bit of a slog. Kathryn Hahn received a Career Achievement Award and the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was highlighted. The Al Sharpton documentary “Loudmouth” gave us a look at the activist’s life, while “For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign” was promoted by Katie Couric and detailed the harrowing journey of Chicago attorney and Obama supporter Brian Wallach as he is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and fights for himself and other patients in the same boat.
Connie Wilson with John C. Reilly at the 2011 Chicago Film Festival.
“We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2011) brought John C. Reilly to the CIFF AMC screening. He sat one seat from me (empty seat in-between) watching the Tilda Swinton co-starring film about a psychopathic school shooter. Watching him watch this intense hard-hitting film reminded me of sitting across from Nelson Algren at the Englert Theater in Iowa City, Iowa, watching him viewing the adaptation of his book “Walk on the Wild Side” (1962) for the first time. (Later that night, Nelson had a small brush with the law when he was caught smoking what we used to call “ditch weed” on a country road, but nevermind about that.) Watching someone see their creative effort onscreen for the first time is unique. I’ve never seen any of my screenplays put on the screen, but I’ve been present when they were given table reads at the Windy City Film Festival and the San Antonio Film Festival, and it’s an experience I can’t convey or describe well enough.
2023: It was my 20th anniversary. I was back where I started, which, was pretty much me buying my own tickets and attending and writing up my thoughts on the films (with memories of having done so for the past 50 years). In 20 years of attendance, I had only ever asked for one “free” ticket. I saw Michael Berg’s “We Grown Now,” which was fantastic in its recreation of the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects and Michael Shannon was present with his directorial debut, “Eric Larue.” Emerald Fennell appeared in support of “Saltburn,” which I liked very much. “The Bikeriders” brought Director Jeff Nichols to town, who directed Michael Shannon in “Take Shelter,” which he had told me many years before was his favorite role. Since Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols are close, it was a good year for the festival, especially in terms of the top-notch films secured, including “The Killer” (Michael Fassbender) and Clare Cooney’s full-length film “Departing Seniors.” My favorite film of the festival was “Dream Scenario” with Nicolas Cage, directed by newcomer Kristoffer Borgli. It was razor sharp and hilariously funny, while being a very smart satire on what sells in America. Cage deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance.
May December. (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in May December. (Cr. Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix). My least favorite 2023 film.
Carey Mulligan, appearing in support of “Wildfire” in 2018.
Emerald Fennell at the Music Box Theater in Chicago at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 20, 2023. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
Director of “Dream Scenario,” Kristoffer Borglii at CIFF 2023.
Jeff Nichols in Chicago at the closing night of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 22, 2023.
Jason Reitman in Chicago with “The Front Runner,” closing film of the 54th Chicago International Film Festival. (Photo by Connie Wilson in 2018.
(L to R) Casting Director John Papsidera, Connie Wilson, and Writer/Director Jason Reitman in Nashville at the Nashville Film Festival showing of “Saturday Night” on September 21, 2024,