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CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Over 170 films from 50 countries will be on view for this cinematic celebration October 11-25, 2012.

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From the Opening Night red carpet to the final movie's credits, the Chicago International Film Festival packs in 2 weeks full of screenings and special events. Catch a world premiere, discover bold new works from around the globe and get a glimpse of the big name stars who will be in attendance – including noted actors Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin. Between October 11-25, 2012, over 170 films from 50 countries will be on view for this cinematic celebration.

The longest-running competitive film festival in North America, it began with one goal: to introduce Chicago and the world to new filmmakers, new stories, and new points of view. In its 48 years, the festival has a rich history of discovering hundreds of ground-breaking directors such as: Martin Scorsese (USA), Peter Weir (Australia), Mike Leigh (UK), Gregory Nava (USA), Bertrand Tavernier (France), Jan Troell (Sweden), Joe Swanberg (USA), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Germany).

The 2012 Chicago International Film Festival features movies that are all Chicago premieres and many that are world or U.S. premieres. Most of the films shown will not gain a wide release, secure a U.S. distributor, or become available on video. So this is your chance to not only see them first, but up on the big screen.

OPENING NIGHT

Kicking off the festivities, the October 11 opener will be a star-studded event with a sold-out screening at The Harris Theater followed by a gala reception at the Chicago Cultural Center. The red carpet will be rolled out for Academy Award® winners Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Julianna Margulies, who lead the ensemble cast of action comedy Stand Up Guys. The film will have its world premiere here in Chicago and was produced by fellow Oscar-winners and Chicagoans, producer Tom Rosenberg (Million Dollar Baby) and director Fisher Stevens (The Cove).

FILM SCREENINGS

Moviegoers will be treated to a spectacular lineup of worldwide offerings: spine-tingling thrillers, eye-opening documentaries, emotionally-charged dramas, innovative shorts and more.

Film buffs will find brilliant new work from such festival alumni as Iran's Abbas Kiarostami, Italy's Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, France's Leos Carax, Denmark's Bille August and Romania's Cristian Mungiu, along with exciting debuts from young filmmakers from around the world.

The Centerpiece Film for the 2012 festival is the much-anticipated new movie from writer/directors and native Chicagoans Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix trilogy) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). The celebrated moviemakers will walk the red carpet for the Chicago premiere of their epic drama Cloud Atlas, which features Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry and a stellar international cast.

All screenings are under one roof, the theaters at AMC River East 21 in downtown Chicago's River North district. Ticket options include individual tickets to a screening, or you can pick up passes for 10 or 20 movies throughout the event. Lots of options, lots of popcorn.

For the full schedule of movie screenings and additional events such as panel discussions and Q & A sessions that go behind the scenes with directors and stars, visit chicagofilmfestival.com.