Free Summer Screenings Program

The Chicago International Film Festival presents Summer Screenings, a free weekly film series that casts a spotlight on different national cinemas from around the world.

Breathing new life into stories translated to the screen, the theme of this year’s selections is Adaptation. Since the invention of cinema, movies have drawn inspiration from art forms of all kinds. Whether faithful renderings of popular novels or radical re-imaginings of historical events, film can create vast, visual worlds while telling the stories that matter to us most. From the mysterious return of a long-lost daughter to the inhabitants of a pollution-filled city dreaming of a starry sky to a successful actor on the verge of a breakdown, this year’s selections adapt novels, children’s books, short stories, and real-life events.