Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, and the 62nd edition runs October 14 through 25, 2026. According to the organizer, Cinema/Chicago, opening night is Wednesday, October 14 at 6 p.m. with the film Club Kid at the Music Box Theatre. A September 23, 2026 Choose Chicago preview lists 113 feature films, 57 shorts, four world premieres and 15 North American premieres, with the closing night film Behemoth! on October 25, also at the Music Box.

Screenings spread across the Music Box in Lakeview, the Gene Siskel Film Center in the Loop, the Logan Center for the Arts in Hyde Park, the Chicago History Museum and AMC NEWCITY 14 in Lincoln Park. The centerpiece screening is Mouse on October 21 with actress Sophie Okonedo in attendance, per the organizer. Several directors and actors take questions after their films.

Ticket prices, according to the organizer: $26 for general screenings ($22 for members, students and seniors), $32 for special presentations, $60 for opening night, $35 for the centerpiece, $42 for closing night, and $18 for weekday matinees before 5 p.m., late shows after 9:30 p.m. and short film programs. A 10-admission Moviegoer Pass is $240 for non-members and a 20-admission Passport is $440. Single tickets went on sale to the public September 25, and the in-person box office is open October 14 through 25.

Plan your visit

The Music Box is a short walk from the Brown Line Southport stop, and street parking on Southport fills fast on weekend nights. The Gene Siskel Film Center sits at State and Randolph, next to the Lake stop on the Red Line and State/Lake on the Loop L lines. For the Logan Center in Hyde Park, take Metra Electric to 59th Street or the No. 6 bus. Opening night, the centerpiece and any screening with a name guest sell out first; weekday matinees are the easiest tickets. Arrive 20 minutes early because festival seating is general admission at most venues.