CHICAGO — The 49th Chicago International Film Festival unveiled its 2013 lineup of 180 foreign and domestic films from 60 countries Tuesday.
The annual movie showcase running from Oct. 10-24 this year curates screenings and guides competitions in five categories: international feature, new director, short film, documentary and "After Dark."
This year, the festival premieres a new category: the "Q-Hugo" film award, which honors movies that contain LGBTQ themes.
(See the full lineup and schedule here.)
Mimi Plauché, the festival's programming director, said in a release that the chosen films "demonstrate a broad concern with the political, while also focusing in on the deeply personal and intimate.
"Whether by rising young filmmakers blazing trails in their nascent national cinemas or by long-admired auteurs ... the competitions present an impressive mosaic of contemporary international cinema," Plauché said.
Films that aren't competing will also be screened during the two-week festival at AMC River East 21 under the categories Special Presentations, World Cinema, Black Perspectives, Cinema of the Americas, City and State, Docufest, OUT-Look, REELWOMEN and Spotlight Africa.
Comedy Focus, a celebration of the five decades of comedic film, is a new addition to the lineup this year.
The selected films were chosen from 850 feature-length submissions. The 55 short films accepted were selected from about 1,900 submissions, according to a release.
Individual show tickets will go on sale to the public Sept. 21. Passes are sold at the "Moviegoer" level (10 admissions for $125) or "Passport" passes (20 admissions for $240), and will be available through Oct. 9. Discounts are available for Cinema/Chicago members.
