September 23, 2020 4:06 pm
The program for the 56th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) was announced today and we are excited that two Kartemquin Films will have their "hometown" premiere as part of the virtual lineup on October 14-25. Jiayan "Jenny" Shi's "haunting" debut feature Finding Yingying and Steve James' mosaic portrait of Chicago City So Real will be streaming as part of the program. CIFF is a bit different this year. Combining streaming on-demand and appointment screenings and an in-person drive-in theatre experience along with virtual filmmaker Q&As and a completely online Industry Days, you can still experience the excitement of CIFF in a hybrid format.
Shi's Finding Yingying "honors the life" of Yingying Zhang, the University of Illinois student whose disappearance prompted a yearslong search by family and friends and criminal investigation.
Ahead of it's premiere on National Geographic in late October, City So Real audiences will be the first to see the 5th hour of the monumental series chronicling the Chicago's turbulent 2018 mayoral election, which saw 21 candidates vying to replace Rahm Emanuel.
Streaming films will be able to watch on your computer, tablet, or TV. Most films are available to watch during the entire festival. Viewers will have 48 hours to finish watching that title once it begins. Be sure to check the details on individual film pages, as some films may have additional restrictions.
Some special films will only be available as “appointment viewing,” meaning they will only be available on a particular date and time with a very limited watch window.
Single ticket pricing for the 2020 festival starts at $12 ($10/members). Passes for the 2020 festival starts at $110 ($90/members).
All ticketing fees are included in prices. Panels and special event tickets vary in price. See the event’s webpage for ticketing information.
Grab tickets to see Finding Yingying.
Grab tickets to see City So Real.
ABOUT THE FILMS
City So Real
Academy Award ®-nominated filmmaker Steve James’ fascinating and complex portrait of contemporary Chicago delivers a deep, multifaceted look into the soul of a quintessentially American city, set against the backdrop of its history-making 2019 mayoral election.
Finding Yingying
After a young Chinese student goes missing on a university campus, her family travels to the US for the first time. While unraveling the mystery of her disappearance, they discover how much her life touched others.