Incorporated in 1972, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicago turns 50 in 2022. Throughout the year, the Film Center will celebrate a half-century of carefully curated international, independent, and classic film exhibitions, with special programs that commemorate the past, present, and future of film and filmmakers.
From films that hold significance to the Film Center’s history, to films that were cultural touchpoints in a particular year, from art-house favorites to locally connected stories, “50/50” invites audiences to steep themselves in a history of cinema.
“To properly celebrate our five decades of film exhibition, we knew we couldn’t choose a single film, a single decade, or a single filmmaker. This series allows us to take a journey through our history, as well as film history,” said the Film Center’s Director of Programming Rebecca Fons. “50/50 is a nostalgia trip, a cinema education, and an excuse for us to show some of our favorite films on the big screen again.”
The films will be presented on Monday nights, beginning at 6:00 p.m., with the following titles set for the upcoming months: The last film will be one chosen from 2021 and will screen on Monday, December 19, 2022.
“Day For Night” (1973) – Monday, January 10, 2022. Director: François Truffaut – In English, French and Italian with English subtitles. In one of his most beloved films, Truffaut himself appears as the harried director of a frivolous melodrama, the shooting of which is plagued by the whims of a neurotic actor, an aging diva, and an ingenue.
“Woman Under The Influence” (1974) – Monday, January 17, 2022. “Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” (1975) – Monday, January 24, 2022.
“The Man Who Fell To Earth” (1976) – Monday, January 31, 2022.
“Saturday Night Fever” (1977) – Monday, February 7, 2022.
“Killer Of Sheep” (1978) – Monday, February 14, 2022.
Director: Charles Burnett – In Los Angeles, Stan works at a slaughterhouse – labor he abhors. The stress of his job mirrors the pressures of his personal and family life in Burnett’s unhurried, authentic portrait of Black lives in America.
“Stalker” (1979) – Monday, February 21, 2022.
“The Blues Brothers” (1980)
– Monday, February 28, 2022. Director: John Landis – In this distinctly Chicago, distinctly 80s classic, Jake (John Belushi) is released from prison and reunites with his brother, Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) and endeavors to get the band back together and raise money for the orphanage where they grew up.
“Time Bandits” (1981) – Monday, March 7, 2022.
“Losing Ground” (1982) – Monday, March 14, 2022.
Director: Kathleen Collins – Over one summer, philosophy professor Sara embarks on an intellectual quest to understand ecstasy, while her artist husband Victor sets out on a more earthy exploration of joy in Collins’ personal, humorous and criminally underseen film.
“El Norte” (1983) – Monday, March 21, 2022.
Additional film titles will be announced in the coming months. Most movies will be screened on 35mm film. Passes and individual tickets for the 50/50 Film Series now on sale! *50/50 films will not be screened on Monday, July 4, and Monday, December 26, 2022.
Patrons can purchase tickets to individual films in the “50/50” series ($12/general admission; $6/members; $7/students) or save by purchasing a “50/50” series pass that will allow them entry to all 50 films for $500 (general public) and $250 (Film Center members). For information, www.siskelfilmcenter.org/5050.
