The 61st Chicago International Film Festival will open on Wednesday, October 15, with the world premiere of “One Golden Summer,” which tells the true story behind Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West Little League team’s heartbreaking fall from grace and the subsequent road to redemption, as told by the players themselves.
In 2014, Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West Little League became the first all-Black team to win the Little League U.S. Championship. Along the way, 13 twelve-year-old athletes from the South Side turned into media superstars—their faces were splashed across magazine covers and major TV networks, garnering them millions of fans around the country.
They were even invited to the White House to meet President and Mrs. Obama. But it all came crashing down after a rival coach accused the team of breaking residential boundary rules.
Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Shaw (“Let the Little Light Shine” and “America to Me”) deftly investigates the story behind the headlines, shattering stereotypes and reframing the narrative.
Through conversations with the charismatic young athletes, now adults, as well as reporters, coaches, and parents, “One Golden Summer” shines a vivid spotlight on the complex issues of race, power, and money all too prevalent in youth sports. Above all, Shaw’s sensitive film is a universal story about personal resilience, the strength of family and what it means to be a true champion.
This is just the opening night film of the 12-day Festival, running from October 15 through October 26, and featuring 100 plus films from 70 countries, illuminating talkbacks with directors and stars in attendance, and plenty of new stories you’ll never forget.
Grab your calendar and your favorite film-loving friend and pick films that will be screened across the city—the main venue, AMC NEWCITY 14, Music Box Theatre, as well as the Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Free Community Cinema screenings will also be held at the National Museum of Mexican Art and Kennedy King College.
Other highlights include:
Centerpiece presentation of “Rental Family,” starring Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser, with director HIKARI in attendance to receive the Spotlight Award. The film is set in modern-day Tokyo and follows an American actor Fraser, who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency.
“Black Rabbit, White Rabbit.” Surreal visuals and wry humor animate a layered tale of a prop master who worries over a weapon on set and a conspiracy-minded car-crash victim.
“Sugar Cane Alley” or “Rue Cases Nègres,” directed by Euzhan Palcy. In 1930s French-colonized Martinique, an 11-year-old boy becomes the hope for his community, and his grandmother will do anything to see his ambitions realized.
The 1983 film received numerous awards, including the César Award for Best First Feature Film. With a subsequent film in 1989, “A Dry White Season,” Palcy became the first Black female director to have a film produced by a major Hollywood studio, MGM.
“Cotton Queen.” In a matriarchal cotton-rich Sudanese village, teenage Nafisa is at the nexus of a power play that will determine the community’s future.
“The Eyes of Ghana,” directed by Ben Proudfoot. This inspirational story of reclamation follows a 90-year-old film pioneer on a mission to restore his images of Ghana’s journey to independence.
“My Father’s Shadow.” Nigeria 1993. A father takes his sons on a whirlwind day trip to Lagos as the chaos of a changing world threatens to envelop them.
The Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement Award presentation will honor Nia DaCosta and a screening of her new film, “Hedda,” starring Tessa Thompson.
In this provocative reimagining of Ibsen’s classic play, Hedda finds herself torn between the lingering ache of past love and the quiet suffocation of her present.
I will again cover this Festival and post reviews in upcoming columns.
For more information, visit chicagofilmfestival.com.
