50th Chicago International Film Festival
A vision Michael Kutza had back in 1965 materialized on the evening of Thursday, October 9th with a milestone 50th Chicago International Film Festival. Inspired by Sun-Times legendary columnist Irv Kupcinet, Michael Kutza never lost sight of his goals and was determined from the beginning to make Chicago a magnificent, international film fest destination…
That proud tradition successfully developed, continued, and magnified over the years; culminating in producers, directors, actors, and actresses arriving here in the Windy City year after year from across the U.S. and around the globe.
Included in Hollywood’s elite who will be attending the film fest this year are Oliver Stone, Michael Moore, Taylor Hackford, Kathleen Turner, and Bill Murray, among others. In the spotlight on this special evening was Miss Julie at the Harris Theatre (205 E. Randolph) as limousines arrived and the media along with dozens of fans took pictures and positioned themselves around the red carpet for a quick glimpse of notable celebrities at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival.
Among Michael Kutza’s many challenges this year were selecting 150 qualifying films from 1,070 entries. Once this process is accomplished, then obtaining sponsorships was his next biggest hurdle.
In Miss Julie, leading lady Jessica Chastain captures the essence of her character as the daughter of an aristocrat who resides at a country estate in Ireland in 1890. Colin Farrell plays a lower-class valet who is charmed by Jessica Chastain, which eventually leads to an intimate relationship in this drama which emphasizes power and class warfare.
Another film highlighted during this two-week movie marathon is St. Vincent. Directed by Theodore Melfi, this delightful comedy stars Bill Murray, demonstrating his acting genius in the leading role with Naomi Watts and Melissa McCarthy co-starring. Other new titles featured in this year’s film fest and two of Kutza’s personal favorites are The Owners from Kazakhstan and The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared from Sweden, which Kutza claims is “one of the funniest things I’ve seen in years.”
So no matter what your tastes might be, this 50th year anniversary film spectacular has something entertaining for everyone: comedy, drama, adventure, etc. and is playing until Oct. 23rd at AMC River East 21 movie theatre (322 E. Illinois St.)
Indeed, Michael Kutza has reached a pinnacle in his career as co-founder and artistic director of the 50th Chicago International Film Festival and has entertained thousands of film aficionados every year in the process.
With his unique talent and ingenuity, we have every reason to look forward to another 50 years of extraordinary entertainment from Michael Kutza
Photo Credit: Timothy M Schmidt & Robert Martinez
Read more from  I On The Scene: HERE.
