Film News: 51st Chicago International Film Festival Closes with Best of Fest, ‘Carol’ & ‘Spotlight’

CHICAGO – All great things come to an end, and the 51st Chicago International Film Festival is no exception, concluding on October 28th and 29th, 2015, with the Best of the Fest, in addition to a special presentation of the new Todd Haynes’ film “Carol’ and their Closing Night film event, the tense journalism thriller “Spotlight.”

The final events are previewed below. The 51st Chicago International Film Festival concludes on Thursday, October 29th.

”BEST OF THE FEST”

’ A Childhood,’ Directed by Philippe Claudel
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Award winners, audience favorites and by-popular-demand films are repeated on Wednesday, October 28th, and Thursday, October 29th. “A Childhood,” the French film that won the Gold Hugo (the highest film prize of the festival), will be among the films screened over the next two days. For a complete Best of the Fest schedule, click here. [15]

Wednesday and Thursday, October 28th & 29th, Various Times

SPECIAL PRESENTATION – ”Carol”

’Carol,’ Directed by Todd Haynes
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

Todd Haynes (“Far from Heaven”) comes back to his Douglas Sirk-like melodramatic style with the delicate and beautifully rendered “Carol.” Featuring the impeccable Cate Blanchett as the title character, this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s famous novel “The Price of Salt” is a also a poignantly relevant film for our transitional times. Also featuring Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson and Kyle Chandler. Director Todd Haynes will participate in a Q&A after the screening.

Wednesday, October 28th, 7:30pm

CLOSING NIGHT – ”Spotlight”

’Spotlight,’ Directed by Tom McCarthy
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

One of the most anticipated films of the fall movie season, this journalism procedural film has echoes of “All the President’s Men.” At the newspaper The Boston Globe in the year 2000 and early 2001, there is a investigative group within the paper called “Spotlight.” Michael Keaton continues his dramatic comeback as the editor of the group, which reluctantly begins to investigate the priest abuse scandal in Boston. As pressure from the powerful Catholic Church in the city comes down on them, and the modern age of the internet and 9/11 are changing the newsroom, this squad of journalists (which includes portrayals by Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams) are in for some interesting times. Directed by Tom McCarthy (“Win Win”).

Thursday, October 29th, 7:45pm

[16]	By PATRICK McDONALD [17] Editorial Coordinator, Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [16]