Reel life: Every movie in film fest 'a bull's-eye'

Elk Grove Village film critic Erik Childress had this wild and crazy idea back in 2013 to create a film festival operated by Chicago film critics who would also select all the movies shown.

The Chicago Film Critics Association board of directors said sure, why not? So the Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) started off with a few movies and guest appearances by filmmakers William Friedkin and Sarah Polley at the Muvico Rosemont 18 Theaters.

This week, the fourth critics film festival runs Friday, May 20, through Thursday, May 26, at the historic Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Tickets and schedules are available by going to chicagocriticsfilmfestival.com.

I lobbed four questions at Childress, who serves as the executive secretary of the CFCA and festival producer, along with RogerEbert.com editor/critic Brian Tallerico. (As a matter of professional disclosure, I serve as the president and founding director of the Chicago Film Critics Association.)

<b>Q.</b> What's the biggest challenge to launching the fourth festival?

<b>A.</b> Keeping this event growing and making it a constant artistic endeavor rather than just another franchise is the biggest challenge. (The festival) has been established through tremendous support and outreach from many studios and filmmakers wanting to be a part of our festival.

Then we have a staff that, while remaining skeletal compared to larger festivals, has been able to balance daily jobs as film critics with the constant challenges of putting together an event that we want to be as exciting for moviegoers as it is for us.

<b>Q.</b> What entries have impressed you the most so far?

<b>A.</b> Anne Hamilton's "American Fable" is this gorgeous film that has the same blend of innocence, fantasy and lurking horror that Stephen King would have loved to have concocted himself among his period Bangor tales.

Joey Klein's "The Other Half" is the kind of romantic drama that puts the (almost weekly) manufactured weepies about love and disease to shame with two of the best performances in the fest by Tom Cullen and "Orphan Black" star Tatiana Maslany.

A third would be John Michael McDonagh's viciously hilarious "War On Everyone," this bizarre hybrid of '70s cop movies with a dash of Michael Mann's "Heat" and the violent frosting of his brother Martin's film "In Bruges" and "Seven Psychopaths."

<b>Q.</b> So why is this critics' film festival important when Chicago already has so many other movie festivals competing for audiences?

<b>A.</b> This festival has been primarily designed as a way to champion films and invite discussions, something that is the essence of film criticism.

This festival is impeccably programmed to not just throw darts into the ever-expanding world of film and hope to hit a bull's-eye for attendees in an ocean of choices and competition.

Every film we choose is a bull's-eye, not just as a sampling of a larger world that is too often missed. Every film has its own premiere slot with nothing to compete against it on the festival's schedule.

We take great care in choosing the films, and we want moviegoers to be able to see every one of them.

<b>Q.</b> What's the reward for all the work, time and sweat equity you and other critics put into launching this not-for-profit event?

<b>A.</b> I do it for the people who come up to me afterward and say that they enjoyed themselves. If I could do that for even one filmmaker who feels honored to be invited, or even for a thousand people to enjoy a medium that I cherish, all the better.

<b>Film critics notebook:</b>

The After Hours Film Society presents Trey Edward Shults' directorial debut "Krisha," a drama about Krisha, who arrives at her sister's Texas home on Thanksgiving morning where her presence sparks tension and suspicion, then pushes long-buried secrets and deep-seated resentments to the fore.

"Krisha" will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 23, at the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. General admission $10. Go to afterhoursfilmsociety.com.

Elk Grove Village continues the celebration of its 60th anniversary with a screening of the 1964 classic Beatles musical "A Hard Day's Night" at 7 p.m. Monday, May 23, at the Elk Grove Theatre, 1050 Arlington Heights Road, Elk Grove Village. Admission $1. Chicago Film Critics Association member Patrick McDonald will introduce the show. Go to classiccinemas.com.