The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall, founded in 1964 by filmmaker and graphic artist Michael Kutza. It is recognized as the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. The festival showcases films from both new and established talent, embracing a wide range of identities, cultures, genres, aesthetics, and perspectives. It includes various competitive and non-competitive sections, presenting international and independent cinema and is an Academy Awards qualifying festival in several short film categories. The festival has a history of discovering and showcasing groundbreaking directors.