Overview The Chicago International Film Festival is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Cinema/Chicago, the non-profit that presents it, was founded by filmmaker Michael Kutza, and each October the festival fills Chicago screens for twelve days with world and U.S. premieres, international competition titles, documentaries, shorts and tributes to actors and directors. It is an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying festival, and its top prize is the Gold Hugo. On site AMC NEWCITY 14 in Lincoln Park is the hub and box office. Opening Night, Centerpiece and Closing Night galas play the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview, and screenings also run at the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, the Logan Center at the University of Chicago and Harold Washington Library, with free Community Cinema nights at Kennedy-King College and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Sponsors show up on screen before films, on the red carpet step-and-repeat, in the Festival Guide and on the website. Brands can run bars and sampling at the gala parties, fill the VIP gift bag, or put their name on a signature night or program. Audience Most of the audience lives in the city, about one in five comes in from the suburbs, and the crowd leans slightly female. A third earn over $100,000 a year. Ages run from students and young professionals to longtime members over 55. The festival also draws filmmakers, critics, Industry Days guests and a few thousand tastemakers at its special events. Talent and Influencers Recent festivals have honored Marlon Wayans, Cheryl Dunye, Carrie Coon, Sophie Okonedo, Ira Sachs and Andrew Haigh, and Spike Lee received a Lifetime Achievement Award on stage. Earlier guests include Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Shannon and Rian Johnson. Tributes over the decades have honored Orson Welles, François Truffaut, Sophia Loren, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Sidney Poitier and Viola Davis, and the Black Perspectives program has its own tribute. Track record The first festival opened at the Carnegie Theater honoring King Vidor, Bette Davis and Stanley Kramer, and it gave Chicago its first look at Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders and Krzysztof Kieślowski. Cinema/Chicago programs all year: the CineYouth Festival for filmmakers 22 and under, free Summer Screenings with consulates, Community Cinema on the South and West sides, and the CIX: Lab. Brand presence Festival sponsors include Adobe Premiere Pro, MUBI, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Wintrust, Fannie May, Sanpellegrino, Acqua Panna, DePaul University, MPB, SAG-AFTRA, SAG Indie, Cinespace, CineCity Studios and the Chicago Transit Authority. Delta is the official airline, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago the official hotel and Ogilvy the official agency. Constellation Brands, Revolution Brewing and Choose Chicago are supporters. Allstate, Conagra Brands, Panavision, Heineken and Citi have sponsored in past years.