Film Festivals Happening in Chicago in April
Chicago is a great movie city. Besides the several movies that have been shot and continue to be shot there, there are also a lot of cool and interesting big-screen events constantly throughout the city. Whether it’s a retro screening taking place at the iconic Music Box Theater, a curated block of movies at the Gene Siskel Film Center, or early screenings of something coming out soon, there is always a reason to go to the movies in Chicago.
April seems to be an especially good month for movies in Chicago. There are the standard new releases that you can catch at any of the local AMC’s, Regal’s, or other big chains, but there are also a few film festivals taking place over the next month. So, if you’re near Chicago and sick or uninterested in the films currently playing at your local cinema, check out some of these exciting cinematic events taking place in Chicago this month.
BEYOND CHICAGO
Beyond Fest is the biggest genre film festival in the United States, focusing on horror, sci-fi, and cult films, and usually takes place in the fall in Los Angeles. This year, however, Beyond Fest is expanding and has partnered with the Music Box Theater in Chicago for the first-ever Beyond Chicago.
Taking place April 2nd through the 5th at the Music Box, Beyond Chicago will present 30 films from around the world over the four-day festival. Highlights of this year’s festival include Curry Baker’s Obsession as the opening night film, retrospective screenings of The Exorcist II: Heretic and Flesh for Frankenstein in a 3D midnight screening. There will also be Q&A’s from filmmakers and actors, including Bob Odenkirk, who will introduce a screening of Joseph Sargent’s 1974 action thriller Taking of Pelham One Two Three and do a Q&A following the screening of his new film Normal, Lilly Wachowski following a screening of Speed Racer, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA for his new film One Spoon of Chocolate, and Daniel Goldhaber for the festival’s closing film Faces of Death.
You can find the full schedule of Beyond Chicago and get your tickets at the Music Box website here.
CHICAGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
Taking place April 16th-27th at the Landmark Century Cinema in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, the Chicago Latino Film Festival offers up a slew of unique films from Latin American artists. Featuring shorts and feature films from various countries, including Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, and even some from the U.S., the festival opens with Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugás Venezuelan/Mexican drama Aún es de noche en Caracas. It closes with Pablo Arturo Suárez’s Ecuadorian comedy Nosotros, mi papá y el perro. This is a great festival that highlights cinematic brilliance from a very different corner of the world.
You can find more information about screenings and tickets for the Chicago Latino Film Festival here.
DOC10 FILM FESTIVAL
Looking for some of the best documentaries of 2026? Check out the Doc10 Film Festival, which takes place at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center from April 24th through May 3rd. Doc10 has been around for over a decade, highlighting great documentaries on various subjects from around the world.
This year’s festival is loaded with interesting documentaries, including some of the best titles from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, including Poh Si Teng’s harrowing American Doctor, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Give Me the Ball!, about tennis icon Billie Jean King, the sweet and funny Girl Scout Cookie film Cookie Queens, and Alex Gibney’s shocking and moving Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie. The festival also has several Q&A’s from filmmakers and subjects scheduled, which is always great after watching a film.
Check out the Doc10 website for scheduling, ticketing, and film information.
CHICAGO CRITICS FILM FESTIVAL
Another great festival at the Music Box, the Chicago Critics Film Festival is curated by members of the Chicago Film Critics Association and highlights some of the buzziest films on the festival circuit, along with films that have flown under the radar and the occasional retrospective screening. Past films that have played at this festival have included Jay Duplass’ Baltimorons and James Sweeney’s Twinless in 2025, Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow in 2024, and Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry in 2023. They have also shown anniversary screenings of films like Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead, Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, and Ridley Scott’s Alien in past years, which are always a delight to watch.
The weeklong festival takes place May 1st through 7th. The film slate and schedule have not been revealed yet, so follow the Chicago Critics Film Festival on all social media platforms and check back to their website for updates and announcements. I have been attending this film festival since 2018, and it has become one of my favorites.
*4/10 Update: The lineup was officially announced and, as we’ve come to expect from this festival over the years, it is fantastic. The festival kicks off with Olivia Wilde’s Sundance smash The Invite, with Wilde in person for a post-film Q&A. Other highlights of this year’s festival include John Carney’s Power Ballad starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, anniversary screenings of David Cronenberg’s The Fly and Steven Spielberg’s A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, and Joe Swanberg’s The Sun Never Sets, which closes out this year’s festival. Visit the Chicago Critics Film Festival website to grab your tickets and passes.
If you’re in or around Chicago over the next month, expand your cinematic horizon and check out one of these festivals.
TL;DR Film Festivals Happening in Chicago
- BEYOND CHICAGO: A film festival dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and cult films taking place at the Music Box Theater April 2-5
- CHICAGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL: A celebration of Latino voices at the Landmark Century Cinema from April 16-27.
- DOC10 FILM FESTIVAL: Taking place April 24-May 3 at the Gene Siskel Film Center and Davis Theater, this is a showcase for documentary filmmaking from around the world.
- CHICAGO CRITICS FILM FESTIVAL: A film festival presented by the Chicago Film Critics Association that highlights some of the buzziest films on the film festival circuit. It takes place from May 1-7 at the Music Box Theater.
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