Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
The 60th Chicago International Film Festival kicks off tonight.
We’re talking 107 new feature films and 69 shorts over 12 days, some likely to be Academy Award contenders.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll fill you in on what you need to know about this year’s iteration of the festival.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on state officials battling election misinformation, the local legacy of Schwinn bicycles, apple-picking orchards within driving distance — and more community news you need to know.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Your guide to the Chicago International Film Festival
Reporting by Bill Stamets | For the Sun-Times
What’s on tap: The 60th Chicago International Film Festival begins tonight, offering 107 new features and 69 shorts for its 12-day run. The big-screen experience is enhanced by 101 (and counting) filmmakers attending screenings for Q&As.
Local connection: Prominent Chicagoans play starring roles in Rana Segal’s documentary about sculptor Richard Hunt and civil rights heroine Ida B. Wells. Getting a revival is “The Spook Who Sat by the Door,” scripted by Chicago novelist Sam Greenlee. The 1973 drama of the same name imagines the CIA’s first African American agent coming home to Chicago and organizing nationwide guerrilla warfare.
What’s new: Among the auteurs with new narratives are Pedro Almodóvar, Leos Carax, Aki Kaurismäki, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Pablo Larraín, Steve McQueen and Raoul Peck. Stars in the fest’s lineup include Amy Adams, Ralph Fiennes, Angelina Jolie and Cillian Murphy. Inspired pairings include Julianne Moore with Tilda Swinton and John Lithgow with Geoffrey Rush.
Opening and closing: Wednesday night features “The Piano Lesson” by Malcolm Washington. Starring John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, it’s adapted from August Wilson’s 1987 play. The closing night screening, “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis, will get the Founder’s Legacy Award.
Where to watch: The Oct. 16–27 fest will screen films at Newcity 14, 1500 N. Clybourn Ave.; Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., and four other venues.
Tickets: $24; Cinema/Chicago members $20 (more for special presentations); $15 for weekday matinees (by 5 p.m.), late-night films (9 p.m. and later), short film programs and streaming (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin residents)
What to watch: For 10 recommended films to catch this year, click here or on the button below. 👇
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Battling misinformation: Russian influence and false claims of a rigged election plagued the last two presidential elections. This time, Illinois election officials say disinformation poses the biggest threat to the integrity of the vote.
Addressing city shortfalls: The Civic Federation on Wednesday laid out a smorgasbord of revenue-raising and cost-cutting options to fill a combined $1.2 billion city budget shortfall this year and next, but the group also urged Mayor Brandon Johnson to avoid serving a property tax increase as the main course.
Inspector general’s findings: A former high-ranking official at the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has been accused of creating a hostile work environment with “prolonged verbal abuse and discrimination.” Underlings were so shaken by the treatment, many of them quit, then lied about it to investigators when questioned.
Hard times: True Value, the hardware retailer based in Chicago, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and agreed to sell itself for $153 million to Do It Best Corp., according to court filings. True Value’s 4,500 stores, including 10 in Chicago, are independently owned and will continue day-to-day operations.
Greyhound plans to stay: The bus operator said it is finalizing a lease extension with the new property owner of its West Loop station. The extension would allow it to continue operating buses at 630 W. Harrison St. after Sunday, when its lease was set to end.
Chicago exec tries ‘Married at First Sight’: Ahead of the show’s season premiere Tuesday, Chicagoan Camille Parsons spoke with the Sun-Times about taking a leap and tying the knot with a stranger.
25 years of ‘The Blair Witch Project’: The unusual low-budget horror hit no longer has the power to surprise, but it still can generate a few jitters, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper in a look back on the creepy classic.
CHICAGO HISTORY 🚲
Schwinn led the bicycle industry from Chicago for a century before losing its way
Reporting by Anna Mason | WBEZ
If you see a low-riding bicycle with high handlebars, shining chrome and a banana seat, you might think: That’s one hot retro bicycle. And if you know bicycle history, you’ll think: That’s a Schwinn.
Schwinn Bicycle Co. shaped bicycle culture for decades while maintaining its strong Chicago identity through four generations of family ownership.
Schwinn was sold long ago and no longer is based in Chicago. But a devoted few keep the legacy of Schwinn alive.
If you were to walk along State Street in the 1890s, you’d see the road teeming with people riding bicycles in full-length biking outfits, with knee-length trousers for men and bloomers for women. This cycling craze was a result of the invention and mass production of the modern bicycle. Chicagoans were obsessed.
Ignaz Schwinn was a hardworking businessman who spent the first half of his life in Germany before immigrating to Chicago in 1891. He had trained under German bicycle mechanics and builders and was hungry to make a mark on the booming U.S. market. In 1895, he founded Arnold, Schwinn and Co. and bought a building to begin production. In the decades that followed, he worked with his son Frank W. “F.W.” Schwinn to develop the company.
“They realized they had to make something better, that it could be high-end, it could cost more, but it would be something that would really drive demand,” says Judith Crown, author of “No Hands: The Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company.”
BRIGHT ONE ✨
The best apple-picking orchards near Chicago
Reporting by Esther Bergdahl | For WBEZ
City living has a lot in its corner, but few experiences can beat a beautiful fall day in an apple orchard. Luckily for us, Illinois and the surrounding states are full of family-owned, often multigenerational orchards.
Here are five Illinois orchards. Plan fast, though: Apple season will wrap up soon, and many orchards close for the season on or around Oct. 31. Double-check business hours before you go.
Curtis Orchard
Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍3902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign
Founded in 1977, this orchard grows nearly 30 varieties of apples, with more planted to offer in future seasons. Plus, they’ve got family-friendly activities like the corn maze, pony rides, face-painting and pumpkin-picking on select days. Keep an eye out for the “Wizard of Oz”-themed decor.
Edwards Orchard
Open daily, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍7061 Centerville Road, Poplar Grove
Edwards Orchard grows two dozen apple varieties for picking, ensuring there’s always something in season. You can also meet Otis, Edwards’ 8-month-old Highland mini cow. The Edwards fam prides itself on sustainable farming methods, like restoring prairie and wetland on the orchard to preserve bee habitats. Before you leave, get some hot apple cider doughnuts from the cafe.
Honey Hill Orchard
Open daily, 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
📍11783 Waterman Road, Waterman
Dozens of apple varieties and pumpkins are available for picking here. Visitors can also purchase farm-harvested raw honey and caramel apples on site. Friday marks the start of the orchard’s Pumpkin Harvest Weekend.
All Seasons Orchard
Weekdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍14510 Illinois Route 176, Woodstock
Two orchards, 16,000 apple trees, one prized piece of fruit — this farm has one of the largest Honeycrisp orchards in northern Illinois. That said, it’s late in Honeycrisp season, but there are plenty of other delicious and baking-friendly apples left to nab. The orchard’s “fun farm” includes a ropes course and pig races, plus a corn maze, U-Pick pumpkin patches and a bee observation spot.
Jonamac Orchard
Weekdays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
📍19412 Shabbona Road, Malta
All-ages fun and fruit-picking, both for apples and pumpkins, are available daily. General admission covers all manner of delights, including hay rides, live entertainment, an obstacle course and a corn maze (which becomes a haunted maze on weekends this month). For nighttime visitors, you can reserve space for camping and bonfires, with s’mores roasting sticks available too.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Have you ever owned a Schwinn? Tell us your story about the bike — and share a photo of it if you have one.
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers