This past October I had the opportunity to attend the Chicago International Film Festival (or CIFF) with some friends. It was my first time participating in a film festival and I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I was mainly excited to reconnect with friends that live in different parts of the country and spend a week together watching movies. The plans had made it out of the group chat and had become a reality.
Our time in Chicago was better than I could have anticipated. For one, the cooler weather was a nice break from the Texas heat that had overstayed its welcome into October. But primarily, it was a time where we could take time off from our busy schedules, slow down, and enjoy cinema in a theater with others, seeing something new and exciting for the very first time.
In our few days in Chicago, we were able to see films from all around the world as well as from local Chicago filmmakers. We were able to participate in Q+As with the producers, writers, directors, and actors for the films presented. And enjoy more than one Chicago handshake while discussing the films together as a group.
Now, in March of 2025, almost 6 months later, there are three films that have yet to leave my mind that I wanted to highlight and encourage others to look out for when they are released sometime this year. These films were my personal favorites from the festival and are works that I think you should keep an eye out for in 2025.
Vulcanizadora dir. by Joel Potrykus
Our first night of the festival we made our way to the Music Box Theater for the first of the ‘late night’ screenings sponsored by Shudder. The films programmed for later in the evening that we saw were typically horror or thrillers and this was no exception. Vulcanizadora begins with two friends heading into the woods for a camping trip, one of them played by the film’s director Joel Potrykus and the other by Joshua Burge.
Right off the bat, you can feel the unease as you realize this isn’t a normal camping trip, with Potrykus’ character keeping fairly silent, set on reaching their destination, while Burge rambles on about their relationship, his young son, and whatever other random thoughts come into his head. At first, I found this character to be annoying by design, but the more he talks, the more sympathetic he becomes, while Potrykus’ character stays removed and dismissive of his friend.
Once the two reach their destination, an idyllic scene near a lake, the true reason for the trip is revealed and the anxiety builds as you realize what is about to happen. Discontent with their lives, the two friends have concocted a pact to end their lives together. However, as you have come to realize from their walk through the woods, one of them has a lot more to live for than the other.
The next scene and what follows for the rest of the film is what has stuck with me since we saw it last October. I won’t say much else, as I think going in blind is the best way to see this one, but I will say that I could feel my heart leap in my chest as the climatic scene played out. The rest of the film fully enters the realm of black comedy as the fallout of that scene is taken to its logical end.
As someone who was not familiar with Potrykus’ previous work, I left the theater somewhat stunned as to what I had just witnessed. I honestly wasn’t sure if I enjoyed what I had just seen, but I can tell you that I was most certainly affected by it and I think the film did exactly what it set out to do.
This month, Vulcanizadora was picked up for distribution, so keep an eye out for it and be prepared to come out the other side with a new appreciation for life, despite the bleak and nihilistic nature of the film itself.
Transplant dir. by Jason Park
When choosing which films to see on the CIFF schedule, we were drawn to Transplant because it was described as Grey’s Anatomy meets Whiplash. While that might be a simplified version of the film actually is, it does put you in the right mindset. In Transplant, Jonah (played by Eric Nam) is a surgical resident at a prestigious hospital vying for the attention and tutelage of a legendary heart transplant surgeon Dr. Edward Harmon (play by Bill Camp).
At the beginning of the film, Jonah is working under another surgeon, Dr. Robinson (played by Adam Arkin) who is affable and seems to enjoy his work. However, in one of the first scenes, he has to call for assistance from Dr. Harmon to help finish a surgery, giving us our first look at the legendary surgeon in action. He immediately takes control of the operation, calmly instructing the other doctors on how to proceed with an underlying intensity that shows he has done this hundreds of times before and knows that every second counts.
After this introduction, Jonah does everything he can to get on Dr. Harmon’s rotation, wanting to learn from the best. When his wish is granted and he is brought into one of Dr. Harmon’s operations to assist, he realizes that he may have bitten off more than he can chew, as Dr. Harmon uses the power he wields in the operating room to berate and antagonize Jonah, all while the patient lies on the table with their life on the line. Rather than back down, this only pushes Jonah further to do everything he can to prove himself to Dr. Harmon and earn his respect.
While this is happening, the other meaning of Transplant comes into play, as Jonah takes care of his aging mother who originally moved with his late father to the states from Korea. As her health becomes more unstable, Jonah continues to improve as a surgeon and spend more time in the operating room, forcing him at a critical moment to choose between being with his mother in her time of need and his loyalty to Dr. Harmon.
Although the comparisons to Whiplash are understandable due to the mentor/mentee dynamic, Transplant separates itself by adding further depth to the characters of both Jonah and Dr. Harmon. Eric Nam does an excellent job in his acting debut, but Bill Camp was the highlight for me, switching between playful hazing and terrifying operation room dictator on a dime. It is also a remarkable debut from Jason Park, who directs with an assured vision you rarely see for a first time filmmaker.
I am not sure if Transplant has been picked up for distribution yet, but when it does, you won’t want to miss it.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl dir. by Rungano Nyoni
The final film we saw at the festival and my personal favorite was On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. Written and directed by Rungano Nyoni, the film follows Shula (played by Susan Chardy) who discovers the dead body of her uncle on the side of the road late at night after a party. She soon runs into her cousin Nsansa (played by Elizabeth Chisela) on the same road and the two of them try to figure out what to do.
After this dramatic opening, the rest of the film follows the large family as they prepare for and observe Zambian funeral traditions, with Shula navigating the generational divide between her parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins along with the open secrets about her uncle that come to light. While the older generation finds comfort in the traditions they observe, the younger generation questions why they place ritual above real conversations about who their uncle truly was and what he left behind.
As the funeral takes place, Shula understands that even though she has tried her best to keep distance between herself and her family, she has a responsibility to the next generation to call out the hypocritical behavior of her elders and place their lives above the ritualistic traditions that have kept the men in her family safe from the consequences of their actions.
Despite the unfamiliar landscape of Zambia that serves as the film’s backdrop, the cycles of abuse and familial secrets are all too relevant and hit hard. At times both heartbreaking and hilarious, this film is singular in its depiction of a culture and country I have never seen before on screen. And Nyoni’s direction is exceptional, making me excited for whatever she plans to do next.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is being released in the US starting on March 7th, with showings for locals at Austin Film Society later in the month. I highly recommend seeing this in theaters if you can.
