The 61st Chicago International Film Festival took place from October 15 to 26, 2025, in Chicago, United States. The festival opened with American documentary film One Golden Summer by Kevin Shaw.
Festival events took place mainly around AMC NEWCITY 14, though other event venues throughout the city include the Music Box Theatre, the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Chicago History Museum, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.
This was the festival's second year having AMC NEWCITY 14 as the main venue. The full film line-up was announced on September 18.
The 61st edition of the festival showcased 111 feature films and 70 short films from over 60 countries, including four world premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 18 United States premieres.
The festival announced its competitive sections on September 11, 2025. The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the International Competition:
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the New Directors section:
The following films compete for the Gold Hugo of the Documentary Competition:
The following films competed for the Q-Hugo Awards, for films with LGBTQ+ themes; some of these competitors appear in other sections and are already listed in previous tables:
The jury formed by Melina León, Maura Delpero, Peter Kerekes and Gabriel Mayers, conceded the following awards for films shown in International Competition:
The festival additionally honored the work of following film artists from across genres and disciplines.