CIFF needed a campaign that solidified its values of being inclusive, welcoming & accessible.

Film festivals are often perceived as being only for elite, educated or hardcore cinema lovers. And films with subtitles are perceived as being the most elite of the bunch.

We needed to find a way to show people from all walks of life that the Chicago International Film Festival has a story for everyone.

To celebrate the 58th Chicago International Film Festival, we turned a symbol of international film, the subtitle, into a visual device. We told big stories in a few words by subtitling everyday life — music, sounds, and dialogue captured the romance, intrigue, and drama of cinema. With only subtitles, the city and its inhabitants became the visual and our audience watched film unfold around them.

For 58 years, The Chicago International Film Festival has been bringing the best in international cinema to the city. Their mission is to enrich Chicago’s cultural environment by presenting film in contexts that encourage discussion and debate and to promote a deeper understanding of a diverse body of cultures, thus contributing to Chicago’s identity and orientation as an international city.