Chicago Critics Film Festival

The Chicago Critics Film Festival is organised by the Chicago Film Critics Association, and its programme is chosen by the association's members — critics writing for Chicago-area print, online and broadcast outlets. The festival dates back to 2013 and is held each spring at the Music Box Theatre on Southport Avenue, a historic Chicago cinema; all screenings are in person.

The line-up gathers anticipated new features ahead of their release, often presented by their directors or cast, together with programmes of short films and repertory screenings of older titles. Alongside the festival, the association runs an Emerging Critics Program with Rotten Tomatoes. The dates of the 2026 edition are 1–7 May 2026.