In Paradise Man (ii), screening as part of CFCA Shorts Program #2 at the Chicago Critics Film Festival, Paradise Man searches for meaning in an unknowable universe… This uniquely touching and philosophical film—which premiered earlier this year at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival—hails from director, writer, and editor Jordan Michael Blake.

After reevaluating a toxic friendship, Emma tries to overcome her people-pleasing ways by cutting ties with a life-long friend. The next day, she learns that her decision has ended more than just a friendship. Emma finds herself falling into old patterns with her former best friend's family, while she struggles to keep a dark secret from them. Such Good Friends screens Sunday, May 4, at the Music Box Theatre, as part of CFCA Shorts Program #2 (2:15 p.m.), during the Chicago Critics Film Festival.

Screening May 4, at 9:30 p.m., at the Music Box Theatre, as part of the Chicago Critics Film Festival,40 Acres is an action-packed debut by filmmaker R.T. Thorne.

Ahead of “Living Reality” screening within the shorts program, filmmaker Philip Thompson graciously took the time to answer this year’s CCFF filmmaker questionnaire. Below, his individual responses.

A razor-sharp directorial debut from The Bear and Beef writer-producer Alex Russell, LURKER is a screw-turning psychological thriller made for the moment.

Having tried and failed to make a documentary about the infamous Zodiac Killer, filmmaker Charlie Shackleton walks the viewer through what his film would have been like and why,

Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s revelatory coming-of-old-age feature, Familiar Touch compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective.

Inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's concept of Live Cinema, Brother Verses Brother is a radically personal musical odyssey, screening on May 3, at 4:15 p.m., at the Music Box Theatre, as part of the Chicago Critics Film Festival.

In Albert Birney’s OBEX, screening at this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival, loner Conor Marsh embarks on a quest to find his dog after she goes missing while he’s playing the video game OBEX.

In Tallulah H. Schwab’s “Mr. K,” screening at this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival, a travelling magician finds himself in a Kafkaesque nightmare when he can’t find the exit of the hotel he slept in.

Sinking in a situationship, a broken heart is bad enough, but a broken arm might be the trick to be seen again. Question is, is it worth it? “Call Me Crazy,” by Carlos Lerma, screens within “CFCA Shorts Program #1” at the Chicago Critics Film Festival.

SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED is a wildly entertaining and fittingly unconventional documentary about convention-defying singer, songwriter and record producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, one of the great cult figures of 20th-century American music.

In the Chicago Critics Film Festival’s new “Meet the Critic” series, we’re introducing our readers to some of the many talented members of our Chicago-area print, online and broadcast critics group, which celebrates the art of film and film criticism. In today’s feature, meet Zachary Lee, a freelance film and culture writer based in Chicago.