Cinema/Chicago Goes ‘On the Road’ in Summer Screenings Celebration of Route 66 Centennial

Cinema/Chicago, presenter of the Chicago International Film Festival, today announced the full lineup of films to be showcased at the 22nd edition of Summer Screenings, running June 3 – August 22, 2026. With ON THE ROAD AGAIN, this year’s program honors the 100th anniversary of the founding of Route 66 – America’s most iconic highway – with a celebration of the classic “road movie” genre in which the journey is the destination. Featuring everything from gripping revenge odysseys and harrowing ocean crossings to introspective cross-country treks and whirlwind railway capers, audiences will explore what it means to “hit the road” in countries around the world. 

Presented in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Chicago History Museum alongside more than 20 cultural and consular partners, screenings will be held Wednesdays at the Chicago Cultural Center and select Saturdays at the Chicago History Museum and are free and open to the public; advance registration is encouraged. Tickets are available the week prior to each screening at www.chicagofilmfestival.com. 

The 22nd Summer Screenings schedule is as follows:

Wednesday June 3, 2026

SMALL BODY (Italy)

Dir. Laura Samani

Italy, 1900. After delivering a stillborn baby, grief-stricken Agata is worried her child’s soul will be condemned to an eternity in Limbo. When she learns of a remote sanctuary where miracles are performed, she sets out on a perilous journey through forests, over seas, and up mountains in this sublime, spiritual parable of healing and redemption. Italian dialect with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Wednesday June 10, 2026

THE RAFTSMEN (Australia)

Dir. Chadden Hunter

1973. Inspired by a charismatic explorer, twelve men set sail from Ecuador aboard three handmade rafts. Destination? Australia. Battling raging storms, hunger pangs, and persistent doldrums, the ramshackle crew dreams of reaching the Land Down Under. Revealing interviews and beautifully restored 16mm footage from the voyage bracingly chronicle the most dangerous ocean crossing ever attempted. English.

Chicago Cultural Center

Wednesday June 17, 2026

MASTERGAME (Hungary)

Dir. Barnabás Tóth

1956 Budapest. A young couple boards one of the last refugee trains, escaping the Soviet invasion. As they race toward freedom, they become embroiled in a high-stakes chess match, whose outcome will determine their destiny. Battles of wits, desperate communists, and stolen Vatican treasures collide in this thrilling, serpentine adaptation of Stefan Zweig’s “The Royal Game.” Hungarian with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Wednesday June 24, 2026

UPON OPEN SKY (Mexico)

Dirs. Mariana Arriaga, Santiago Arriaga

Teenage brothers Fernando and Salvador struggle to adapt to their new life following the death of their father, who was killed in a car crash. Simmering with resentment, the two brothers (with their new stepsister in tow) road trip to the Mexico-U.S. border to track down the man they hold responsible in this taut revenge thriller. Spanish with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday June 27, 2026

THE THREE URNS (Ireland)

Dirs. John-Paul Davidson, Stephen Warbeck

After years living abroad, Mr. O’Connor (Ciarán Hinds, Belfast) sets out on a pilgrimage to his former home in Ireland to fulfill the wishes of his recently passed wife. Aboard various and unusual transports, Mr. O’Connor finds himself on a roundabout journey marked by serendipitous encounters with a cohort of colourful characters. Whimsy and wonder grace this heartfelt comedy about the wayfinders and the wanderings that lead us to home. English, French with subtitles.

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday July 1, 2026

ALBERTA NUMBER ONE (Canada)

Dir. Alexander Carson

An eccentric documentary crew treks across the vast roadways of Alberta, Canada to document monuments, museums, and other roadside curios. Armed with only a loose idea of the project’s final form, the wayward director struggles to manage a slew of messy personal entanglements and rivalries embroiling her collaborators. Directed with a light touch, this charming cross-country odyssey is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. English.

Chicago Cultural Center

Wednesday July 8, 2026

ON THE WANDERING PATHS (France)

Dir. Denis Imbert

When Pierre (Jean Dujardin, The Artist)—a celebrated writer—drunkenly falls from a balcony, his life begins to spiral downward. Barely able to stand, he decides (against the advice of his loved ones) to hike across France’s stunning, rugged landscape, from Provence to Mont Saint Michel, in hopes of healing his battered psyche. Based on real events, the film is a tender story of escape, resilience, and reconnection with nature. French with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday July 11, 2026

PORTRAIT OF A CERTAIN ORIENT (Brazil)

Dir. Marcelo Gomes

Fleeing conflict in their homeland, siblings Emilie and Emir depart Lebanon for Brazil, first by ship crossing the Mediterranean and Atlantic and then river boat up the Amazon. Fellow passenger Omar catches Emilie’s eye and, as the two fall madly in love, Emir grows obsessively jealous. Based on a novel by Milton Hatoum, this period migration drama explores themes of memory, belonging, difference, and understanding with subtlety and finesse. Portuguese, Arabic, Tukano (Indigenous), French, and Italian with subtitles. 

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday July 15, 2026

THE RED TREE (Colombia)

Dir. Joan Gómez Endara

When his father dies, Eliécer is left to care for his young half-sister. Unwilling to take her in, he decides to bring her from his seaside home to bustling Bogotá and search for her estranged mother. Joining the pair is Toño, a charming boatman, who dreams of city life. Journeying across Colombia, the three form an unlikely bond in this touching portrait of both a character and a nation. Spanish with subtitles. 

Chicago Cultural Center

Wednesday July 22, 2026

BONJOUR SWITZERLAND (Switzerland)

Dir. Peter Luisi

After a crazy public referendum designates French as Switzerland’s sole official language, a German-speaking civil servant is charged with travelling across the country by train to infiltrate a resistance movement bent on preserving the nation’s linguistic diversity. This slapstick comedy satirizes government bureaucracy while celebrating Switzerland’s diverse and interconnected cultural landscape. Swiss German, German, French, and Italian with subtitles. 

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday July 25, 2026

THE FROG AND THE WATER (Germany)

Dir. Thomas Stuber

Buschi’s daily routine in an assisted living facility leaves no room for surprises. Seeking change, he seizes the chance to leave a group outing behind and joins a Japanese tour traveling through Germany. Having lived his entire life without speaking,  Buschi forms a wordless friendship with Hideo—a man on a journey of his own—and the two create a bond that transcends language as they embark on an unexpected adventure. German, Japanese with subtitles.

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday July 29, 2026

BIKE VESSEL (U.S.)

Dir. Eric Seals

After undergoing a quadruple bypass operation, Donnie Seals, Sr. decides to completely overhaul his life and takes up cycling. He convinces his son (the film’s director Eric Seals) to join him, and together the duo embark on an epic ride from St. Louis to Chicago. This stirring documentary inspires with a very personal story about self-empowerment while also taking a hard look at the health disparities impacting the Black community. English. 

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday August 1, 2026

BIRDS FLYING EAST (Spain)

Dir. Pau Durà

In this unconventional buddy road dramedy, keen birdwatcher and attorney Mario enlists washed-up rock musician-turned-mechanic to chauffeur him to Costa Brava in search of the migrating cranes. When it is clear that the “birds” have taken flight, the 50-somethings odd couple set a new course for the Danube River Delta, crossing Italy, Slovenia, Romania, and Hungary, in what becomes a life-altering journey humming with romance, reflection, and the promise of redemption. Spanish with subtitles.

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday August 5, 2026

SHORT VACATION (South Korea)

Dirs. Han-Sol Seo, Kwon Min-pyo

Four middle school girls are given an assignment as they break for summer vacation: photograph the end of the world. Initially perplexed, the four friends take their cameras aboard a train with the intent to ride it to the end of the line. When they arrive, though, they realize the tracks continue on. Imbued with the breezy, languid feeling of a long summer day spent with friends, Short Vacation is a tender-hearted portrait of youth in search of itself. Korean with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday August 8, 2026

GODSPEED (Taiwan)

Dir. Chung Mong-hong

An over-the-hill cab driver’s life is turned upside down when he offers a ride to a desperate small-time drug smuggler. Suddenly driving crosscountry to deliver a mysterious package to southern gangsters, the bickering pair suffer an endless run of cosmically bad luck. Expertly blending buddy comedy and gangster noir, the film careens toward an unforgettable, bloody conclusion. Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, and Thai with subtitles.

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday August 12, 2026

THE SON AND THE SEA (U.K.)

Dir. Stroma Cairns

Looking to escape their self-destructive daily routines in London, best mates Jonah and Lee take a trip to the Northeast coast of Scotland. Settling into small-town life,  they make fast friends with Charlie, a deaf man visiting his twin brother and looking for fun. Together the three young men while away the days amidst the salty sea air, as each discovers within himself the courage to confront the past. English. 

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday August 15, 2026

ROUTE 29 (Japan)

Dir. Morii Yusuke

A lonely 30-something cleaner, who struggles with even basic communication, unwittingly kidnaps a young girl to reunite her with her mother. As they traverse the picturesque Route 29 across Western Japan, the two misfits start to forge a bond, learning about human connection from the many strangers—surreal, wacky, and wise—they chance upon along the way. Moments of darkness and light dapple the path of this bittersweet yet hopeful sojourn. Japanese with subtitles. 

Chicago History Museum

Wednesday August 19, 2026

DAY BY DAY (Sweden)

Dir. Felix Herngren

When Malte, a man living in a retirement home, is given a grim medical prognosis, he decides to pile into an RV and road trip from Gothenburg to Switzerland. Along for the ride are four unlikely companions, all hoping to help fulfill Malte’s final wish. Careening across the continent, friendships develop across generations and love begins to bloom in this sweet, life-affirming comedy about the beauty of life’s twilight years. Swedish with subtitles.

Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday August 22, 2026

DUG DUG (India)

Dir. Ritwik Pareek

Riding his motorcycle home one night, a man named Thakur tragically dies on the side of an anonymous stretch of country road. Days after clearing the scene, the police are shocked to find Thakur’s motorcycle has mysteriously reappeared at the site of the accident. Taken as a sign from heaven, a new religion is born. Pulsing with infectious energy, Dug Dug playfully satirizes the trappings of organized religion as it explores the mysteries of faith. Hindi with subtitles. Chicago History Museum.

For more information, visit Cinema/Chicago’s website at https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/.

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