Chicago International Film Festival to Hold Inaugural Physical Media Fair October 17-18

The Chicago International Film Festival today announced its inaugural Physical Media Fair, celebrating the art of film preservation and the community of collectors of in-home entertainment. From the advent of VHS to today’s highest-quality 4K HD Blu-rays, collecting movies at home has long been a passion for many film fans. In today’s age of streaming and post-release editing, owning your own copy of a cherished film or new discovery may be the only way to visit that classic the way the filmmakers intended. 

The Physical Media Fair will take place during the opening weekend of the 62nd edition of North America’s longest-running competitive film festival, October 17 and 18, at 1511 N. Halsted St. at the NEWCITY mall, home of the Festival’s hub theater, AMC NEWCITY 14. Over the course of the two day event, which partners with Kino Lorber, a leader in independent arthouse distribution and home of the Kino Lorber Studio Classics physical media line, and Reckless Records, one of Chicago’s most iconic record stores, film lovers will have the opportunity to trade discs with other collectors, purchase new films, and participate in conversations with filmmakers, festival programmers, and other fans of physical media.

“As last year’s Criterion Mobile Closet visit proved, Chicago International Film Festival audiences are keen to own their favorite films at home,” said Michael Welch, Cinema/Chicago Marketing Director. “Physical media presents movie fans the opportunity of owning a tangible piece of their favorite films. This interest in collecting Blu-rays and DVDs is giving distributors incentive to look back at films that weren’t well-preserved, and to do the work to restore them so they can again be seen the way they were meant to be seen.” 

Attendees can expect to browse a cinema lover’s treasure trove, with anticipated offerings ranging from rare and out-of-print VHS, laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K titles to new releases, special-edition restorations and box sets; film scores and soundtrack albums on vinyl; and screenplays, biographies, criticism and other books exploring movies and filmmakers. Among the weekend’s highlights, distributor Kino Lorber will offer a selection of their in-home lineup including their latest releases; Exile in Bookville will feature a curated collection including Hollywood memoirs, collectible artbooks celebrating iconic directors, and a selection from the BFI Film Classics series; and Reckless Records presents vinyls and CDs of film soundtracks alongside DVD and Blu-ray offerings. 

The Physical Media Fair pop-up is open Saturday October 17 from 12 – 8 p.m., and Sunday October 18 from 12 – 5 p.m. On Saturday from 12 – 5 p.m. visitors can win prizes in film trivia and hear conversations from visiting filmmakers, and from 5 – 8 p.m. the Cinema/Chicago Associate Board is set to host a Physical Media Swap in partnership with Revolution Brewing, in which participants can bring their VHS, DVD, Laserdisc, and Blu-ray films and trade them with other collectors. On Sunday fans can buy copies of their favorite films from a variety of vendors including distributors Kino Lorber and Kartemquin, and local retail shops Reckless Records, The Brown Elephant, Exile in Bookville, Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles, and more.

For more information, visit https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com.

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