Michael Kutza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
Michael Kutza
Michael Kutza.jpg
Occupation Festival founder & CEO
Years active 1964 – present
Michael Kutza (born 1942) is a filmmaker, a graphic designer and the founder of the
Chicago International Film Festival.[1] In addition, he has been involved in other
film festivals internationally, in such diverse locations as Taormina, Tehran,
Moscow, Manila, Bogota, Los Angeles, Cannes, Berlin and Jerusalem, and has served
as an advisor to a number of other festivals, including the Berlin International
Film Festival and the Locarno International Film Festival.[2] In 1977 he was a
member of the jury at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.[3] From 1979 to
1991, he served Italian journal II Tempo as its American film correspondent. He has
received numerous honors for cultural achievements.

Contents
1 Chicago International Film Festival
2 Honors
3 References
4 External links
Chicago International Film Festival
In 1964, at the age of 22,[4] Michael Kutza founded the Chicago International Film
Festival, subsequently serving as its artistic director until 2016. Starting in
2017, he now acts as the president and CEO of Cinema/Chicago, the Festival's parent
organization.[5][6][7]

Through its early years, Kutza personally screened and selected the films that
would be shown at the Festival.[8] It was during this period, in 1967, that Kutza
viewed and selected for its world-premiere I Call First, the first film of director
Martin Scorsese, which would later be expanded and rereleased as Who's That
Knocking at My Door.[9][10] Kutza has been an outspoken proponent of foreign-
language films.[11]

Honors
Kutza has received a number of honors for his cultural achievements. Among them, in
1972, Kutza received the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and in
1978, the Chicago Sun-Times' "Exceptional Contribution to Chicago" award.[2] In
1985, Jack Lang, then the French Minister of Culture, bestowed the Chevalier de
L'ordre des Arts et des Lettres upon him during the Cannes Film Festival for his
work in promoting fine arts.[2]

In 1987, Kutza served on the Camera d'Or Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.[12] In
1995, he was a member of the jury at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival.
[13] In 1996, the city of Chicago honorarily designated S. Michigan Ave from Van
Buren to Congress as "Michael J. Kutza Way."[14] In 2009, Kutza was honored by the
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois as one of its "Legendary Landmarks",[15]
a title bestowed on "citizens who have made contributions to the civic and cultural
life of Chicago and Illinois."[16] In 2010, Kutza accepted the "Media Award" from
the Niagara Foundation's Peace & Dialogue Awards.[17] The same year, Chicago
Magazine included Kutza on their list of "Top 40 Chicago Pioneers," alongside
Oprah, Barack Obama, Studs Terkel, Roger Ebert, and Gene Siskel.[18] In 2012, Kutza
received the American Cinematheque's Sydney Pollack Award. Cinematheque chairman
Rick Nicita described the award: “The Sydney Pollack Award honors someone who has
been of critical importance and continuing influence in non-profit film exhibition,
film preservation and/or independent film distribution - people whose work Sydney
supported and found to be so valuable, who are not often recognized for their
efforts. And there’s no one who better represents Sydney’s commitment to the art of
film than Michael.” [19] In June 2015, Michael Kutza was named a Knight of the
Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic for his achievements as
"an internationally recognized graphic designer, filmmaker and the Founder of the
Chicago International Film Festival." The Italian government awarded Kutza with the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2017 for his contribution to Italian
film.[20]

References
Turner, Barry (2008). The Screenwriter's Handbook: The Essential Companion for All
Screenwriters. Macmillan. p. 238. ISBN 0-312-37954-4.
"Agreed calendar, Journal, City Council, Chicago" (PDF). Chicago City Clerk. 31
July 1996. p. 95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved
2010-03-18.
"10th Moscow International Film Festival (1977)". MIFF. Archived from the original
on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
Nesselson, Lisa (7 October 2004). "Unsinkable Kutza celebrates record run.(Inside
Chicago)". Daily Variety. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
"History". Chicago Film Festival. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
Schnurmacher, Thomas (18 August 1984). "Knows any good monster flicks? Tell
Michael Kutza". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
Phillips, Michael. "Chicago International Film Festival names new artistic
director". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
Noth, Dominique Paul (18 November 1978). "Film Bag Full in Chicago". The Milwaukee
Journal. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
Ebert, Roger (2008). Scorsese by Ebert. University of Chicago Press. p. 12. ISBN
0-226-18202-9.
LoBrutto, Vincent (2008). Martin Scorsese: a biography. Greenwood Publishing
Group. p. 98. ISBN 0-275-98705-1.
Kennedy, Dana (2 May 1999). "SUMMER FILMS: INDIES; Festival to Festival, a Movable
Marketplace". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
"Only Jeers For Cannes Top Winner". Chicago Tribune. 1987-05-20.
"45th Berlin International Film Festival". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
"Chicago City Council Journal" (PDF). 1996-09-11. Archived from the original (PDF)
on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
"'Legendary Landmarks' celebrated in Chicago". WLS-TV. 8 March 2009. Retrieved
2010-03-18.[dead link]
Lenoir, Lisa (2007-03-07). "Cultural stalwarts gain legendary status". Chicago Sun
Times. p. 49.
"2010 Peace & Dialogue Awards". Niagara Foundation. 2010-05-04. Archived from the
original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
"Top 40 Chicago Pioneers: Visionaries from 1970 to 2010". Chicago Magazine. 2010-
12-01. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
web, Segretariato generale della Presidenza della Repubblica-Servizio sistemi
informatici- reparto. "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". Quirinale.
Retrieved 2017-10-09.
http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/51FestPR-Legion-of-
Honour-award.pdf

External links
http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/
Categories: 1942 birthsLiving peopleAmerican filmmakersAmerican graphic designers
Navigation menu
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
ArticleTalk
ReadEditView history
Search
Search Wikipedia
Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
Contribute
Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Wikidata item
Print/export
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Add links
This page was last edited on 5 December 2021, at 03:54 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaMobile
viewDevelopersStatisticsCookie statementWikimedia FoundationPowered by MediaWiki