Podtalk: Film Fest Founder Michael Kutza to Sign His New Book ‘Starstruck’ on Oct. 19, 2022

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CHICAGO – Chicago International Film Festival Founder Michael Kutza will sign his new book – “Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” – during the current Fest, at Chicago’s AMC River East lobby from 6-9pm on October 19th, 2022.

The powerful film influencer is taking a well-deserved victory lap, after retiring from the festival in 2018. In “Starstruck,” he tells stories of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and in 1964, his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.

Starstruck
Michael Kutza to Sign ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: ChicagoFilmFestival.com

During his 55 years in film, Michael supported the early careers of many cinema titans, including Martin Scorsese, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Claude LeLouch, Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta, Mike Leigh, Oliver Stone, John Carpenter, Joe Swanberg and Taylor Hackford. Over the years, some of the top tier “who’s who” of the film industry have attended the Chicago International Film Festival and related events – the “stars” of “Starstruck” – including Harold Lloyd, Bette Davis, Orson Welles, Francois Truffaut, Jack Lemmon, Vincente Minnelli, Sophia Loren, Jack Nicholson, Shirley MacLaine, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Liv Ullmann, Jodie Foster, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier, Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.

Michael Kutza has received recognition from his peers in film and arts, including the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the Cannes Film Festival, the Silver Lion Award from the Venice International Film Festival, the Sydney Pollack Award from American Cinematheque, a Knight of the Legion of Honor from France, and the “Onorificenza di Cavalierato,” the highest arts award in Italy.



“Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” is Michael’s labor of love and gift to the cinema world, a brassy page turner that dishes all the insider stories on the stars, the festival, Chicago and of course his passion, the world of film.

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Michael Kutza talks of his parents, and the Chicago film scene before the festival …

In Part Two of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Michael Kutza jabs at the interviewer, and talks of his contemporary Roger Ebert and how he helped jumpstart the critic’s career …

Michael Kutza will sign “Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” during the 58th Chicago International Film Festival on Wednesday, October 19th, 2022, from 6-9pm in the lobby of the AMC River East, 322 East Illinois Street, Chicago. The 58th Chicago International Film Festival runs through the 23rd, 2022. Click ChicagoFilmFestival.com for tickets, schedules and details. “Starstruck” is available wherever books are sold.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor, Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2022 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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