62nd Chicago International Film Festival Dispatch #1 (with special correspondent Daniella Mazzio)
In the first dispatch out of the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival, Jeremy, Paco, and special correspondent Daniella discuss the following movies:
- Club Kid (dir. Jordan Firstman)
- A Long Winter (dir. Andrew Haigh)
- The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer (dir. Alessandra Sanguinetti)
- No Hands: The Wild Ride of the Schwinn Bicycle Company (dir. Daniel Clarke)
- Animation Shorts: Altered States (https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/shortsprog-animation/)
- All of a Sudden (dir. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
And Daniella talks about her experience at the Chicago International Film Festival's Industry Days. Check out Daniella's work here (https://www.daniellamazzio.com/).
Art by Lily Bacon (https://lilybacon.com/)
Music by newest_latest (https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest)
Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com
9 Oct 2026
Fours Stars returns to the Chicago International Film Festival, with Daniella Mazzio!
Jeremy and Paco will be covering the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival (https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/festival/all-films-list/)! And this year, we will be joined by Special Correspondent, Daniella Mazzio (https://www.daniellamazzio.com/about)! Daniella is an award-winning writer and critic who hosts the excellent Michael Shannon podcast, Hand Me the Mike (https://room-tone.ghost.io/podcast/). She previously joined us to cover Thief (1981) (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Woar9WYe2AQ6UJSn3uzPA?si=kLw82BsrSxml8LuZ_XOjig).
Our next few episodes will be dispatches from the festival, including mini-reviews, interviews, and catchups with film critics.
If you have any suggestions of movies we have to see, you can reach us at chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.
Art by Lily Bacon (https://lilybacon.com/)
Music by newest_latest (https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest)
18 Sept 2026
Straight Talk (1992) with photographer Sarah Hiatt
Jeremy and Paco are joined by photographer and Media Arts Department Chair for the Chicago Academy for the Arts Sarah Hiatt to discuss Straight Talk (1992), starring the dearly de-Parton-ed Dolly Parton. You can buy Sarah’s book of photography here (http://spurleditions.com/hiatt).
Art by Lily Bacon (https://lilybacon.com/)
Music by newest_latest (https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest)
Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.
Paco’s recommendation:
Cool Machine (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742026/cool-machine-by-colson-whitehead/) by Colson Whitehead
Jeremy’s recommendation:
Twin Peaks (1990) (https://letterboxd.com/film/twin-peaks/) pilot dir. David Lynch
Sources and further reading:
Dolly Parton's Chicago connections, from "Straight Talk" to the Imagination Library (https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/dolly-parton-chicago-connections-straight-talk-imagination-library/) | Adam Harrington, CBS News
Straight talk from Dolly Parton (https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/04/01/april-1-1992-straight-talk-from-dolly-parton/) | Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune
Hollywood on the Lake - the stars shine here (https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0EB37357EC8EA7CB.) | M. Gillis, Chicago Sun-Times
Monkey theft puts dealer on the hunt (https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/chicagotribune/newspapers/monkey-theft-puts-dealer-on-hunt/docview/283118053/sem-2?accountid=303%20%E2%80%98) | S. Johnson, Chicago Tribune
Who has been a guest on Four Stars: A Chicago Film Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Steve Prokopy
Jake Hinkson
Cortlyn Kelly
Kevin Shaw
Curtis Miller
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YouTube views
16,140
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
13 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100
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