CIFF Black Perspectives Reviews From RogerEbert.com

In her festival dispatch for RogerEbert.com, critic Cortlyn Kelly reviewed three titles featured in the 30th anniversary edition of the Chicago International Film Festival's Black Perspectives programme. Curated by Chicago-based artist and scholar jada-amina, the showcase presented Arlieta Hall's documentary Finding Your Laughter, the animated film Ana, en passant, and Stephen Winter's restored 1996 feature Chocolate Babies. For cinema followers in Malaysia tracking international festival selections, these productions represent notable independent narratives addressing grief, family lineage, and grassroots activism. However, Malaysian distribution across domestic cinemas and streaming services has not been confirmed for any of the three works.

Key Facts

The 2026 Chicago International Film Festival Black Perspectives programme presented documentary, animated, and restored historical narrative features curated by jada-amina. Spanning productions from the United States, France, and Brazil, the lineup featured debut director Arlieta Hall alongside restored work by filmmaker Stephen Winter, showcasing varied explorations of personal loss and community activism.

The Chicago International Film Festival's Black Perspectives programme marked its 30th anniversary under the curation of Chicago artist jada-amina.

How Did Cortlyn Kelly Review Finding Your Laughter?

In her RogerEbert.com coverage, critic Cortlyn Kelly evaluated Finding Your Laughter as an intimate, well-organised comedic documentary that successfully models resilience and joy amidst personal tragedy. Directed by Chicago caregiver Arlieta Hall, the non-fiction debut chronicles her father Milton's decline from Alzheimer's disease while balancing the heavy emotional weight of terminal illness with vibrant levity.

Kelly observed that Hall transitioned from regular employment to full-time caregiving alongside Milton's wife, Charmaine, capturing daily vignettes that establish the core of the film. To bridge narrative lapses and time jumps, the production incorporates comic-strip animations, which Kelly credited with reinforcing a playful instructional tone. Kelly also highlighted an oscillating score of jazz and acoustic instrumentation that reflects Milton's enduring physical capacity to dance despite cognitive decline.

“Her patience is boundless; each moment models a level of love that makes the movie’s meaning abundantly joyous in the face of grief.”

Cortlyn Kelly, RogerEbert.com

Arlieta Hall documented her daily caregiving experiences alongside Charmaine to create her debut feature documentary about her father, Milton.

What Artistic Techniques Define Ana, en passant and Chocolate Babies?

Cortlyn Kelly characterised Ana, en passant as an elemental, multi-media collage exploring maternal lineage, while highlighting Stephen Winter's Chocolate Babies as a vibrant, satirical queer political drama. Both festival selections investigate memory, bodily movement, and marginalised social dynamics through distinct stylistic approaches, contrasting delicate surrealist animation against bold, energetic independent live-action filmmaking.

In the animated entry Ana, en passant, voice artist Jéssica Pierina portrays both Ana in Paris and Alice in Brazil. Kelly noted that the animation unfurls like budding leaves across urban environments, employing analog stationery motifs and postage stamps to evoke a tactile familial archive. Movement serves as an inherited dance connection linking Ana to her grandmother. Turning to Chocolate Babies, Kelly documented that the radical New York drama was rejected by CIFF in 1996 following its Berlin premiere. Thirty years later, the film received its festival screening following a 25th-anniversary restoration by the National Film Preservation Foundation. Kelly praised its saturated colour palette, textured film grain, and strong performances by Bryan Webster and Dudley Findlay Jr., observing that communal care remains central despite satirical confrontation.

The National Film Preservation Foundation restored and remastered Stephen Winter's 1996 independent feature Chocolate Babies for its 25th anniversary.

What It Means for Viewers in Malaysia

Malaysian availability for Finding Your Laughter, Ana, en passant, and Chocolate Babies has not been confirmed for theatrical or streaming release. Neither local cinema exhibitors nor digital distribution platforms have announced acquisition rights or screening dates, leaving local audiences reliant on future international festival programming or regional licensing deals.

At present, no theatrical release dates have been scheduled across major cinema operators in Malaysia, including Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), TGV Cinemas, MBO Cinemas, or Lotus Five Star (LFS) Cinemas. Furthermore, neither film has appeared in catalogue announcements for streaming platforms serving the Malaysian territory, such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, HBO Max, Viu, iQIYI, or Astro. No film classification application has been submitted to or registered by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (Lembaga Penapis Filem, LPF).

The Malaysian release dates, theatrical distribution, and streaming availability for all three festival titles remain unconfirmed.

Common Questions

Questions surrounding the Chicago International Film Festival selections centre on festival history, international distribution pathways, and artistic personnel. Below are key verified facts regarding the 30th anniversary Black Perspectives programme, Stephen Winter's restored queer political comedy, and current availability across domestic and international screening channels.

The 2026 Chicago International Film Festival marked thirty years of the Black Perspectives showcase under the artistic guidance of jada-amina.

Why was Chocolate Babies absent from CIFF in 1996?

Stephen Winter's Chocolate Babies was originally rejected by the Chicago International Film Festival selection committee in 1996 following its Berlin premiere. The film subsequently received a 25th-anniversary restoration by the National Film Preservation Foundation before screening at CIFF 2026 thirty years later.

Who directed and stars in Finding Your Laughter?

Finding Your Laughter is the directorial debut of Chicago caregiver Arlieta Hall. The non-fiction documentary features Hall alongside her father Milton, who lives with Alzheimer's disease, and his wife Charmaine, blending personal home video vignettes with comic-strip animated sequences and acoustic instrumentation.

Can viewers stream Ana, en passant in Malaysia?

Streaming availability for Ana, en passant has not been confirmed in Malaysia on any platform, including Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, or Prime Video. The animated project by voice actor Jéssica Pierina remains an independent festival title without an announced international home release schedule.

Sources and Methodology

This dispatch relies entirely on festival reporting published by RogerEbert.com on 21 October 2026 covering the Chicago International Film Festival. Critical assessments reflect evaluations by journalist Cortlyn Kelly, with factual data verified directly against official festival programme records and independent film preservation archives without secondary speculation.

Information was cross-referenced directly from Cortlyn Kelly's reporting for RogerEbert.com on 21 October 2026 with no financial estimates generated.

• Primary Source: RogerEbert.com festival review titled "CIFF 2026: 'Finding Your Laughter,' 'Ana, en passant,' 'Chocolate Babies'", authored by Cortlyn Kelly.
• Date Checked: 21 October 2026.
• Financial Data: The source text contains no production budget or box office figures; no monetary estimates or ringgit conversions were calculated.