External Publication

The 61st Chicago Int’l Film Festival

Fonts In Use [Unofficial] March 11, 2026

Contributed by Chris Sorto

For the 61st Chicago International Film Festival, the visual identity was meticulously anchored in the enduring precision of the Swiss International Style. Embracing the powerful simplicity of Neue Helvetica , a stark black and white palette, and structural efficiency, the core design provided a refined, minimalist stage.

Our ambition, however, was to celebrate the vast, vibrant world of film genres. This was achieved through a compelling typographic dialogue: carefully selected display typefaces, each echoing distinct film tropes and design tendencies, were introduced as dynamic accents.

These genre-specific types acted as exuberant bursts, dramatically contrasting the austere Neue Helvetica. They symbolize the immersive narratives of cinema ‘breaking through’ the festival’s foundational elegance, creating a design that is both disciplined and thrillingly expressive—a true homage and love letter to the design language of film.

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