Oak Park IL Film Festival returns September 11 & 13-14
Published on August 18, 2025
An expanded Oak Park IL Film Festival is set to return to the community on Sept. 11 & 13-14 and tickets are on sale now with early bird discounts on weekend passes and block tickets available until Aug. 31.
The Oak Park, IL Film Festival is an annual celebration of cinema, bringing together filmmakers, audiences, and the Oak Park community to showcase films with a unique Oak Park connection—whether through content, cast, crew or setting.
The festival kicks off Thursday evening, Sept. 11 with a gala event at the Lake Theatre, featuring a Hollywood film with a connection to Oak Park, IL. This year's opening night film is "Moonstruck" featuring longtime Oak Park resident, the late John Mahoney. The 1987 film that captured three Academy Awards also stars Cher, Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis.
Tickets to the screening and tribute to Mahoney are available for $25. Click here to purchase.
The festival continues Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13-14, at the Madison Street Theater, a local stage theater transformed into a cinema venue. Audiences can enjoy a diverse selection of films from a variety of genres including features, documentaries, shorts, and more (as submissions allow) and all with an Oak Park connection. In addition to screenings, the festival also hosts industry professionals who share their insights and experiences with attendees, along with food, networking opportunities and other festive activities.
Films are scheduled to be screen on Sept. 13 from noon - 10 p.m., and on Sept. 14 from 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Weekend passes allowing entry to all films and events at the Madison Street Theater are available for $60 before the early bird discount ends on Aug. 31. After that date, the cost increases to $70. Click here to purchase.
Block tickets allowing purchasers to enjoy a two-hour segment of film(s) and event will be available soon. The early bird pricing is $12 until Aug. 31, after which it increases to to $15. Click here to view information.
For more information about the Oak Park IL Film Festival, please visit www.opilff.org or email team@opilff.org.
About Oak Park - The Village of Oak Park, located just nine miles west of downtown Chicago, offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a thriving, multi-cultural community. Well-known for progressive values, tree-lined streets and bustling business districts, Oak Park serves as an ideal place to live, work and play. As a longstanding community of choice, the Village benefits from convenient access to local and regional transit, high-quality public schools, and arts and cultural attractions, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and his acclaimed Unity Temple, which was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
About OPILFF - The Oak Park, IL Film Festival is an independent non-profit organization of volunteers founded in 2023 by Joyce Porter. The mission of the festival is to bring together and showcase Oak Park Illinois' outstanding creative community and provide entertainment for the entire Chicago area. The current fiscal sponsor is Madison Street Theater.