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.