‘Front Runner,’ starring Hugh Jackman as Gary Hart, to close Chicago film fest

A movie about the aborted presidential campaign of Gary Hart, starring Hugh Jackman as the ill-fated Colorado senator, will close out the Chicago International Film Festival, organizers announced this morning.

“The Front Runner,” directed by Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”), recounts how the married senator went from leading the pack for the 1988 Democratic nomination to dropping out after he was linked to a young volunteer named Donna Rice (played in the film by Sara Paxton).

Reitman is scheduled to attend the CIFF screening at 6 p.m. Oct. 21. Like other festival events, it will take place at AMC River East, 322 E. Illinois.

The festival will kick off with “Beautiful Boy,” an addiction story starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet, at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10. Director Felix Van Groeningen is scheduled to be present.

Other titles at next month’s festival:

• “Wildlife,” about a 1960s teenager watching the marriage of his parents (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal) fall apart. It’s the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano. Mulligan will attend and be honored with a tribute. 6 p.m. Oct. 16.

• “The Green Book,” with Mahershala Ali as a pianist touring the South in the 1960s with a bouncer (Viggo Mortenson) serving as his driver. 8 p.m. Oct. 20.

• “The Hate U Give,” about a young black student who witnesses the police shooting of her best friend, and faces pressure from people in both her poor black neighborhood and her rich white prep school.

Tributes also are planned to “The Exorcist” director William Friedkin (6 p.m. Oct. 15), “Black Panther” costumer Ruth Carter (6 p.m. Oct. 20), silent film star and CIFF co-founder Colleen Moore (2:15 p.m. Oct. 21) and graphic designer Art Paul (7 p.m. Oct. 14).

The fest also will unveil several high-profile films shot in Chicago in recent years, including director Steve McQueen’s “Widows” (7 p.m. Oct. 13) and Elizabeth Chomko’s “What They Had” (8:30 p.m. Oct. 15).

For tickets and more festival titles, go to chicagofilmfestival.com.