Besides «Marshall» director Hudlin, stars Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad and Sterling K. Brown and producer Paula Wagner,
high - profile guests expected at various screenings and events during the festival include Patrick Stewart (subject of an Oct. 25 career retrospective tribute and a conversation with yours truly); Vanessa Redgrave (Oct. 16, presenting her documentary «Sea Sorrow» and represented elsewhere in the festival by a revival screening of «Blow - Up»); Alfre Woodard (subject of an Oct. 21 career retrospective tribute); Michael Shannon (Chicago's own, as the locals like to call him, representing «The Shape of
Water» on Oct. 26); Tracy Letts (Chicago's own, as the locals
also like to call him, participating Oct. 18 on behalf of Greta Gerwig's acclaimed directorial debut «Lady Bird»); Michael Stuhlbarg (arriving Oct. 25; he gives a beautiful supporting turn in the coming - of - age drama «Call Me by Your Name»); Jon Lovitz (part of the Chicago - sprung comedy «Chasing the Blues,» appearing Oct. 14); and, in an Oct. 23 addition announced after the program went to press,
Bill Pullman (getting good notices for the western «The Ballad of Lefty Brown»).