Special advance screening of Annapurna Sriram’s audacious debut feature Fucktoys, with post-show Q&As moderated by Chicago International Film Festival programmer Sophie Gordon.
Showtimes
Saturday, August 15
6:30 PM – Screening #1 + Q&A
9:30 PM – Screening #2 + Q&A
Ticketing
$14 /General
$10 /Members
Buy Tickets
Part-time sex worker, full-time chaos magnet, AP is convinced that the universe has it out for her… and she might be right. In Fucktoys — the wild, unfiltered debut from writer/director/star Annapurna Sriram — AP seeks a cosmic reset after a swampy tarot reading (courtesy Big Freedia) tells her she needs $1,000 and a sacrificial lamb to lift her curse. Armed with neither, she sets off on a bizarre quest with her kindred spirit Danni (Sadie Scott) through Trashtown, USA — a dystopian, neon-drenched sprawl of assorted oddballs, Tom of Finland cops, and strip clubs galore.
Channeling the cinematic stylings of French New Wave, cross-pollinated with the rebellious vibe of 90s-era Gregg Araki, Fucktoys is rude, crude, unhinged, girlypop middle finger to filmic convention. It’s a surrealist and satirical odyssey with a cast to match that includes 13 Reasons Why’s Brandon Flynn, The Comeback’s Damian Young, and a knockout performance by Heated Rivarly’s François Arnaud. Sriram’s Fucktoys took home a Special Jury Award at both SXSW & Fantasia, a Grand Jury Award at NewFest, and earned the writer-director a 2026 Film Independent Spirit Award Nomination.
Annapurna Sriram, 2025, 106 mins, USA, DCP
FILMMAKER Q&A
ANNAPURNA SRIRAM – WRITER/DIRECTOR/STAR
Annapurna Sriram grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. She credits her early artistic influences to the many transgressive and unchaperoned movie rentals she found at the local public library throughout her childhood. She received her BFA in Acting from Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts, and began her career in New York City acting on the stage, and in film & television. Her most cherished previous work includes Jesse Eisenberg’s The Spoils, Wallace Shawn’s Evening at the Talk House, and the critically acclaimed independent feature film Feral. She is also known for her roles on television including Billions, The Blacklist, Bonding, and I Think You Should Leave. Her directorial debut, Fucktoys, won the Special Jury Award at SXSW and went on to secure official selections and numerous awards at prestigious festivals worldwide, including Karlovy Vary, Fantasia, NewFest, BFI London, Sitges, AFI Fest, and Torino. Annapurna was a 2026 Film Independent Spirit Award nominee for the Someone to Watch award.
SOPHIE GORDON – MODERATOR
Sophie Gordon is a filmmaker, musician, and film programmer based in Chicago, Illinois. As a filmmaker, she has directed short films and music videos, and has worked as a producer, editor, first assistant director, and production designer for feature and short films in the US, Colombia, and Spain. She is the songwriter and band leader of the group Fina, performing original music and composing for feature films, short films, and podcasts. Her primary work is in film festival programming; after three years as the Programming Manager and Programmer of the Chicago Latino Film Festival, she is now in her fifth year as Programmer of international feature films at the Chicago International Film Festival, the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. In her programming, she specializes in Latin American and LGBTQ+ cinema.
