Chicago DOCUFEST 2026 opens on Wednesday, October 28 with Black Box Diaries, journalist Shiori Ito's first-person account of investigating her own assault and confronting Japan's legal and media institutions.
Built from years of recorded conversations, hidden-camera footage, and diary material, the film extends the investigative rigor of Ito's reporting into a documentary form — a tone the festival chose to set for a program built on observation and sustained access.
The opening-night presentation is the film's U.S. premiere within the International Feature Documentary section. It screens ahead of twenty-seven additional titles completed between 2024 and 2026.
The Film
Completed in 2024, Black Box Diaries premiered in the Cannes Film Festival's Special Screenings section and was Japan's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
- Director
- Shiori Ito
- Country
- Japan / UK
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Year
- 2024
- Screening
- Wed, Oct 28 · 7:30 PM
- Venue
- AMC River East 21
- Followed by
- Conversation with the filmmaker
Red carpet arrivals begin at 6:30 PM. See the full opening-day timeline on the opening day announcement and the three-day schedule.