Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than Fifty Years is the candid, colorful memoir of Michael Kutza, the visionary founder of the Chicago International Film Festival. Long before Sundance, Tribeca, or Toronto became cultural landmarks, Kutza set out to bring international cinema and Hollywood glamour to Chicago, launching the festival in 1964 with the support of silent film star Colleen Moore and legendary director King Vidor.

What followed was a remarkable journey spanning more than five decades, during which Kutza presided over one of the world’s most influential film gatherings. The festival welcomed an extraordinary range of talent, from classic Hollywood icons to contemporary auteurs, including Harold Lloyd, Bette Davis, Clint Eastwood, Viola Davis, Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Guillermo del Toro, Jodie Foster, Lauren Bacall, and Al Pacino. Along the way, it also introduced emerging filmmakers who would go on to reshape cinema, including Martin Scorsese.

Written with wit and irreverence, this show business memoir offers an unfiltered look behind the scenes of the film world. Kutza shares stories drawn from decades of rubbing elbows with directors, actors, and creatives at festivals in Chicago and around the globe, revealing both the triumphs and the chaos of a life lived just off-screen.

Entertaining, provocative, and deeply personal, Starstruck is essential reading for film lovers, festival enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the personalities and passions that helped shape modern film culture.

Product Details

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Publisher: BearManor Media
• Publication Date: July 25, 2022
• Print Length: 232 pages
• Item Weight: 1.56 lbs
• Dimensions: 8 x 0.56 x 10 inches