1. Don’t be starstruck. Admit it, you’re tempted by the celebrity appearances (if you must know, find out where they’ll be at chicagofilmfestival.org). But don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re going to get to watch the movie on, say, Rachel Weisz’s lap. Much more likely is a mob scene and your silver-screen crush saying, “Hi. Thanks. It was a pleasure to be in this film. Enjoy,” right before she heads for the door.

2. But do indulge your director fandom. By contrast, directors, especially the lesser-known ones, are stoked to be there, and their postscreening Q&As are often a lot of fun.

3. Skip any film slated for fall release. Be honest, the only two reasons to see a film you know is coming out three weeks later are the chance of seeing someone famous and the bragging rights. On stargazing: See suggestion 1. On bragging: Really?

4. Research. Yes, we’re unashamedly plugging our own title-by-title coverage running in the Film section and at timeoutchicago.com/chifilmfest starting October 16, but a little Internet sleuthing can yield additional descriptions and festival reviews. That’s far better than just reading the fest program’s enticing descriptions.

5. Go outside your comfort zone. The fest includes films from Iceland, Japan, South Africa and Iran. There are docs on the designer Valentino, gardening in South Central Los Angeles and training in cooking school. Pick at least one film that isn’t “your thing.” If you love French romances, go see a drama from Taiwan. Part of the fun of a film festival is expanding your horizons.