February in Chicago means a return to the city’s annual festival celebrating the films of Iran. Held at the Gene Siskel Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the 27th Annual Festival of Films from Iran kicked off on February 4th, and will be running through to the end of the month.
In addition to hosting a program of 46 films—including well-known releases like Taste of Cherry and last year’s Disappearance—the filmfest is also an opportunity for special guest appearances and guided screenings. Professor Mehrnaz Saeedvafa and renown film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum will celebrate the work of Abbas Kiarostami, hosting a screening of 76 Minutes and 15 Seconds, and Taste of Cherry will be featured in a 35mm print next weekend.
The filmfest has also marked increased coverage surrounding the departed director, and 24 Frames’ inclusion has prompted glowing reviews at Time Out Chicago and The Chicago Reader. Chicagoan fans of Kiarostami should also try to make it to the local premiere of Waiting for Kiarostami on February 25th, an experimental tribute to the the director by Hossein Khandan, who will be in attendance.
