Annual Festival of Films from Iran

June 5–11, 2026

This yearly showcase spotlights the innovation, resilience, and humanism of contemporary Iranian filmmakers and acclaimed Iranian auteurs. For the 37th year of the Festival of Films from Iran, we’re honoring influential Iranian playwright, theater director, and filmmaker Bahram Beyzaie with a limited retrospective and presenting a slate of the best contemporary films by Iranian and Iranian-diaspora filmmakers. 

The Gene Siskel Film Center’s Festival of Films from Iran began in 1989, spearheaded by then-director of programming Barbara Scharres, with programming consultation by filmmaker and Iranian-film scholar Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa and support from associate director of programming Martin Rubin. The Festival offers a window into Iran’s political, social, and cultural world, forming and challenging audiences' perceptions, while fostering a deeper understanding of the country and its cinema.