The Unseen Stories: 5 Must-Know Facts About The Chicago Palestine Film Festival's 2024 & 2025 Lineup
The Chicago Palestine Film Festival (CPFF) continues its two-decade tradition of being a vital cultural institution, offering a powerful cinematic platform to challenge the erasure of Palestinian narratives. As of today, December 22, 2025, the festival has already cemented its success for the 2024 season and is setting the stage for a highly anticipated 2025 program, featuring award-winning, urgent, and deeply historical films from Palestinian directors and filmmakers worldwide.
Founded in 2001, the CPFF is an annual cultural event that showcases the rich and diverse artistic contributions of Palestinian filmmakers. The festival, a program of the Middle East Charitable and Cultural Society Inc., has become a crucial voice, bringing thought-provoking and immersive cinematic journeys to Chicago audiences and enriching the global cultural dialogue on Palestinian identity, history, and resilience.
Key Dates, Venues, and Leadership: The CPFF at a Glance
The Chicago Palestine Film Festival operates as an independent, non-profit organization, making it one of the longest-running and most important Palestinian film showcases in North America. Its annual main festival dates typically anchor the spring calendar, but year-round special screenings and events keep the community engaged.
- Annual Main Festival Dates: The 2024 festival was a major success, debuting in April to a sold-out crowd. The next main festival is already scheduled for April 12–26, 2025.
- Primary Venues: The festival’s main screenings are frequently held at the prestigious Gene Siskel Film Center, a key partner in Chicago’s cinema landscape. Other events, such as special screenings, have utilized venues like AMC Chicago Ridge 6.
- Recent Special Events: The festival maintains a dynamic schedule outside the main dates, including a world premiere screening of the documentary *Bisan* in December 2024 and a second screening of the feature film *Palestine 36* scheduled for October 23, 2025.
- Executive Leadership: The festival is spearheaded by Executive Director Nina Shoman-Dajani, who emphasizes the festival's mission to highlight Palestinian stories told by Palestinians.
The Most Talked-About Films: Urgent and Historical Narratives
The CPFF’s programming is known for its blend of historical epics, personal documentaries, and urgent, contemporary stories. The films selected for the 2024 and 2025 seasons reflect the core themes that Palestinian cinema often explores: occupation, dispossession, diaspora, and discovery.
1. *The Voice of Hind Rajab* (2025 Grand Jury Prize Winner)
One of the most anticipated films is *The Voice of Hind Rajab*, a tense and urgent documentary that has already earned international acclaim, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. The film centers on the tragic story of a 5-year-old girl, Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a car under heavy military fire in Gaza in January 2024. It embeds with the emergency workers from the Red Crescent as they attempt a perilous rescue, offering a harrowing and immediate look at the human cost of conflict.
2. *Bisan* (A Seen Palestine Documentary)
The world premiere of the documentary *Bisan* was a significant event for the festival in late 2024. This powerful film tells the story of Bisan, one of the world's most courageous journalists, who filmed 14 months of the Gaza crisis entirely with her phone. It is a testament to the resilience and bravery of journalists working under extreme duress, providing an unfiltered window into life during a genocide.
3. *Palestine 36* (The Historical Epic)
Looking ahead to the 2025 program, audiences are eager for the screening of *Palestine 36*. This 2025 historical drama, written and directed by renowned Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, is a sweeping epic that recounts the 1936–1939 Arab revolt against the British Mandate. The film charts the lives and ambitions of those living under British rule, exploring the complex social and political landscape of Palestine as villages united in anti-colonialist uprisings against increasing Jewish immigration.
The Festival's Enduring Cultural Impact
The Chicago Palestine Film Festival is more than just a series of screenings; it is a critical cultural and political event that fosters dialogue and understanding. By spotlighting films by Palestinian directors, the festival actively works against the narrative of erasure and provides a crucial space for self-representation.
The festival's success is often measured by its ability to draw sold-out crowds and generate meaningful discussion, proving the strong demand for authentic Palestinian storytelling in the Midwest. Events like the recent sold-out fundraiser held at Masada restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood demonstrate the robust community support for the CPFF’s mission.
The films showcased, such as the 2024 feature *To a Land Unknown* by Mahdi Fleifel, which explored themes of sexual themes and drug usage, demonstrate the festival’s commitment to presenting a full spectrum of cinematic art, not shying away from controversial or difficult topics. This dedication to artistic freedom and diverse perspectives solidifies the CPFF's reputation as a world-class cultural institution.
As the April 2025 dates approach, the CPFF continues to serve as an essential bridge, connecting the diaspora community with their heritage and educating the broader public on the complexities and humanity of the Palestinian experience through the powerful medium of independent cinema. Whether through documentaries like *Bisan* and *The Voice of Hind Rajab*, or historical dramas like *Palestine 36*, the festival ensures that these unique stories and perspectives resonate with audiences worldwide.
Topical Entities & LSI Keywords
- Palestinian cinema
- Gene Siskel Film Center
- Middle East Charitable and Cultural Society Inc.
- Nina Shoman-Dajani (Executive Director)
- Annemarie Jacir (Director)
- *The Voice of Hind Rajab* (Film)
- *Bisan* (Documentary)
- *Palestine 36* (Film)
- *To a Land Unknown* (Film)
- Arab revolt (1936–1939)
- Gaza (Thematic focus)
- Palestinian diaspora
- Cultural event Chicago
- Independent film festival
- Seen Palestine (Production company)
- AMC Chicago Ridge 6 (Venue)
- Red Crescent (Entity in *Hind Rajab* film)
- Occupation (Thematic focus)
- Dispossession (Thematic focus)
- Discovery (Thematic focus)
- Chicago International Film Festival (Related event)
- Logan Square (Chicago neighborhood)
- Masada restaurant (Fundraiser venue)
- Venice Film Festival (Award recognition)
- Palestinian storytelling
- Film programming
- Short films (Program category)
- Art Under Occupation (Special event)
- El-Funoun Dabke Workshop (Related event)
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