Facets Multimedia   

1517 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
773-281-9075
www.facets.org

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Whether you are a foreign-film buff obsessed with the work of some obscure Japanese director or are just looking to support independent filmmakers, Facets Multimedia is one of the city's most creditable locales to plunk down your dollars for the love of film. Founded in 1975, the non-profit media arts organization is part theater, part video store, with a focus on cutting-edge programming and the distribution of foreign, independent, classic and hard-to-find films. Facets boasts both a 125-seat movie theater and a 35-seat video theater with daily screenings of festival films, director retrospectives, and premieres. Annual festivals include the award-winning Chicago International Children's Film Festival and the New French Cinema festival. The Videotheque houses over 40,000 titles available for rent or purchase, and can be browsed through either on an online catalogue or through displays cases in the store. The space itself is humble and clean, with a small marquee out front and spare white walls inside. Though serious film fans set the typical scene at Facets, pretension is virtually absent from the aura. The staff seems genuinely friendly and always eager to advise or talk film. Facets also hosts seasonal film classes, including screenings, lectures and discussions.