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Facets Multi-Media, Inc.
Company typePrivate 501(c)(3) organization
IndustryMedia education
Independent movie theater
Video rental
Motion-picture video distribution
Founded1975
FounderMilos Stehlik
Headquarters1517 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[1]
Key people
Karen Cardarelli (Director)[2]
Charles Coleman (Programmer)[3]
DivisionsFacets Cinematheque, Facets Film School, Facets Children's Programs, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Facets Videotheque, Facets DVD Label
Websitefacets.org

Facets Multi-Media is a non-profit, 501(C)3 organization, and a media arts organization. Founded in 1975, its mission is to preserve, present, distribute, and educate about film.[4][5] Besides its facilities at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, Illinois, Facets Multi-Media also runs Facets Video, one of the largest distributors of foreign film in the United States.[6] Facets has been described as a “temple of great cinema”[7] by film critic Roger Ebert and "a giant in the rarefied world of art-house films and cultural education."[4]

Facilities

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Facets maintains facilities in Chicago, where it was founded by Milos Stehlik as a non-profit film organization. The brick-and-mortar space includes a single-screen movie theater (referred to as Facets Cinémathèque), which screens "interesting" independent films[8] and "obscure" features.[9] It also houses a video rental store that offers home delivery with over 65,000 titles,[4] described as "a stunningly deep archive of every kind of experimental, avant-garde, foreign and children's film you could hope to find."[10] There is also a non-accredited film school, consisting of classes for the general public.[8]

Programs

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Facets runs the annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival, a Kids Film Camp for ages 7–14,[11] Facets Film School for Chicago-area cinephiles, Facets Night School for cult film connoisseurs, and a Summer Film Institute for K-12 teachers.[12]

Facets Video

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Facets is a nationally recognized conservator, publisher and distributor of films on DVD, including independent, art-house, classics, documentaries, and experimental films.[13] Facets has distributed films by directors such as Bela Tarr, Jean-Luc Godard, Miloš Forman, Věra Chytilová, Amos Gitai, Alexander Kluge, Andrzej Zulawski, and Miklós Jancsó. Since the late 1980s, Facets has released over 800 films on VHS and DVD.[6]

Controversy

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In May 2025, Facets Multi-Media faced criticism for canceling a scheduled screening of the film On Campus Antisemitism by Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz. The decision was reported by the Chicago Jewish Alliance, which accused the organization of antisemitism for banning the film and its creator from the venue.[14] The cancellation sparked debate about the organization's commitment to its mission of presenting diverse perspectives in film.

References

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  1. ^ Facets Multi-Media Incorporated from Hoover's
  2. ^ Facets Multimedia, Inc. from Chicago Tribune
  3. ^ Charles Coleman, the celluloid adventurist from Chicago Reader
  4. ^ a b c Reaves, Jessica (6 December 2009). "Digital Age Creates Bumpy Nights at a Video Store". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Facets Multimedia". www.facets.org. Archived from the original on 2009-11-15.
  6. ^ a b "Facets Multimedia: Facets Exclusives". www.facets.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09.
  7. ^ "Last Tango in Paris movie review (1972) | Roger Ebert".
  8. ^ a b "Chicagoist's 10 Favorite Movie Palaces: Chicagoist". Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  9. ^ "Facets Cinematheque in Chicago, IL - Cinema Treasures".
  10. ^ "Chicago's Best Alt-Cinema Picks". HuffPost. 15 January 2013.
  11. ^ "FACETS KIDS FILM CAMP - CICFF". www.cicff.org/. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  12. ^ Loewus, Liana (15 August 2013). "Teachers Look to Film to Foster Critical Thinking". Education Week.
  13. ^ "Send Those Netflix Dollars to Facets: Chicagoist". Archived from the original on 2014-09-11. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  14. ^ "Chicago Jewish Alliance on X". X. May 2025.
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