Portrait of Syria opens

"LENS ON SYRIA: THIRTY YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY CINEMA" OPENS IN CHICAGO.

New York- After its successful debut at New York's prestigious Lincoln Center (from May 5th-18th 2006), international arts nonprofit ArteEast announced today the the launch of the second station of its North American tour of "Lens on Syrian Cinema: Thirty Years of Contemporary Cinema", at the Gene Siskel Film Center, in Chicago, from June 2nd to 28th, 2006.

The program, titled, "New Stories and Ancient Dreams: The Way to Syrian Cinema," includes four masterworks of Syrian cinema.The series is planned to continue touring at the following institutions: The Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa; The Pacific Cinematheque in Vancouver; The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; The Pacific Film Archives in Berkley, The San Francisco Arab Film Festival) and The Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon.

A complete tour schedule is available at http://www.arteeast.org.

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER o 164 N. State St. o Chicago, IL

TICKETS: $9 general admission o $7 students o $5 Film Center members.

INFORMATION: 312-846-2800 o


www.siskelfilmcenter.org

DISCOUNTED PARKING: InterPark at 20 E. Randolph, $14 with movie ticket stub, no time limit!ABOUT ARTEEAST

ArteEast is a New York-based international nonprofit organization that supports artists from the Middle East and its diasporas, raising awareness of their most talented and groundbreaking work through public events, exhibits, a dynamic online gallery and a resource-rich website.Since its founding in 2003, ArteEast has brought over 200 feature, short and documentary films; the works of over 40 new visual artists; and 40 filmmakers, artists, actors and critics to the US to discuss their work. ArteEast programs have traveled to a dozen cities in the US and Canada, and are now expanding beyond North America.Visit the ArteEast website at http://www.arteeast.org to learn about our ongoing events, read up on the latest news from the art scene in the Middle East, and access our virtual gallery.MEDIA CONTACTRasha Salti, ArteEast. Mobile: +1 347 448 12 91.

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ArteEast490 Third Street, #2Brooklyn, NY 11215Tel & Fax: 718 832 6564Email: info@arteeast.orgwww.arteeast.org