Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway opens the 30th Chicago International Film Festival, with David Mamet’s provocative Oleanna closing. The Festival presents a retrospective of the work of horror maestro Wes Craven, as well as tributes to Rod Steiger, Italian director Luchino Visconti, and Diane Ladd.

At the Summer Gala, Oliver Stone receives the Director of the Decade Award. The Festival honors Jack Lemmon, Indian director Shyam Benegal, Israeli director Dan Wolman, documentarian Arthur Cohn, and Kathleen Turner. Alfonso Arau’s Like Water for Chocolate premieres, and the Festival presents Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Baz Luhrman’s first feature film, Strictly Ballroom. The Education Outreach Program is launched, providing free film screenings to Chicago Public School students during the Festival.

Earlier in the year, the Festival is honored at a week-long event in Moscow during Sovinterfest. The Festival opens with the World Premiere of Lina Wertmüller’s Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with star Sophia Loren on hand to receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Programming highlights include a 3-D retrospective, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s CLOSE UP, Egyptian director Youssef Chahine’s Alexandria Still and Forever, and Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s Ju Dou, which takes the Gold Hugo for Best Feature.