The White Balloon

Friday, January 2 - Saturday, January 3, 2026

Special Events

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

Screening on 35mm!

Jafar Panahi’s revelatory debut feature is a child’s-eye adventure in which a young girl’s quest to buy a goldfish leads her on a detour-filled journey through the streets of Tehran on the eve of the Iranian New Year celebration. Cowritten by Panahi with his mentor Abbas Kiarostami, this beguiling, prizewinning fable unfolds in documentary-like real time as it wrings unexpected comedy, suspense, and wonder from its seemingly simple premise.

Screening as part of PANAHI & KIAROSTAMI: TWO MASTERS

See more and save! Get a Panahi & Kiarostami Ticket Pack  ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any three screenings in the series.

35mm print courtesy of TIFF Film Reference Library

  • Country Iran
  • Language Persian with English subtitles
  • Year 1995
  • Running Time 85 minutes
  • Format 35mm
  • Distributor Janus
  • Director Jafar Panahi
  • Cast Aida Mohammadkhani, Mohsen Kafili, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaee
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.