The Boston Festival of Films from Iran returns, showcasing new and restored gems from a country that has consistently produced some of the world’s most compelling cinema in spite of stringent artistic censorship. This year’s lineup includes Universal Language, a whimsical New Wave–inspired comedy set in a Farsi-speaking Winnipeg. 6 in the Morning delivers a suspenseful thriller about a farewell party turned nightmare, while Bahram Beyzaie’s freshly restored 1974 film Stranger and the Fog offers a mythic story of mystery on Iran’s northern coast. My Favorite Cake delivers a charming look at romance in later life, and the rarely seen 1977 treasure Dead End by Parviz Sayyad offers a quiet love story humming with social critique. This year’s ILEX award goes to Farahnaz Sharifi’s My Stolen Planet, a searing but tender documentary about Iranian women. Special thanks to programmer Homa Sarabi for lending her expertise to this year’s selections.

Additional films announced on a rolling basis.