Hello everybody! It's Lara, back at long last at the Cleveland International Film Festival! It's a very exciting night, both opening night and the start of my spring break after a grueling semester. And yes, this is the best vacation I could possibly ask for. It's wonderful to see familiar faces -- hopefully I'll be seeing many more when all of you begin to arrive -- and get back in touch with everybody I've missed!

The Festival is already off to a spectacular start, with record-breaking ticket pre-sales and more movies than ever. People are beginning to trickle in already, preparing for our spectacular opening night film! Tonight we're showing Then She Found Me, which is Helen Hunt's directorial debut! As a fan of her films, I'm very excited.

If you're coming down to join us tonight and haven't started down yet, now is definitely the time to go, because we have a traffic snarl down here. A few roads near Tower City center had to be rerouted -- the RTA driver said it was a water main break -- so don't leave things to the last minute. This is the place to be tonight, and I'm so happy to be here!

See you soon!

Wow, I had a wonderful time last night at the Gala! I've missed this so much. Day One is getting off to a great start. We have some really fantastic films today, so start your weekend off early with a show or two!

There are a few things to keep in mind if you're driving down here today. First, remember that we have huge crater down here by Public Square thanks to yesterday's water main break, so traffic is going to be a little snarled. Give yourself extra time if you're driving in, because the rerouting is going to make things slower. Also, this morning is the funeral for fallen hero Derek Owens, so that may also cause some traffic delays. And then, of course, we have a winter storm heading our way.

Don't let that stop you from joining us, though! We have amazing films today. I'd like to send out a particular invitation to my classmates in "Imaging Africa," because our professor is offering you guys an extra-credit opportunity for some of the films in the festival. Among them is A Walk to Beautiful, which is running in the noon round and which will have the filmmaker attending to answer questions after the event! Don't miss this, guys! It starts at noon!

Oh boy! The snow has begun! Come warm up with us here in Tower City Center, because we've got the perfect antidote for nasty weather.

We're kicking off the 2:00 round at 1:45 with showings of Oscar nominees past and present, the thought-provoking Polish film Katyn and John Sayles' brilliant 1992 film, Passion Fish. Mr. Sayles has not yet touched down in Cleveland, so he won't be in attendance for a Q&A after Passion Fish concludes, but the film is a must-see anyway and a great beginning to our Director's Spotlight series.

Then, at 2:00, Knowledge is the Beginning and Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock'n'Roll will start. There will be a Filmmaker Q&A at the conclusion of Sam Phillips, too. If you're a music buff, these are your films!

We’ll finish out the round with the 2:15 start of Edda Award-winning Parents, a brilliant film from Iceland. Its companion film, Children, is also being shown at the Festival this year and had its first showing in the noon round, so this is a great chance to see both of them.

Need a little early break from work? Join us for a movie, and if anybody asks where you were, you can tell them that you got caught in the snow. ;-)

It never fails. Once the Festival schedule goes to the printer, things start changing on us. We've had one cancellation, three late additions, and some added screenings that you might not know about, so I thought I'd give everybody a heads-up about the ones that apply to today and tomorrow.

First, we will unfortunately not be showing Stiletto, which had been scheduled to play at 4:45 this afternoon and again tomorrow during the midnight round. For the midnight round, we've got a spectacular replacement, though: Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story.

Again, I want to do a shout-out to my classmates in the CSU Film department. This is your film, everybody, and so I'd better see a bunch of you showing up for it. Especially if you're with me in Dr. Neuendorf's History of the Moving Image class, because she's counting the film as an extra credit opportunity. There's no better way to combine classwork with fun.

Regarding the snow that's hitting us today and tomorrow, why not stay downtown with us? A number of great hotels in the area are offering special packages for Festival attendees. There's a list of them here, and room prices start at $79 per night. If you'd really like to take in some of our shows, but are worried about the ride home afterwards, this could be the answer. Also, remember that RTA was voted the best public transportation system in the nation, and most of the bus lines, and all of the train lines, come into the Tower City station. Skip the drive altogether and ride with them!

See? Nothing can stop this party.

The 4:00 round is gearing up, and we're starting it off at... well... 4:15, anyway, with two fantastic films: 3 Days to Forever, an Indonesian coming-of-age story with international appeal, and The Planet, an important documentary if you're concerned at all about the environment.

At 4:30, our next two movies in the round start up. They'll be John Sayles' brilliant The Brother From Another Planet, and our first Independent Shorts collection.

The last film of the 4:00 round, the Dostoevski-inspired Greek film Eduart, begins at 4:45.

I was really looking forward to the filmmaker Q&A with John Sayles after Brother, but it's been removed from the schedule because of airport delays. The show is still going on, though, and if you're getting worried about the weather, I'd like to remind you again that RTA can get you here and home again so you don't have to drive. Or, if you prefer, get a room with one of our partner hotels and stay downtown for the night. Don't let the snow get between you and great film experiences, because these movies will stay with you long after it's all melted away.

Our 4:00 round is now underway, and we're looking forward to the 7:00 round. Tonight we have our first films on "Stand-By" for this round, and if you're not familiar with how that works, I thought I'd fill you in.

If you're getting off work and dreading the commute home, put it off for a while and come join us for a movie! We have some really great ones coming up!

Our 7:00 round starts off at 6:45 with screenings of Flight of the Red Balloon and My Brother is an Only Child. This is followed at 7:00 sharp with the screening of Vivere. Then, at 7:15, we kick off Caramel and Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story.

That's a really eclectic and fascinating collection of films, and there's sure to be something to take your mind off the impending drive home. Caramel and Flight of the Red Balloon are on Stand-By, but we expect to be able to fit everybody in. This is a much better way to spend two hours than stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic with your heater blasting at full strength, so stay here a while and let the roads empty out a little. You won't be disappointed.

Meet Amy Salzman and John Roman, two of my friends and colleagues on the CIFF staff. Amy and I are both enrolled in CSU's film program, and Amy was a volunteer last year. John is one of her best friends, and the two of them are hilarious to hang out with. I had a great time last night, and a lot of it was thanks to them.

Volunteering, or working, for the Film Festival is a massively rewarding experience that I would recommend to everybody, but especially to my fellow film majors. Wouldn't it be cool if next year, I could post a picture of you here?

Have you ever wanted to ask a filmmaker where they get their ideas, or how they implement their vision? Now's your chance -- our 9:00 round has three filmmakers around to answer those questions!

We're starting up the round with Bluff and The Cool School at 9:30. The filmmaker will be present for a Q&A at the end of The Cool School.

Then, at 9:45, The Orange Chronicles and What We Do is Secret, both of which will have filmmaker Q&As, begin.

Finishing up the round, we have Jar City and XXY at 10:00.

Ignore the snow and come down here where it's warm, and where you can talk to the people behind the great films we show! Can't brave the weather? Come down tomorrow afternoon for our Meet the Filmmakers event at the Hard Rock Café, starting at 2:00 PM! Either way, you'll have an amazing time.

We still have a fantastic crowd down here. You guys are totally amazing! I knew that you were tougher than the weather.

We're coming up on the midnight round, and if you're still downtown, it's a great way to spend a few hours before heading home. (And again, I'd like to suggest that you can always check into one of the Festival's partner hotels and skip the commute altogether.) We're showing our Midnight Shorts collection #1, and also the sci-fi thriller Timecrimes. Those are great ways to finish out a Friday night!

Tomorrow morning is going to be a blast, too, and not just a wintry blast! I'm hoping you'll all come down again to join us (yes, we will be here, for we are awesome just like you). Our first round kicks off at 9:30 am, with the provocative films Little Moth and A Man's Job. Heat things up with some powerful independent film!

So bundle up and come down tomorrow and join us again. We'll have the popcorn ready.

I keep hearing rumors about a blizzard in Cleveland. Actually, the blizzard watch for the area has been canceled, but I have to say, the weather was pretty intense when I got up this morning, and I'm happier than ever that I decided to check into a hotel downtown for the duration of the Festival. I live up in the Heights, and on a good day, the commute takes me a minimum of a half-hour, so I have no idea how long it would have taken me today.

Things are actually bustling here, and the show is going on. Festival devotees are out in full force already, and I'm incredibly impressed by the crowd we already had for the morning shows. So we're here! And we've got great programs for you!

If you aren't downtown already, we want to urge you to be as safe as possible getting down here. Give yourself plenty of extra time. If you can, leave your car at an RTA parking lot and take one of the Rapids down to Tower City. There are a lot of stranded cars and road accidents around, so drive slowly and carefully if you're going to drive. Tower City is open, though, so if you come down here, you can get food and coffee here. Make a day of it. Once you're here, there's plenty to do, lots of great food and great movies, and if you don't want to brave the elements again, you can check into one of our partner hotels and ride out the storm with us.

Down here already? The Orange Chronicles will be starting at 11:15, and then Eduart and Time to Die will start at 11:30. At noon, we have our ever-popular Family Shorts Program and the film 10 + 4. If you miss those showings, grab a meal in the food court, because our 2:00 round is going to be every bit as fantastic.

Jump! will hop its way into your heart
By Laura Watilo Blake

It may be cold and snowy outside today, but things are heating up in Tower City. Get your heart pumping with interactive demonstrations of competitive jump roping, which will take place at noon and 6 p.m. in Tower City Center's Skylight Concourse.

Jump ropers featured in the film, Jump! will be on hand to show off their jumping prowess prior to the 7 p.m. screening of the film, which has become an instant favorite of film critics. "Seek out this film," said one reviewer, "even the sport of competitive jump roping -- because both of them are much more enjoyable than you might imagine at first. Trust me, no one will question your interest after viewing this truly fun documentary."

The directorial force behind the film, Helen Hood Scheer, is one of the CIFF's "Someone to Watch" in 2008. While she had been producing documentaries for several years -- collecting countless awards along the away -- she wanted to direct. The idea for the documentary film came to her through her television remote control.

"JUMP! was a film I felt compelled to make," Scheer says. "It all started when I chanced upon a rebroadcast of the 2005 US National Amateur Jump Rope Championship on television. I knew I had landed on something special and that there was no turning back. Ultimately, I became as obsessed with the sport as the people followed in the documentary."

Recently, the CIFF had a chance to talk to Scheer about her directorial debut that took two and a half years to make. In the following conversation, find out how the competitive jump rope scene has changed the director.

It's amazing. Now that I'm down here in Tower City, I'd never know that there was a snowstorm going on. Everything is warm and comfortable, the theater is bustling, and the stores and food court are going about business the way they would if the sun was shining out. When they say Tower City, they're not kidding. It's a mini-city here, and everything you could possibly need is right on hand. I ran out earlier for a cup of hot cocoa, and I was just delighted to see how active things were.

Things are going wonderfully at the Festival, too, and we're gearing up now for the 2:00 round. That's going to kick off at 1:30 with The International, which will then be followed at 1:45 with our Independent Shorts Collection #2, The Flight of the Red Balloon, and The Secret of Roan Inish. We're hoping that John Sayles will arrive in time for the screening of his film -- last we heard, he was in the air -- but with Hopkins down to two runways, it's going to be close.

The final film of the round is Vivere, starting at 2:00. These are some spectacular films, and like I said, Tower City really is a mini-city, completely sheltered from the storm, so come down here for the day and join us. Eat, drink, watch films, be merry, even check into a downtown hotel and stay with us until the storm's blown itself out. Everything you need is right here.

And again, if you're on your way down to us, stay safe and warm on the way. Give yourself lots of extra time and drive very carefully, because we want you here in one happy piece.

You'd never guess, from the crowds we have down here, that there was any kind of snowstorm outside. Then again, if you're down here with us, you probably know what I mean. The jumproper performance was absolutely incredible -- they made their physics-defying feats look effortless. I should hopefully be able to post some pictures from that event soon. They'll also be performing again at 6:00, as an intro to JUMP!

We're now getting ready for the 4:00 PM round, which is going to be wonderful. A Walk to Beautiful kicks things off for us at 4:15, and will feature a Film Forum afterwards. A reminder to members of my "Imaging Africa" class -- this is a film you should see. If your plans to fly south for the break got scuttled by the storm, come down here and join us.

Then, at 4:30, we launch John Sayles' provocative Lianna and the Independent Shorts Collection #3. Mr. Sayles will unfortunately not be joining us for the screening of his film, because his plane got diverted to Chicago. He's been an amazing trouper, trying to get here in spite of the massive delays and closings, and we're all really sad that we don't get to fannishly gush at him today. He's made a huge mark on the CIFF over the years.

The last three films in the 4:00 round start at 4:45. They are Bluff, the environmental documentary double-feature Black Waters and Return of the Cuyahoga, which may possibly have a filmmaker in attendance for a Q&A, and the sci-fi thriller Timecrimes.

Remember, if you're coming down here this evening, to give yourself extra time. The roads are messy. If you can, let RTA be your chauffeur-- most of its buses and all of its trains come to Tower City. And remember that we have great deals with our partner hotels, with rooms starting at $79 a night, so if you don't want to deal with the drive home, you can always stay downtown overnight and go home tomorrow after the roads have been cleared. (And after you've watched the great films we have scheduled for tomorrow!) I'm so impressed by how many of you are here already, and I'm looking forward to seeing even more of you tonight!

Wow. This feels really strange. Daylight Savings Time is about to start... in early March! When I got up this morning, they were talking about it on the news, and about whether it might actually increase energy costs rather than decreasing them. I was interested, but what I really wanted to hear about was the snow.

Interesting or not, though, and whether it increases or decreases costs, it's coming. In fact, tonight is the night. So here are a few things you should remember to do.

The official start time is 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning (which will immediately turn into 3:00 a.m. through the magic of legislative relativity) so if you're attending our midnight showings, you'll probably still be up when it's time to make the change. If not, we recommend that you set your clocks an hour ahead before you go to bed tonight... and remember that your body is going to feel like your morning alarm is going off an hour early. You might want to go to sleep a little early to combat that.

Speaking of the midnight showings, a lot of you probably aren't aware that we've had a change of schedule for that. We're going to be showing Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, complete with audience participation styled after some of Castle's shows back in his heyday. If you're big on film history (hint hint, fellow film majors!) this is your must-see movie, so come on down, spend the evening with us, and hopefully the snow will have blown itself out by the time you go home and set your clocks ahead!

We're coming up on the 7:00 round, nice and fast!

I just got back from the staff meeting, and learned that virtually all of the connected Festival events, outside of Tower City itself, are canceled for the evening. It was wild, actually looking out of the windows in the Hospitality Suite and seeing the sideways snow and the huge piles. I'm more impressed than ever by all of you who came out today to spend the afternoon with us! Clevelanders really are ready for anything.

Even though the connected events are canceled, you should all still come down here and see the very important film Katyn, which starts at 6:45. If that's not your cup of tea, Love Songs starts at the same time, and is excellent as well.

Then, at 7:00, we'll be screening Fugitive Pieces and Jump! This year's Director To Watch, Helen Hood Scheer, will be there to answer questions, as will two of the girls from the film. They'll make you rethink the meaning of jumproping, because the athleticism of these girls is off the charts.

At 7:15, Chasin' Gus' Ghost and Return of the Secaucus Seven will begin. In an ideal world, we would have been presenting John Sayles with his award during the showing, but despite his best efforts, he wasn't able to reach us through the snow. I got word at the staff meeting that Hopkins has shut down for the next several hours, altogether, with nothing expected to come in and go out until the morning.

Still, if you're looking for a warm, happy, fun place that's not been closed down thanks to the storm, this is where you should be. And these are the films you should be seeing.

It might be in poor taste to say that today passed in a flurry of activity, but it really did. While we're probably not going to break any records this weekend (the weather might, but the Festival probably won't), things have stayed busy, active, and fun. The storm might be spinning overhead, but our films have been spooling out on the screen to healthy, interested crowds. We wish you could all have been here, but we're glad you've stayed safe, no matter where you spent your day.

For those of you who are downtown, or who are coming downtown, our 9:00 round is gearing up, and it's a great one. If you're downtown already, come join us for the shows!

We're starting with Surviving My Mother and The World's Best Commercials, a perennial Festival favorite, at 9:30. Then at 9:45, we'll be starting up Holding Trevor, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, and Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock'n'Roll. Finally, we round things out with The Planet at 10:00.

There's one more round tonight, at midnight, in case you want to put off hitting the roads a little longer. Skip the chills of the outdoors and instead indulge in the chills of really good thrillers! You can watch the Indonesian mystery Dead Time or the brilliant documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, about one of the influential spectacle movie-makers of the mid-twentieth century. And the Spine Tingler nurses will be handing out your life insurance policies, just in case you die of fright in the theater. ;-)

Survive in style; check into one of our partner hotels for the night and don't worry about the roads until tomorrow.

Did your church get canceled due to the snow? While I was up having dinner at Tower 230, they were running lots of closings on the TVs. So if you can't go to church in the morning, why not join us for a film instead?

Our 9:30 a.m. showings are the deeply intriguing film Bluff, and The Orange Chronicles, a great film to watch in an election year like this one. If you felt like your Sunday morning was going to be a waste, this is the antidote.

Have a wonderful night, everyone, and don't forget to set your clocks forward before you go to sleep.

Whoo! We rode out the storm in style downtown, and now things can really get busy! You're coming to join us, right?

Our noon round kicks off with 11:30 showings of Fugitive Pieces and Jump! Before Jump screens, director Helen Hood Scheer will receive her Someone To Watch award, and then after the screening, the jumpers will be staging an interactive demo for people to watch.

Then, at 11:45, we'll begin showing 3 Days to Forever and the delightfuly kitschy Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story. Our round finishes out with the noon start of the beautiful Hindi childrens' film Mahek. This is a fantastic way to kick off the afternoon!

I know probably a lot of you have been saying "Oh, jump-roping, big deal," when Jump! is mentioned, but it really is about some remarkable athleticism. Don't believe us? Check it out for yourself!

It's lovely to see how many of you are spending your afternoons with us! I was really happy with yesterday's crowds -- which were completely remarkable given the weather -- but today this place is already thronging! And that's wonderful, because we have some really cool movies to show you.

Our 2:00 round is kicking off at 1:45 with screenings of underrated gem My Brother is an Only Child and the Independent Shorts Collection #4. Then, at 2:00, we have screenings of the unconventional love story In Search of a Midnight Kiss and mystery thriller Jar City.

The round will finish up with 2:15 screenings of modern art celebration The Cool School and the brilliant Holding Trevor.

We've got plenty of room, so come join us! From what we hear, the roads are still pretty bad, so consider taking an RTA train down here. Tower City is open and bustling, so you can have a meal and do some shopping in between shows, as well. Once you're here, you won't be able to tell that anything's amiss outside. It's escapism at its finest, and I think we can all really use that after the last few days.

The Happiest Day of His Life, a gender-role-bending short film playing in our 1:45 Independent Shorts collection today, is the creation of Five Sisters Productions, which is helmed by real-life sisters Maria, Jennifer, Ursula, Gabrielle, and Charity Burton. Together they make a spectacular creative team. This film is directed by Ursula Burton, but all five sisters were involved in the production. Daily editor Laura Watilo Blake electronically interviewed Gabrielle about the film and its upcoming debut.

Oh, I love Sunday crowds! Seeing everybody pouring in for our films is so delightful.

The 2:00 round is now in session, so now I can look forward to the 4:00 round. This is a great time to come down to Tower City, where everything is warm and comfortable! If you're feeling groggy thanks to the time-change, you can grab a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa from Caribou or Starbucks on your way to us, too. (I definitely needed one of those this morning, myself!)

The 4:00 round will be kicking off at 4:15 with showings of our Independent Shorts Collection #5 and the amazing What We Do is Secret. Director Roger Grossman will be available to answer questions after the screening concludes. Then the incredibly moving Fighting For Life will start at 4:30, followed by Dead time and Love Songs at 4:45.

We have two more rounds after that, too, so if you haven't made your way down here yet, you still can! But please drive -- or better yet, ride -- safely on your way here.

I loved watching the crowd come out from the 2:00 round. There were so many of you here! The intense chatter and the excited energy was a delight to see and hear. It was also wonderful to see how many of you were staying around for the next round! Why leave Tower City while there are still films to watch? If you're not going to be able to get down here for our 4:00 round, which is about to start, don't worry; our 7:00 round is going to be a blast.

We'll be starting things off at 6:45 with Jellyfish and Under the Same Moon. Then, at 7:00, we'll start showing the fascinating She's a Boy I Knew, which will have a Filmmaker Q&A afterwards, and the environmentally important Up the Yangtze, which will have a Post-Film Discussion.

We finish the round out with 10 + 4, a film that isn't getting nearly the attention it deserves (especially on IMDB which doesn't even have an entry for it!), and Swedish import To Love Someone.

And there's another round after that -- the evening hasn't even really started yet -- so if your road has finally been plowed and the cabin fever has been getting to you, come down and join us. You'll be glad you did.

Looking for a film that your son or daughter can see? We've compiled a list of films appropriate for Middle / High School students. Remember, these are only recommendations, and some of the films will still contain mature subject matter. But this might help you find things that both you and your children can enjoy, especially if they're on spring break this week.

It feels a little strange to realize that there's no midnight round tonight. For everybody who missed the show last night, I hear it was a blast. the Spine Tingler nurses actually ran out of insurance policies to distribute, so I'd say it was a roaring success in spite of the time and the weather. Hopefully, you can join us next weekend for our midnight movies. Tonight, though, we just have one more round to go.

Our 9:00 round gets off to a great start with 9:30 showings of The Metrosexual and Return of the Cuyahoga, which is scheduled to have a Q&A with the filmmaker afterwards.

Then, at 9:45, we'll start showing the incredible View From the Bridge, which will also have a filmmaker Q&A afterwards, and Glory to the Filmmaker!, a film that any and all of my classmates in the CSU film program should see. (Hint hint, guys and gals! Out of Becky's and into the theater!)

Finally, we'll be finishing out the night with our 9:45 showings of A Man's Job and Vogelfrei, both of which are excellent choices, too.

Really, this is a perfect way to actually have your weekend entertainment if you missed out yesterday, so stick around! Every film you watch here means more time for the plows to clear the roads.

You guys are incredible! Up the Yangtze, a beautiful documentary in the Cultural Journeys series, sold out tonight. An added attraction tonight is critically-acclaimed photographer Linda Butler, who is presenting a short program after the conclusion of the film, featuring some of her photography of the region. She also brought five of her books with her, and proceeds from their sale will go to our Challenge Match!

And speaking of the Challenge Match, we'd like to thank everyone for making our first weekend phenomenal in spite of the weather. Thanks to you, we've already crossed the $10,000 mark! We still have a way to go, but I know we'll get there given how generous and enthusiastic all of you are! I'm also amazed at how much merchandise you've been buying! We're probably going to have to reorder the tote bags, because we're almost cleaned out, and the t-shirts have been flying off the shelves, too!

Even if you would have loved to have a chance at one of Linda's books, you can still check out all of the other great things we have for sale.

To everyone who had to bear with us today, thanks to the technical troubles we had with You, The Living, we wanted to extend our apologies once more for the inconvenience, and to thank you again for the extraordinary patience and aplomb you displayed. We're happy to say that the proper 35mm print of the film is now in our hands, so tomorrow night's show is going to be flawless. We hope to see all of you back with us then, if you can join us.

Thank you again for proving just how amazing all of you are!

Hate Monday mornings? I know I usually do. Not this week, though, because I'm going to be at the Film Festival, and I'm betting that if you join us, you'll feel the same way.

our first films of the morning are Mahek, a gorgeous family film from India, and the stunning Latvian drama Vogelfrei, which will both start up at 9:30 am. Tell your boss you're still shoveling out the driveway, and spend the morning with us instead! We'll never tell.

And we'd like to extend a great big welcome to all of the Film Slam! participants who will be coming in tomorrow morning, as well. Every year, all of you are phenomenal and prove that our future is in much better hands than people think.

I hope you all had a wonderful day at the Festival today. I know I did, and I can't wait to do all of it again with you tomorrow! Good night!