The first Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) was organized by Jonathan Forman and presented April 13 – June 2, 1977. Eight films from seven countries were shown at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights over an eight-week period. Developed as a subscription series, the first CIFF received substantial media attention, and attendance indicated that Clevelanders wanted a broader schedule.

By its third year, the CIFF had grown to include feature films from around the world, children's films, retrospectives, and short subjects. A Board of Trustees — consisting of community leaders, film scholars, and film enthusiasts - was assembled to oversee the mission, funding, and growth of the CIFF.

By its fifth year, the CIFF had developed a network of screening locations, establishing itself within the Greater Cleveland arts community as an eagerly awaited annual event. Fundraising was enhanced through the generosity of The George Gund Foundation and The Cleveland Foundation, and educational efforts were strengthened as a result.

In 1986, the CIFF moved its Opening Night from the Cedar Lee Theatre to the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square, adding to the excitement and appeal of the event. Guest filmmakers regularly attended the Film Festival to introduce their films and answer audience questions. And a fall program of international films became an annual part of the organization's presentations for a number of years.

In January 1991, the Board of Trustees voted to move the Film Festival from the Cedar Lee Theatre to Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland, making the event more accessible to film lovers from throughout the region. During its first year downtown, the Festival's attendance (14,000) fell slightly. But by 1995 attendance had grown to 23,000. And in 1998 the Festival experienced an attendance jump of 16%, resulting in 32,000 admissions. Since the 27th CIFF, admissions have risen by 90% with 66,872 in attendance at the 33rd CIFF in 2009 (a 28% increase over the 32nd CIFF in 2008). The Festival continues to grow in every capacity with increases in the number of staff, volunteers, guest filmmakers, community partners, theaters, and films.

Types of Programs Offered
The Cleveland International Film Festival is the premier film event between New York and Chicago. Today's CIFF includes a full survey of contemporary international filmmaking with approximately 150 feature films and 150 short subject films from close to 80 countries. Along with the main program of international films, there are special sidebars that add interest and diversity to the overall Festival. These include 10% Cinema (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender themes), American Independents, Cinema en Español, Family Films, Film Is Art, Illuminating Hope, It's Easy Being Green (films with environmental issue themes), Jewish and Israeli Visions, Local Heroes (films with local ties), Midnight Snacks, Music! Movies!, Pacific Pearls, Pan-African Images, Standing Up (films with a conscience that address social justice and activism), Tour of Duty (films that bring stories of conflict and the desire for resolution to the forefront), and Women of the World.

Many filmmakers and other special guests attend the CIFF where they participate in FilmForums (moderated panel discussions), which follow film screenings and serve as an impetus for educating people on timely, complex, and controversial issues.

FilmForums are moderated panel discussions which follow film screenings and serve as an impetus for educating people on timely, complex, and controversial issues.

FilmSlam is the CIFF's student film festival for high school students. It is held on weekday mornings during the CIFF. At the 33rd CIFF in March 2009, over 5,000 students from Northeast Ohio schools participated in FilmSlam. In addition to viewing films, they met with visiting filmmakers.

After The Credits Roll is our new program that will further embed the 34th CIFF in our community by utilizing Standing Up films as a platform to engage our audiences. This emboldened program will include the following: (1) presenting a FilmForum after 14 films; (2) creating Lights! Camera! Action Steps! materials for those films as well as others; (3) arranging Cinema Synergy partnerships for those films that have Community Partners and Media Partners; and (4) extending the CIFF's reach through social networking.

Lights! Camera! Action Steps! is a program that supplies audience members with materials on how to get involved once a film ends. These materials are developed in collaboration with the filmmaker so that they are certain to convey the filmmaker's thoughts on what the audience members can do to further the cause of the film. The program is based on the recognition of the following factors: film offers an accessible, affordable, and broad platform for creating change; the diversity of film topics provides numerous opportunities for creating change; and CIFF patrons are predisposed to creating change—especially when motivated by action steps that are placed at their fingertips. Lights! Camera! Action Steps! is presented with generous support from CHUCK and CHAR FOWLER.

Cinema Synergy At the CIFF, films are connected with media partners and community partners for in-kind, cross-promotional purposes (films are also paired with individual sponsors and corporate sponsors when possible). Once the relationships are established, the media partners are introduced to the community partners and then the guest filmmakers are linked to all of the partners and sponsors. As a result, all entities benefit and the impact of film on the Cleveland community is stronger than ever. This is what we call "Cinema Synergy."

Social Networking The CIFF's social networking efforts, initiated in 2009, integrate the organization's own blog with the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. With their new ideas and fresh perspectives, CIFF staff photographers, videographers, bloggers, and vloggers create content for YouTube and Flickr. "Bill's Buzz," our Artistic Director's daily video summary of Film Festival highlights, is posted on YouTube, along with interviews with filmmakers and patrons. Photos are posted to Flickr. Volunteers and patrons participate by sharing content on these sites as well. As a result, the CIFF is able to engage the Festival's grassroots community like never before.