The Cleveland International Film Festival 2012

For the past 36 years, the CIFF has been the premier film event in Ohio. Today the CIFF presents a full survey of contemporary international and American Independent filmmaking, with more than 150 features and 130 short subjects from approximately 60 countries.

In addition to the main World Tour program, there are sidebars that add interest and diversity to the overall Festival and help attendees navigate the offerings. These include 10% Cinema films (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender), American Independents, Cinema en Español, Family Films, Film Is Art, Global Health, It’s Easy Being Green (films dealing with environmental issues), Jewish and Israeli Visions, Local Heroes (highlights films made about Cleveland, in Cleveland, or by Ohioans), Pacific Pearls, Pan-African Images and Women of The World (films about or directed by women).

Dozens of filmmakers and other special guests attend the CIFF where they introduce their screenings, discuss their work, and participate in FilmForums (which are panel discussions that give audience members a chance to talk about the films they've seen at the Festival). Other Festival components include:

Someone To Watch: the CIFF focuses on an early or mid-career filmmaker by screening their latest work with an earlier film.

FilmSlam: a mini-festival of CIFF films for high school students.

Again this year the CIFF is privileged to present the Central and Eastern European Film Competition, with a $10,000 cash prize, and the Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Film Competition, with a $5,000 cash prize. Each competition will be judged by three jurors and the awards will be announced on Closing Night of the 35th CIFF. The recipient of the Standing Up competition $5,000 cash prize will be determined by the CIFF audience and will also be announced on Closing Night. For the 22nd year in a row, patrons can vote on the feature films they see and determine the recipient of the Roxanne T. Mueller Award (the internationally recognized CIFF audience choice award).

The CIFF offers many short film awards including the Best Animated Short Film*, Best Documentary Short Film, Best International Short Film, Best LGBT Short Film Award: Given in Celebration of the Life of Nikki Babbit, Best Live Action Short Film*, Best Ohio Short Film, Best Student Short Film, Best Women's Short Film, The Rice Hershey Memorial Award for Originality, The Clover and Maggie Award – In Celebration of Life, and The Spalding and Jackson Award – In Celebration of Joy. These awards total over $10,000 in cash and prize.

* These award winners will qualify for consideration in the short film category at the annual Academy Awards ®

Preview Guides and tickets are available in late February.