Tickets to CIFF47's 121 feature films and 199 short films are now on sale!

CIFF47 Tickets Are Now on Sale

CIFF47 Announces its program lineup. 121 feature films and 199 shorts films from 67 countries.

CIFF47 ANNOUNCES PROGRAM LINEUP

Thirty-two feature films are included in three esteemed competitions, with $30,000 in cash prizes available.  In addition, dozens of short films will be included in CIFF’s three Oscar® qualifying categories, with $3,000 in cash prizes available.

Ciff47 has announced its juried competitions with a combined total of $33,000 in cash prizes. 

CIFF47 Juried Competitions and additional program details announced

CIFF47 Announces Juried Competitions and Additional Program Details

These shorts awards each come with a $1,000 cash prize and are determined by audience vote, so make sure to cast your ballots! Winners will be announced during this live shorts program taking place on the last day of the in-person festival.


Presented By: Friends of Patrick McFadden



Best LGBTQ+ Short: Given in Celebration of the Life of Nikki Babbit

The Clover and Maggie Award: In Celebration of Life


Presented By: Barbara Hawley & David Goodman



The Ophelia Award: In Celebration of the Life of Dakota Ophelia Berg


Presented By: Jim Brumbaugh & Carolyn Berg



The Spalding and Jackson Award: In Celebration of Joy


Presented By: Marcie Goodman & John C. Williams



The Tom and Ginny Knoll Family Award: In Celebration of Acts of Kindness


Presented By: Tom and Ginny Knoll and The Knoll Family Fund Promoting Civility and Acts of Kindness of Akron Community Foundation


Shorts Audience Awards Program

47TH CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
AWARD WINNERS



CLEVELAND (Sunday, April 2, 2023) – CIFF47 at Playhouse Square, which took place March 22nd – April 1st, held its Closing Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 1st in the KeyBank State Theatre, where the winners of the Festival’s esteemed awards were announced. Closing Night was sponsored by 


Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film
Sponsored by the 


1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE, directed by Sharon "Rocky" Roggio (USA)
$15,000 cash prize

Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
Presented with generous support from Deborah Bachman Ratner
Christine Yoo (for 26.2 TO LIFE; USA)
$10,000 cash prize

George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition
Endowed by 


PAMFIR, directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine, France, Poland, Chile)
$10,000 cash prize

Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition
MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU Director’s Award
Presented with generous support from 


JOONAM, directed by Sierra Urich (USA)
$10,000 cash prize

New Direction Competition
JOYLAND, directed by Saim Sadiq (Pakistan, USA)
$10,000 cash prize

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
Endowed by 


20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, directed by Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine)
$10,000 cash prize

Global Health Competition
Presented with generous support from Mark Smith and Janet Rosel Smith
NURSE UNSEEN, directed by Michele Josue (USA)
$7,500 cash prize

American Independents Competition
Presented with generous support from Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
PLAYING THROUGH, directed by Balbinka Korzeniowska (USA)
$7,500 cash prize

Local Heroes Competition
Presented with generous support from Lauren Rich Fine and 


WE ARE THE TROOPERS, directed by Jonathon Kimble (USA)
$7,500 cash prize

Ad Hoc Docs Competition
Presented with generous support from Tom and Anita Cook
CHOP & STEELE, directed by Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader (USA)
$7,500 cash prize

International Narrative Competition
Presented with generous support from Tom Piraino and Barbara McWilliams
MY SAILOR, MY LOVE, directed by Klaus Härö (Finland, Ireland)
$7,500 cash prize

FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Feature Film
Presented with generous support from 


JUNETEENTH: FAITH & FREEDOM, directed by Ya'Ke Smith (USA)
$2,000 Cash Prize

SHORT FILM AWARD WINNERS
Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film Overall
Sponsored by Char and Chuck Fowler
One Small Visit, directed by Jo Chim (Canada)
$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Animated Short Award*
Sponsored by 


It's a Gray, Gray, World, directed by Seyed Mohsen Pourmohseni Shakib (Iran)
$1,000 cash prize

Best Documentary Short Award*
Sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin
A Chocolate Lens, directed by Gabriel Veras (USA)
$1,000 cash prize

Best Live Action Short Award*
Sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin
Girl No. 60427, directed by Shulamit Lifshitz (Israel)
$1,000 cash prize

FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Short Film
Sponsored by 


Foreign Uncle Directed by Sining Xiang (China, USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize

In addition, CIFF47 presented its fifth 

 to award-winning filmmaker, director, and co-producer of the CIFF47 film 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE: Sharon “Rocky” Roggio.

The Festival also celebrated the third year of its 

. CIFF47 was thrilled to recognize two pioneering filmmakers whose work has proven to lift up marginalized voices. This recognition comes with a $5,000 cash award to support the filmmakers’ future work. The Festival was honored to present its Groundbreaker Award to Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah, co-directors of the CIFF47 film IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM.
*These award winners will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.®

For a full list of short subject film award winners, please visit 

, takes place April 2 – 9, 2023 online. Hundreds of films will be available on demand. Tickets and passes are now on sale at 

.

CIFF48 will take place April 3 – 13, 2024 at 

.

The Cleveland International Film Festival is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from 

. Also, the Cleveland International Film Festival is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the 

 (OAC). The OAC is a state agepncy that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

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CIFF47 ASSETS


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MEDIA CONTACT
Debby Samples, Marketing & Media Director, 

CIFF47 Announces the winners of its prestigious awards.

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