Welcome to CIFF50
CIFF returns April 9-18, 2026, with hundreds of films from dozens of countries! Get info on venues, tickets, and more.
Attend CIFF50
Build your perfect Cleveland International Film Festival 2026 experience with screenings, Q&As, and special events across three iconic venues. Tickets are available now!
New This Year
Attention Members, Donors and Pass Holders!
We'll save your seat! New to the Festival with CIFF50, you must select the films you wish to attend in advance. Please review our schedule and reserve your seat at each film by adding it to your cart and applying your pass.
Browse the CIFF50 Line Up
Browse All Films
Short
The Call of Nishi
Run time: 14 minutes
Midwest Premiere
Language
English
Genre
Thriller
While waiting to be picked up early from his violin class, 10-year-old Eric receives a strange call from his mother asking him to meet her in the nearby woods.
Feature
Nuisance Bear
Run time: 86 minutes
Ohio Premiere
Language
Inuktitut, English
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Environmental Stories, Indigenous Cinema, First-Time Features
A polar bear is forced to navigate a human world of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration collides with modern life. When a sacred predator is branded a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared landscape.
Short
We Never Sleep
Run time: 13 minutes
World Premiere
Language
English
Genre
Drama, Thriller
Captions
Closed
After a seemingly harmless joke ignites a wave of online fury, a digital mob takes physical form, stalking Austin and his wife, Mikaela, as a terrifying presence that refuses to let them escape.
CIFF50 is Powered by Sponsors
Festival sponsors recognize and invest in the power of art to educate, engage, and transform communities. Their support keeps the festival magic alive year after year.
Choose Your CIFF50 Experience
Make CIFF50 your own! Go all-in on shorts, pop into dynamic panels and workshops, or create an experience packed with premieres and filmmaker chats! No matter how you want to experience CIFF50, there's a perfect lane just for you.
Featured Events and Special Screenings
It's the 50th anniversary of the Cleveland International Film Festival. You don't want to miss the fun and glamour of these featured and events and special screenings.
April 13, 2026
April 16, 2026
CIFF50's Centerpiece Film
CIFF50's Centerpiece film is If I Go Will They Miss Me. Making its Ohio premier, this film follows twelve-year-old Lil Ant as he transforms his working-class neighborhood beneath the LAX flight path into a living mythology, where family members become gods and the sky fills with endless departures.
CIFF50 Awards and Competitions
CIFF50 celebrates standout storytelling and diversity through major awards and competitions, offering substantial cash prizes. As well, wins in three short-film award categories are Oscar qualifying.
Award Winners Announced!