Festival Policies

CIFF47 Program

CIFF47 PROGRAMMING UPDATES

Visit the Latest Updates for CIFF47 programming changes and additions. Programs and schedules are subject to change without notice. The Film Festival reserves the right, in rare instances, to postpone, reschedule, or cancel any film or screening.

Stand By and Sold Out Screenings In Person | CIFF47 @ PSQ (March 22–April 1, 2023):

Only a portion of the in-person tickets to a CIFF47 @ PSQ (March 22–April 1, 2023) in-person screening are sold. This is done to save room for our passholders, who do not have to indicate in advance which screenings they will be attending. As a result, even for crowded screenings, we can often accommodate additional patrons just before show time.

Once all regular tickets to an in-person screening have been sold, a screening goes on Stand By. For screenings on Stand By, patrons who would like to buy a Stand By ticket should begin lining up 30 minutes before show time (be aware that the line sometimes forms earlier than this) in the Stand By line located in the lobby of the theatre where the Stand By screening will be shown.

Just before show time, if seats are available after passholders and ticket holders have been admitted, CIFF Festival Ops will sell and scan Stand By tickets to patrons in the Stand By line in the order in which they are lined up, on a first-come, first-served, and space-available basis until the theatre is full. CIFF47 paper vouchers or credit cards only; no checks or cash accepted at Stand By.

Stand By tickets are $18 for non-members and $16 for CIFF47 members. CIFF47 members buying Stand By tickets need to log into their account on the Eventive site (note: this is different than the CIFF website) and pull up their Memebrship QR-Code from under "My Memebrships" and present it to the Theater Op to verify they are current CIFF47 Members.

On the rare occasion a screening reaches capacity, a film will then be SOLD OUT.

Hint: Buy your tickets early or, better yet, become a passholder-level member to avoid Stand Bys and Sell Outs!

Sold Out Screenings ONLINE | CIFF47 Streams (April 2–9, 2023):

All films in the CIFF47 Streams program are limited to a maximum number of available streams set by distributors (called a Streaming Cap) and are therefore available to stream on a first-come, first-served basis until Sold Out. Once all available tickets have been ordered and unlocked, a film's status will change to Sold Out. Ticket holders and passholders who have already ordered a ticket and unlocked a ticket for that film prior to it selling out will still be able to stream that film but additional tickets and unlocks are no longer available.

RATING SYSTEM

Most independent and international films are unrated by the M.P.A.A. Therefore, viewer discretion is advised, and any content warnings in a film's or shorts program’s description should be heeded. No person under the age of ten will be admitted to CIFF47 @ PSQ (March 22–April 1, 2023) in-person screenings, except for films and shorts programs included in the Family Films and Teen Friendly Films sidebars. All children must have a ticket or pass and be accompanied by an adult.

It is not recommended that children under the age of ten view CIFF47 Streams (April 2-9, 2023) films, except for films and shorts programs included in the Family Films and Teen Friendly Films sidebars.

Tickets, Passes, and Memberships

Each CIFF47 ticket and pass is a revocable license that may be withdrawn, and access refused, at any time at the sole discretion of the Cleveland International Film Festival.

Sharing your CIFF47 Membership or Membership Pass with any other individual or sharing your CIFF47 Streams access with another individual outside of your household is considered an act of piracy. This will be monitored, and any violations will result in the automatic suspension of CIFF47 access without a refund.

Sharing your CIFF47 Streams tickets, memberships, or passholder access with another individual outside of your household is considered an act of piracy, which will be monitored, and any violations will result in an immediate suspension of CIFF47 Streams access without refund.

Due to the streaming environment of CIFF47 Streams (April 2–9, 2023), streaming ticket purchases are limited to one ticket per film per order.

The CIFF Streams platform uses multi-DRM technology to prevent piracy. Users caught committing acts of piracy will have their CIFF47 Streams access revoked without refund and will be turned over to law enforcement authorities.

REFUNDS & EXCHANGES

CIFF47 tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged, except in the case of a canceled screening or film. Exchanges, when possible, will be subject to a $2 processing fee per order. Refunds, when allowed, will not be issued after 7:00 PM ET on April 1, 2023 for CIFF47 @ PSQ in-person tickets, and will not be issued after 11:00 PM ET on April 9, 2023 for CIFF47 Streams tickets. Tickets to in-person screenings during CIFF47 @ PSQ (March 23–April 1, 2023) cannot be exchanged for tickets to online screenings during CIFF47 Streams (April 2–9, 2023) and vice versa. Unused CIFF47 tickets, vouchers, and passes cannot be refunded or exchanged.

CIFF is not responsible for physical or technical disruptions to the extent that performance is prevented by force majeure (conditions beyond the control of CIFF, including acts of nature, acts of terrorism, voluntary or involuntary compliance with any regulation, law, or order of any government, war, acts of war [whether war be declared or not}, labor strike or lock-out, civil commotion, epidemic, failure or default of public utilities or common carriers, destruction of production facilities or materials by fire, earthquake, storm or like catastrophe). Refunds and exchanges on CIFF47 Streams (April 2–9, 2023) tickets and passes will not be issued for technical difficulties with an individual's technical infrastructure or equipment.

Playhouse Square and its theatres are private property. CIFF tickets, vouchers, and passes cannot be sold within the premises of Playhouse Square unless by CIFF Box Office personnel. Doing so will result in permanent removal from the Festival and Playhouse Square.

CIFF MEMBERSHIP POLICIES

CIFF Memberships are annual and only valid for one Festival cycle. The majority of members will be issued a renewal date one year from their membership purchase. However, CIFF Memberships will not be issued for two Festival cycles. As a result, CIFF Memberships purchased in March or April will be issued a renewal date at the end of February for the following year.

CIFF Memberships are per individual. Memberships and passes cannot be shared with other individuals. Members in violation of this will have their membership revoked without a refund.

CIFF Memberships are tax-deductible to the maximum amount allowed by law unless otherwise noted. CIFF members receive goods and services in exchange for their contribution, the value of which often exceeds their contribution, depending on the level of use. With the exception of members at the VIP Passholder level, it is up to the individual to determine the tax-deductible value of their contribution based on their level of use.

By purchasing a CIFF Membership you agree to adhere to the CIFF Code of Conduct. Failure to observe organizational policies regarding member conduct at CIFF events and in CIFF spaces may result in the termination of membership without a refund.

CIFF47 Streams

CIFF47 STREAMS GUIDELINES & DISTRIBUTOR RESTRICTIONS

Unlock & Pre-Order:

New this year, both ticket buyers and CIFF Passholders with streaming access must unlock an online screening in order to stream it. CIFF47 Streams films can be unlocked and purchased by selecting “Unlock Now” from a film’s description page or from a film’s listing on the CIFF Streams page, and then completing the checkout process. Tickets are $12 per screening for CIFF members at the Ticket Buyer and Festival Passholder levels, $14 per screening for non-members, and free for CIFF passholders with streaming access. For CIFF passholders with streaming access, this process replaces the process from previous years of activating and logging into a separate account for the CIFF Streams Platform in order to access CIFF47 Streams online screenings.

Patrons with a CIFF Eventive account can compile a list of CIFF47 Streams films they would like to watch as well as access a list of online screenings that they have purchased and unlocked in their “My Streams” under their CIFF Eventive account dashboard.

Films can be added to a patron’s “My Streams” by selecting "Add to my Streams" from a film's description page or from the film’s listing on the CIFF Streams page of the CIFF website or by placing an order for a streaming ticket by selecting "Unlock Now" and completing the checkout process. Please note: Simply adding an online screening to their My Streams will not guarantee them access to that online screening. All CIFF patrons can begin unlocking online screenings now through the end of CIFF47 Streams while unlocks are still available for a screening.

Screenings that have not been purchased or unlocked will be accompanied by an "Unlock Now". Purchased screenings will be accompanied by a "Watch" option which will be active when streaming access opens at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday, April 2, 2023 through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, April 9, 2023.

Once a film is unlocked, patrons will see either a ”Pre-Order Successful” on the film’s description page just after ‘purchasing’ and a “Watch” button listed with the film in their “My Streams” page. If they click the “Watch” button, it will take them to the virtual film detail page on the CIFF Streams Eventive Streaming Platform which will give them a countdown of when the film is available to stream.

Availability Window:

The Availability Window for all CIFF47 Streams online screenings is from 11:00 AM ET on April 2, 2023 through 11:59 PM ET on April 9, 2023 (or until a film is Sold Out). If a stream is ordered and unlocked close to the end of the Availability Window, the viewer will still be able to stream the online screening for the duration of the 48-hour Watch Window, as long as "Play" is selected on that screening prior to 11:59 PM on April 9, 2023. If "Play" is not started before 11:59 PM on April 9, 2023, the viewer will be unable to stream that online screening.

Watch Window:

CIFF47 Streams tickets have a Watch Window of 48 hours in which the associated film or shorts program can be streamed. The Watch Window begins when the ticket holder redeems the ticket (by clicking “Play” on the film or shorts program). Do not click "Play" until you are ready to stream the film or shorts program in full. New this year, viewers can pause, rewind, fast-forward and rewatch online screenings during the 48-hour Watch Window. Viewers can begin streaming in one location and on one device and move to another if desired and continue to stream the online screening. If the 48-hour Watch Window expires before you finish streaming the online screening, you must order an additional ticket which will start a new 48-hour Watch Window.

Streaming Cap:

Just like screenings at the in-person Festival, there are caps on the number of streams per film. We suggest ordering and unlocking the films you’d like to watch as soon as possible to guarantee yourself a stream of that online screening. We also request that all passholders with streaming access only unlock films they intend to watch due to the limited availability. Once a Streaming Cap has been reached, an online screening’s status will be updated to Sold Out. Those who have already ordered and unlocked a ticket prior to the screening selling out will still be able to stream the film.

Geo Restrictions:

Films screening online during CIFF47 Streams (April 2–9, 2023) are available for streaming nationwide in the United States unless otherwise noted. CIFF47 Streams films are not available for streaming internationally. Some films are geo-restricted to viewers in Ohio only or regionally (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). Geo-restrictions on films are listed on the film’s description page (in a box on the right-hand side below the "CIFF STREAMS" heading). You can also use the "Streaming Location" filter on the CIFF Streams page to see a list of films available from various streaming locations. Please note this is based on the location of our IP address which does not always align with your physical location.

CIFF47 @ PSQ

CONSENT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED/FILMED

The Cleveland International Film Festival and its representatives may photograph, film, and/or otherwise record attendees at all Festival activities. By attending, you consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to any use in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity and without compensation for the use of your appearance, voice, and name for promotion and/or advertising, or any other purpose by the Cleveland International Film Festival and its affiliates and representatives.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

The use of electronic devices (including messaging) is not permitted during screenings. For the courtesy of other patrons, please silence or turn off all devices during a screening.

Audio or visual recording devices of any kind are prohibited inside Film Festival theatres. Security will enforce this policy at all screenings. Any person in possession of a recording device will be immediately removed from the theatre by security. The recording device and any recordable medium will be seized by theatre security and turned over to law enforcement authorities. Additional anti-piracy security measures will be in effect.

PROHIBITED ITEMS & BEHAVIOR

The Film Festival does not tolerate illegal activity of any kind on any CIFF premises, including but not limited to:

• The possession and use of illegal and illicit substances
• Underage consumption of alcohol
• Harassment and/or assault as outlined in the CIFF Code of Conduct
• The possession or use of firearms, explosives, and weapons of any kind (including, but not limited to: guns, pocket knives, pepper spray/mace, fireworks, tasers, etc.)
• The use of cigarettes, e-cigs, or vaping devices.

Failure to comply will result in immediate removal by security and notification of law enforcement.

LOST & FOUND

Items found in the Playhouse Square complex will be turned over to Playhouse Square's Central Security, located backstage of the KeyBank State Theatre. Locate a Playhouse Square House Manager (they will have a name tag identifying them as such) and they will contact Playhouse Square’s Central Security. You can also call Central Security at 216.640.8777 with inquiries regarding misplaced items. CIFF and Playhouse Square are not responsible for damaged, lost, stolen, or unclaimed items.

CIFF47 Seating Policy

• For most screenings, passholders will be admitted into theatres 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the screening. However, early arrival does not guarantee admission.
• For most screenings, ticket holders will be admitted into theatres 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the screening. Late arrival may result in not being admitted.
• General admission seating for ticket holders is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket holders will line up in the lobby of the theatre, and tickets will be scanned for admittance to the screening.
• Passholder seating is also available on a first-come, first-served basis. Passholders will line up in the lobby of the theatre, and passes will be scanned for admittance to the screening.
• Seat-saving is not permitted.
• Festival personnel may refuse to permit late seating.
• All patrons must leave the theatre following each screening and take any personal belongings.

Seating policies are enforced at all CIFF theatres, although the number of available seats for ticket holders and passholders will vary based on the theatre.

CIFF Code of Conduct

The CIFF Code of Conduct serves to provide a clear understanding of the standard of conduct expected when participating in the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) and all its manifestations— meetings and gatherings, events and parties, venues, social media accounts, and official communications (verbal, written, and digital). The Code of Conduct serves as a guide to ensure the CIFF is a respectful, open, inclusive, and safe environment for all to gather, share, learn, and celebrate in an atmosphere free of harassment.

The Code of Conduct places an obligation on all individuals to take responsibility for their own conduct and applies to all participants, including but not limited to: attendees, members, guests, trustees, full-time staff, seasonal staff, volunteers, panelists, screening team members, sponsors, community partners, neighborhood partners, media partners, and vendors.

The CIFF does not tolerate harassment of any kind and reserves the right to revoke credentials and/or remove, temporarily or permanently without notice or refund, any person who does not adhere to the CIFF Code of Conduct in all of its manifestations.

Including but not limited to:

• Inappropriate disruption of CIFF events
• Intimidation or threats
• Hateful, abusive, offensive, degrading, or other inappropriate language
• Inappropriate physical contact or physical assault of any type
• Unwanted sexual attention, verbal or physical
• Unwanted photography or video recording
• Bullying or stalking
• Refusal to adhere to health & safety protocols and guidelines as outlined by local, state, and federal governments, Playhouse Square, and CIFF

Especially in connection with, but not limited to:

• Race, ethnicity, national origin, or citizenship status
• Political affiliation
• Gender identity or presentation
• Sex or sexual orientation
• Physical appearance or body type
• Age
• Disability, medical condition, or pregnancy
• Religion