Local Cleveland artists sell their handmade goods during CIFF49.  

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Looking for the CIFF49 Film Guides? Here's how to get yours!

Get your CIFF49 Film Guides today. See new and independent film in Cleveland. Things to do in Cleveland. March 27 - April 5 in person at Playhouse Square.

CIFF49 Film Guide Locations | Cleveland International Film Festival

Where to Find CIFF49 Film Guides!

The wait is over! The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) proudly announces the complete lineup for its highly anticipated 49th season, CIFF49, featuring 300 exceptional films from around the globe.

Discover the spotlight films for the 49th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), featuring exciting world, North American, and U.S. premieres!  Explore 300 independent films from around the globe March 27 - April 13, 2025. Get your tickets now! 

CIFF, CIFF49, Cleveland International Film Festival, independent film, film festival, movie festival, film premieres, spotlight films, Marlee Matlin, Amy Landecker,  André Holland, Playhouse Square, Cleveland, Ohio, film tickets

CIFF49 Film Schedule Announced! | Cleveland International Film Festival

Lights, Camera, CIFF49!  Cleveland International Film Festival Announces 300-Film Lineup  

47TH CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES JURIED COMPETITIONS AND ADDITIONAL PROGRAM DETAILS

CLEVELAND (Tuesday, February 28, 2023) The 47th Cleveland International Film Festival is delighted to announce its juried competitions. 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.

GEORGE GUND III MEMORIAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COMPETITION

Thirty-three years ago, CIFF launched a special focus on films from Central and Eastern Europe, the native lands of many Clevelanders. This year CIFF is proud to present the 21st Central and Eastern European Competition. And, for the eleventh year, CIFF will present this competition in loving memory of George Gund III with the support of an endowment from 

BUTTERFLY VISION (Ukraine/Czech Republic/Croatia/Sweden, Maksym Nakonechnyi)

THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD (Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Denmark/Croatia/Bosnia/ Herzegovina, Teona Strugar Mitevska)

JANUARY (Latvia/Lithuania/Poland, Viesturs Kairišs)

ORDINARY FAILURES (Czech Republic/Italy/Hungary/Slovakia, Cristina Groșan)

PAMFIR (Ukraine/France/Poland/Chile, Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk)

R.M.N. (Romania/France/Belgium/Sweden, Cristian Mungiu)

VALERIE IS GETTING MARRIED (Israel/Ukraine, Michal Vinik)

Jurors: Cigdem Slankard (Cleveland State University), Ula Śniegowska (American Film Festival of Poland), Lauren Thelen (Nashville Film Festival)

NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ PORTRAIT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition is dedicated to the life and work of CIFF board member and friend Mark Schwartz (1956-2014).

For 19 years, CIFF has presented the Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition. This will be the seventh year we celebrate the life of Mark Schwartz with a sharper focus on portrait documentaries. Like Mark, the subjects in these documentaries are determined, dedicated, and daring. And the films themselves are artistic, passionate, and insightful. This competition is made possible with generous support from 

BEING MARY TYLER MOORE (USA, James Adolphus)

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE (USA, Nicole Newnham)

IN THE COMPANY OF ROSE (USA, James Lapine)

IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL (USA, Alexandria Bombach)

JUDY BLUME FOREVER (USA, Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok)

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING (USA, LisaCortés)

MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES (USA, SamPollard, Ben Shapiro)

Jurors: Shakira Refos (California Film Institute; Tribeca), Alex Schmider (GLAAD)

Now in its eighth year, CIFF’s New Direction Competition focuses on debut directors whose innovative films transform the traditional notions of cinematic storytelling.

CHARCOAL (Brazil/Argentina, Carolina Markowicz)

DAUGHTER OF RAGE (Nicaragua/Mexico/Netherlands/Germany/France/Norway/Spain, Laura Baumeister)

I HAVE ELECTRIC DREAMS (Belgium/France/Costa Rica, Valentina Maurel)

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY (Dominican Republic, Victoria Linares Villegas)

PLAN 75 (Japan/France/Philippines/Qatar, Chie Hayakawa)

THE TUBA THIEVES (USA, Alison O’Daniel)

Jurors: Nick McCarthy (Newfest), Jenny Nulf (Austin Asian American Film Festival), Ruun Nuur (No Evil Eye Cinema)

The Cleveland International Film Festival is one of only 34 film festivals world-wide that Oscar® qualify films in all three short film categories. The films that take home jury honors for Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Live-Action Short will become eligible to submit for Oscar® consideration for the 2024 Academy Awards®. CIFF has been an Oscar® qualifying festival since 2009 and has qualified five films that went on to become Oscar® nominees, four of which won: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (CIFF35) - Oscar® winner for Best Animated Short; Curfew (CIFF36) - Oscar® winner for Best Live-Action Short; Bear Story (CIFF39) Oscar® winner for Best Animated Short; Period. End of Sentence. (CIFF42) - Oscar® winner for Best Documentary Short; and The Present (CIFF44) - Oscar® nominee for Best Live-Action Short.

Each of the three Jury Awards for short films includes a cash prize of $1,000 USD.

Jurors: Florentina Almonte (Shorts TV), Milan Chakraborty (Film Producer), Colette Freedman (Author & Scriptwriter)

SHORT FILM SPECIAL PROGRAM
HOMEGROWN: FUTURE VISIONS

The Festival is excited to announce a partnership with HOMEGROWN: Future Visions, a new program presented by Firelight Media, PBS, and the Center for Asian American Media.

HOMEGROWN: Future Visionsis an anthology of eight documentary short films made by emerging BIPOC filmmakers that illuminate the living histories and thriving cultures of the American Midwest. Rooted in the cities of Detroit, Milwaukee, Gary, Minneapolis, Lansing, Lawrence, and Iowa City, each story centers around local residents who are redefining the future of their communities.

The program will premiere at CIFF47 on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Each year the Cleveland International Film Festival commissions a local artist to create the Festival’s coveted Filmmaker Awards. With more than 25 awards going to filmmakers from across the world, CIFF’s locally designed and produced awards are a calling card of the thriving arts community in Ohio.

CIFF is thrilled to announce that this year’s Award Artist is 

April Bleakney is an artist, entrepreneur, and student of history. After graduating from Kent State University and working in the nonprofit world at the height of the recession, she launched her one-woman creative business, APE MADE, in 2011.

While primarily working as a screen printer, April also creates photographic, hand drawn, and mixed media work. She only utilizes eco-friendly hand printing techniques in her studio. April engages with the community with both teaching and public art projects. She has completed local and international artists residencies and recently created multiple large-scale murals and commissioned artworks.

Filmmaker Awards will be presented throughout the Festival and as part of the Closing Night Ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 1, 2023.

CIFF47 will take place March 22-April 1, 2023 at 

, followed by CIFF47 Streams, sponsored by 

, which will take place April 2-9, 2023 online. The full Festival lineup will be announced on Friday, March 3, 2023. Tickets go on sale to CIFF members on Monday, March 6, 2023and to the public on Friday, March 10, 2023. For information on CIFF, please continue to visit 

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 agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TC_BsKQFKUGhQqk_ZMTnG1dmAIqbLlrs?usp=share_link

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iacv2jGuEf_pBBXhzRV_getgTpglDSlc?usp=share_link


Debby Samples, Marketing & Media Director, 

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

The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) reveals this year’s spotlight films to be featured in the line-up of 300 independent films from around the globe. The 49th season runs March 27 - April 5, 2025, at Playhouse Square, followed by CIFF Streams April 6-13, 2025. Explore the complete CIFF49 Film Guide starting February 28th at clevelandfilm.org.

This year's program, curated from over 3,500 submissions, is a testament to the power of independent filmmaking. With representation from 60 countries the program schedule offers diversity in cultural perspectives, storytelling styles, and visual formats.

Mallory Martin, Artistic Director for CIFF, says, "The Festival is an opportunity for artists and audiences to connect and converse about the stories that move us – often these are stories we wouldn’t have access to if not for the Festival.”

Providing a sneak peek into what is ahead at this iconic Cleveland event, Martin and her team reveal CIFF49’s highlights, including spotlight films, world premieres, North American premieres, and U.S. premieres. Several filmmakers are also planning to attend, making their travel arrangements now.

, “A Serious Man”) makes her feature screenwriting/directorial debut with this biting comedy of manners, starring as a newly divorced sober mom who accompanies her Gen Z date to a wedding where things crash and burn (literally) as she tries to keep up with the young wedding party. 

Directed byAmy Landecker.Produced by Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Valerie Stadler, Jenica Bergere, and James Portolese. English with Closed Captions. 2025. 

(Thursday, March 27 at 7:00pm, Connor Palace).

Centerpiece: MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE 

- Marlee Matlin is an Oscar®-winning, Emmy-nominated Deaf actress, though fame came to her quite suddenly with her breakout performance in “Children of a Lesser God” at the age of 21. Learn how she fought through the naysayers and troubled, in-the-spotlight relationships to become a venerated philanthropist and a household name. 

Directed by Shoshannah Stern. Produced by Robyn Kopp, Justine Nagan, Bonni Cohen, and Shoshannah Stern. English and ASL with Open Captions. 2024.

(Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30pm, KeyBank State Theatre)

 - André Holland (“Moonlight”), Nicole Beharie (“Miss Juneteenth”), and DeWanda Wise (

) strike a perfect balance in Rachael Abigail Holder’s sensitive, wryly funny dramedy about a trio of Black friends-slash-lovers who are just trying to cope in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. 

Directed by Rachael Abigail Holder. Produced by André Holland, Kate Sharp, Patrick Wengler, Maurice Anderson, and Liza Zusman. English. 2025. 

(Saturday, April 5 at 7:30pm, KeyBank State Theatre)

 - For generations, the government has forcefully stripped away the rights and identities of the Esk’etemc, Gitxsan, and Wet’suwet’en territories within Canada, leaving behind unceasing ripples of trauma. But as this defiant documentary shows, they’ll never strip away these tribes’ souls. 

Directed by Zaya Benazzo and Maurizio Benazzo. Produced by Zaya Benazzo, Maurizio Benazzo, and Finley MacNeil. English with Closed Captions. 2024.

(Tuesday, April 1 at 5:15pm, Allen Theatre)

 - In this experimental omnibus documentary, filmmaker Catalina Alvarez paints a picture of small-town America as she chronicles the centuries-long history of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The stories, ranging from comical to disquieting and everything in between, point to a rich community demanding to be heard. 

Directed and Produced by Catalina Alvarez. English with Closed Captions. 2025. 

(Saturday, April 5 at 5:10pm, Upper Allen)

 - As the world teeters on the edge of destruction, a roadkill collector and an excommunicated priest make their way through an apocalyptic hellscape in search of a way out. From the director of the heralded werewolf drama “Good Manners”—CIFF42 comes another genre-busting masterpiece of the surreal. 

Directed by Marco Dutra. Produced by Lourenço Sant’Anna and Rodrigo Teixeira. Portuguese and Chinese with English subtitles. 2024. 

(Thursday, April 3 at 9:45pm, Upper Allen)

 - Acclaimed writer/director Milko Lazarov (“Ága”) spins this humanistic, magical realist yarn—marvelously shot by Kaloyan Bozhilov—about a quiet, widowed villager who must protect his extraordinary, gifted daughter from the scorn and pitchforks of superstitious locals. 

Directed by Milko Lazarov. Produced by Veselka Kiryakova. Bulgarian with English subtitles. 2024.

(Thursday, April 3 at 2:35pm, Upper Allen)

 - In snowy St. Petersburg, an unlikely friendship emerges amidst political upheaval when Georgian immigrant Madea purchases an apartment for a steal—only to realize she must share the space with the curmudgeonly old Russian owner. Rusudan Glurjidze’s haunted second feature deftly navigates the refugee crisis and what it means to have your life uprooted time and time again. 

Directed by Rusudan Glurjidze. Produced by Zurab Magalashvili, Manana Shevardnadze, Andrey Epifanov, Tanya Petrik, Jussi Myllyniemi, and UschFeldges. Georgian, Russian, and English with English subtitles. 2024.

 - Filmmaker Leila Amini followed her sister Nasreen around with a camera for seven years, capturing her covert mission to become a famous singer. But an unsupportive husband, family pressure, and Iran’s oppressive stranglehold on female expression threatens Nasreen’s happiness every step of the way. 

Directed by Leila Amini. Produced by Afsaneh Salari, Vadim Jendreyko, and Leila Amini. Persian language with English subtitles. 2024. 

(Friday, March 28 at 5:15pm, Allen Theatre)

 - In this taut psychological drama about the ripples of assault, a Turkish woman is attacked at a roadhouse while on her way to her wedding in Kosovo. But the festivities must go on, and we are observers to Gülizar’s emotional turmoil of what to do, who to tell, and how to hold your head up high. 

Directed by Belkıs Bayrak. Produced by Mehmet Bahadır Er, Belkıs Bayrak, and Murat Yaşar Bayrak. Turkish and Albanian with English subtitles. 2024.

 - In this claustrophobic thriller ripped from the headlines, newlyweds Olya and Taras are just getting settled into their new Kiev home when the Russians attack. Now they must stay perfectly silent within the confines of their apartment—cut off from the outside world—without tipping off the invading forces of their presence. 

Directed by Zhanna Ozirna. Produced by Dmytro Sukhanov. Ukrainian with English subtitles. 2024. 

MY CHEST IS FULL OF SPARKS (Mi pecho está lleno de centellas)

 - Life doesn’t always go as planned. After the death of the family patriarch, mother and child go separate ways to find themselves—she crosses the ocean to pursue the singing career she left behind, while filmmaker Gal realizes they are transgender—in this collage of video diaries. 

Directed by Gal S. Castellanos. Produced by Eduardo Esquivel, Omar Robles, Metzli Paulina Ibarra, and Gal S. Castellanos. Spanish and Turkish with English subtitles. 2024. 

(Monday, March 31 at 5:20pm, Mimi Ohio Theatre)

 - The remarkable adaptation of Shuang Xuetao’s novel marks the directorial debut of actor-turned-director Dong Zijian. When a diverted flight reunites Limo with a childhood best friend, An Delie, who no longer remembers him, their journey through snowbound northeastern China unlocks long-buried memories, forcing him to confront the lingering ghosts of his past in this poignant tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness. 

Directed by Dong Zijian. Produced by Juan Wan. Mandarin with English subtitles. 2024. 

(Wednesday, April 2 at 11:50am & Thursday, April 3 at 5:00pm, KeyBank State Theatre)

 - Nothing looms over a city like the presence of death. While investigating a mysterious series of sandstorms that have laid a permanent cover over the seaside, a journalist comes face to face with his wife’s ghost—a victim of the Algerian Civil War—in this haunting science-fiction drama. 

Directed by Dania Reymond-Boughenou. Produced by Jérémy Forni and Camille Chandellier. French and Arabic with English subtitles. Audio description. 2024. 

(Saturday, April 5 at 5:05pm, Allen Theatre)

In addition to this list of highlights, the Festival is proud to share that it will continue the longstanding tradition of celebrating Ohio films and filmmakers in the category of Local Heroes, in which filmmakers with regional ties compete for a prize of $7,500.

One of the largest and longest running festivals in the country, CIFF awards a total of $130,000 in prizes. Jurors include: 

Alejandra Martinez, Bilgesu Sisman, and Lediona Kasapi 

for the George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition; 

Cassidy Dimon, Karim Ahmad, Set Hernandez 

for the Portrait Documentary Competition; 

Jourdain Searles, Zuri Obi, and Ingrid Raphaël 

Sharon Badal, Tiffany Alexander, and Jimmy Woody

, by phone at 1.877.304.FILM, or in person starting Friday, March 7th at 11:00 am ET for members, and Friday, March 14th at 11:00 am ET for the public. Tickets can also be purchased on site at the Film Festival Box Office in the KeyBank State Theatre Lobby at Playhouse Square (based on seat availability).

 Individual tickets for in-person screenings are $18 per person, with package deals available for those planning to see multiple films.

The CIFF49 Film Guide launches February 28th with details on 300 films. Find it online at 

 or pick up a physical copy at various locations, including public libraries.

Please note: CIFF members receive a printed Film Guide as a membership benefit.

CIFF members enjoy a range of benefits, including early access to tickets and parking passes, invitations to private special events, discounts on merchandise, and more. To learn about membership or to become a member, visit 

The Cleveland International Film Festival is generously supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. The Festival also receives support from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically,1 through state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature.

About the Cleveland International Film Festival: Now entering its 49th year, the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to showcasing the best in independent cinema. CIFF offers year-round programming, including the annual film festival, educational initiatives, and community screenings. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit us online at www.clevelandfilm.org (http://www.clevelandfilm.org)

Media Contact: Dahlia Fisher, dahlia@clevelandfilm.org

Discover the spotlight films for the 49th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), featuring exciting world, North American, and U.S. premieres!  Explore 300 independent films from around the globe March 27 - April 13, 2025. Get your tickets now!

CIFF49 Spotlight Films Revealed! | Cleveland International Film Festival

CIFF49 Spotlight Films Revealed!

The Cleveland International Film Festival is now accepting
submissions for CIFF49.

Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) Announces CIFF49 Call for Entries

The Cleveland International Film Festival is proud to announce the appointment of Hermione Malone as its new Executive Director.