Press Center

Welcome to the press center for the Cleveland International Film Festival. We welcome and encourage press inquiries. Information about the Festival, leadership, and frequently asked questions is provided below. For additional information, please contact us here.

Hermione Malone leads the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) into its milestone 50th season as Executive Director, championing film as a force for connection, education, and inclusion.

She has built a career driving impact at the intersection of culture, media, and equity—launching a national startup incubator for nonprofit news at the American Journalism Project, leading efforts to close the racial wealth gap through entrepreneurship in New Orleans and advancing diversity and community engagement at Cleveland’s top healthcare institutions. A former journalist for outlets including The Boston Globe and a 2016 German Marshall Memorial Fellow, Hermione brings a storyteller’s heart and a changemaker’s vision to every role.

A proud alum of Florida A&M University and Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, Hermione hails from Detroit, MI.