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CIFF43 Call For Entries open June 1, 2018. Please check back for information.
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The Cleveland International Film Festival promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.
Free Screening!
This screening is part of The Taste of the Festival.
Click for more information.
Film Forums
FilmForums are moderated and interactive panel discussions that feature filmmakers, community leaders, and scholars who are knowledgeable about the topic at hand.
Film forums begin after the film ends, and are 45 minutes long.
What is Stand by?
Only a portion of available seats are sold in advance in order to save room for passholders. Once these advanced tickets have sold, a film is considered on Stand By. However, even for crowded films, we can often accommodate additional patrons just before showtime.
Special Location
Akron-Summit County Public Library
60 S. High St
Akron, OH 44326
330.643.9000
Special Location
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
15711 Waterloo Rd
Cleveland, OH 44110
216.383.1124
Special Location
Hanna Theatre
2067 East 14th St
Cleveland, OH 44115
216.241.6000
Special Location
Cinemark Valley View
6001 Canal Rd
Valley View, OH 44125
216.447.8820
Special Location
Chagrin Cinemas
8200 East Washington Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Special Location
The Nightlight
30 North High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Special Location
Cleveland State University, MU 107
2001 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115
Special Location
Connor Palace
1615 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115
Special Location
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
11610 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
Special Location
Ritz-Carlton Cleveland
1515 West 3rd Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
Special Location
CIFF Chat Room
Second Floor, Skylight Councourse
,
Special Location
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1100 E 9th St
Cleveland, OH 44114
216.781-7625
Special Location
Cedar Lee Theatre
2163 Lee Rd
Cleveland Hts, OH 44118
216.321.5411
Special Location
Shaker Square Cinemas
13116 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44120
216.921.9342
Special Location
Plaza Cinemas
140 Cherry Street
Kent, OH 44240
330.968.6335
Special Location
Akron Art Museum
1 S High St
Akron, OH 44308
330.376.9185
Special Location
Apollo Theatre
19 East College St
Oberlin, OH 44074
440.774.3920
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Art - Gartner Auditorium
11150 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.421.7350
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Art - Lecture Hall
11150 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.421.7350
Special Location
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Drive
Cleveland, OH 44106
216.231.4600
Special Location
Capitol Theatre
1390 W 65th St
Cleveland, OH 44102
216.651.7295
Special Location
Near West Theatre
6702 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
216.961.6391
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Wednesday, March 27, 2019
CIFF43 Opening Night will take place at Playhouse Square on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 and will include the film at 7:00 PM at the Connor Palace, followed by the reception at 9:00 PM at the KeyBank State Theatre.
USA, UNITED KINGDOM, SWITZERLAND
Directed by Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Rory MacNeil (Brian Cox) is an old-fashioned Scottish man who likes what he likes: whiskey, cigarettes, and swimming naked in the ocean. But when Rory falls ill, he must leave his isolated home on Hebridean Island and head for San Francisco in search of medical treatment. While in San Francisco, Rory reconnects with his estranged son, Ian, whom he hasn’t seen in over 15 years. Their relationship is full of resentment and unresolved baggage, as both have conflicting ideas about what it means to “be a man.” On top of their complicated history, Rory finds Ian’s fast-paced city life baffling, and struggles to fit in to this new world. Despite their differences, Rory and Ian have a lot to learn from one another, and their arguments slowly give way to acceptance and understanding. A charming blend of comedy and emotion, THE ETRUSCAN SMILE is a heartfelt film about love, forgiveness, and living life to the fullest. (In English and Gaelic with subtitles) —G.S.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Everyone in attendance at any of the films showing in the last round is invited to join us for the Closing Night dessert reception and awards presentation program around The Fountain at Tower City Center.
The Closing Night Reception will include a brief program announcing the winners of the American Independents Competition, George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Film Competition, Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition, Local Heroes Competition, the ReelWomenDirect Award, and the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award.
USA
Directed by Emilio Estevez
Running Time: 119 Minutes
With record-setting lows in the forecast, Cincinnati is bracing for a severe cold spell. The city’s homeless population regularly seeks refuge from the elements at the downtown public library, patiently awaiting the doors to open each morning after spending long nights in a shelter or risking their lives out on the street. Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) and his fellow librarians empathize with their patrons, but they walk a fine line to honor the rights of the homeless individuals while respecting other patrons’ rights to a safe, comfortable library visit. With overflow shelters at capacity on the coldest night of the year, nearly 100 homeless men, several of whom experience mental illness, hold a peaceful protest in the library, insisting on staying the night to keep warm. The police threaten the use of force to evacuate the patrons, while the media has its own intentions of reporting a version of the story for the sake of ratings instead of the truth. Caught on the frontlines, Stuart, who must choose to succumb to pressures to stand down or immerse himself in the movement. Timely, socially relevant, and altogether captivating, THE PUBLIC offers brutally honest portrayals of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness along with our willingness – or the resistance – to help our neighbors in need. – A.B.
March 27, 2019 sponsored by
March 28, 2019 sponsored by
March 29, 2019 sponsored by
March 30, 2019 sponsored by
March 31, 2019 sponsored by
April 01, 2019 sponsored by
April 02, 2019 sponsored by
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April 06, 2019 sponsored by
April 07, 2019 sponsored by
After Hours Shorts 1
After Hours Shorts 2
After Hours Shorts 3
After Hours Shorts 4
Animated Shorts
Comedy Shorts 1
Comedy Shorts 2
Comedy Shorts 3
Family Shorts 1
Family Shorts 2
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlamŪ African Diaspora Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Chinese Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ French Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ German Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ International Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Middle-School Light Program
FilmSlamŪ Russian Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
FilmSlamŪ Spanish Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ World Language Program
Local Heroes Shorts 1
Local Heroes Shorts 2
Watch Out! Shorts 1
Watch Out! Shorts 2
Shorts Program 1
Shorts Program 2
Shorts Program 3
Shorts Program 4
Shorts Program 5
Shorts Program 6
Shorts Program 7
Shorts Program 8
Shorts Program 9
Shorts Program 10
Shorts Program 11
Shorts Program 12
Shorts Program 13
Shorts Program 14
Shorts Program 15
African Diaspora
These remarkable films feature stories from Africa, made by and about Africans and people of African descent from around the world.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
After Hours
Ready for your mind to be blown? Prowl the Festival and feast on these dark, mysterious, thrilling, and bizarre films.
Cinema en Espaņol
This ecclectic array of Spanish-language films, and films with Spanish dialogue, explores a multitude of subjects that range from the culturally specific to the universal.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Family Films
You can take a family trip around the world without leaving the city. These family-friendly films are great for kids and young adults.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Film Is Art
Focusing on topics including photography, painting, illustration, model aviation, and even dog grooming, these films explore artists and the artistic process. Some of these films also highlight animation – an art form in and of itself.
Jewish and Israeli Visions
These films from–or about–Israel and the Jewish diaspora enlighten with their unique cultural perspective.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Rochelle and Harley Gross
Nordic Adventures
These films feature fantastic, original storytelling from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Pan-Asian Cinema
Focusing on films from the Pacific Islands and the entire continent of Asia, along with stories of Asian-Americans, these films feature modern tales from ancient cultures.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Race Relations
The films in this sidebar expand the discussion about race and ethnicity and the impact racial identity has on individuals and society as a whole.
Strangers in a Strange Land
This imperative new sidebar features the stories of people living in a foreign land, or as foreigners in their own land. These films continue the conversation about the need for mutual cultural understanding.
The Sports Section
These films focus on sports competitions and individual athletes causing any spectator to feel the emotions involved.
Voices of the Arab World
These films, hailing from many different countries, share the same language and exemplify dynamic cultures that have impacted history while continuing to mold the world's dialogue.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Dr. and Mrs. Mousab and Mary Tabbaa and Family
Watch Out! (formerly 10% Cinema)
This long-standing sidebar (formerly 10% Cinema), features films focusing on issues, topics, and stories from the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.
Women of the World
Once again we are proud to feature this collection of films that celebrate empowered women.
Sidebar Sponsored by:
Ad Hoc Docs Competition
Audiences at the CIFF love documentaries. Over the past several years almost half of the feature films we have presented have been documentaries, and they have won the Roxanne T. Mueller Award six of the past seven years.
We're excited to once again present this competition featuring topics, subjects, and stories that go beyond the descriptions of our other competitions.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Tom and Anita CookAnne E. Bloomberg
American Independents Competition
With big dreams and small budgets, these films represent the finest in contemporary American cinema. Based on audience vote, this year's competition will yield an increased cash prize of $7,500 to the winner announced at the Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition
Twenty-nine years ago at the 14th CIFF, we launched a special focus on films from Central and Eastern Europe, the native lands of many Clevelanders. This year the CIFF is proud to present its 17th Central and Eastern European Competition. And, for the seventh year, we are deeply honored to present this competition in loving memory of George Gund III with the support of an endowment from The George Gund Foundation. This competition not only gives recognition to the films coming to us from Central and Eastern Europe, but it also awards one filmmaker a $10,000 cash prize that will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Mark Adams – Mark Adams is Artistic Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, joining the festival in 2015. He was Chief Film Critic for the film trade paper, Screen International, as well as the film critic for The Sunday Mirror in the UK. He attends most of the key international film festivals around the world. And as a film journalist and reviewer for more than 25 years, Mark has written for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Moving Pictures International, as well as many national newspapers in the UK. He has also worked extensively in the film industry. He was Head of Programming at the National Theatre in London for six years and Director of Cinema at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. Mark has programmed for film festivals around the world and served as a consultant for various film organizations.
Nicholas Bell – Los Angeles-based Nicholas Bell is the Chief Film Critic for IONCINEMA.com. He covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, and AFI. A writer/journalist, Nicholas graduated with Departmental Honors in English from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2007.
Lenka Tyrpáková – Lenka Tyrpáková was born in Prague, Czechia and graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at Charles University after studying Russian and Ukrainian languages. Afterwards, she studied Russian and East European Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In 2005 she joined the team of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) and has been working in the Program Department since that time. Lenka is a member of the selection committee and a programmer in charge of the East of the West Competition, which focuses on debut and second films from Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East. At KVIFF she is also involved in the selection of projects for the industry platform, Eastern Promises. Since 2008 Lenka has worked as a programmer for the Prague Short Film Festival and consulted with several other festivals.
Global Health Competition
The CIFF has always recognized the power of film to change people’s viewpoints about the world. This competition includes films that delve into human health-related issues (both mental and physical) and films about the health of the environment. The films in this competition will introduce our audience to an entire array of health-related issues and encourage us to question the true definition of health as it relates to individuals and the entire planet.
This year the CIFF is proud to present our fifth Global Health Competition. Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Reception and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
In 2005 The George Gund Foundation granted the CIFF with an endowment to create the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition as a tribute to Greg Gund. Greg’s friends and family described him as “intensely creative and talented, and wholly without pretension.” For five years Greg lived in Playa Negro near Tamarindo, Costa Rica where he immersed himself by becoming part of the local community. As much as he deeply loved his home there, Greg was also an extensive world traveler with an adventurous spirit and an insatiable curiosity about different cultures and people. He lived by this Mahatma Gandhi quote inscribed in his passport: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Greg died at the age of 32 in a small plane crash off the Pacific Coast on July 16, 2005.
Our Standing Up program includes “films with a conscience.” Standing Up started as a sidebar to focus on films with the mission to change the world and grew into a celebration of activism and the fight for social justice. Many of these films highlight personal stories featuring individuals who set out to teach lessons on how to live a better life. One of the aspects all these films share is the impact they make on viewers long after the credits roll. Through the films, Standing Up honors Greg Gund—as well as others with a different view of the world—and the continual fight to make it better.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and receive a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
International Narrative Competition
The CIFF is a great way for Clevelanders to experience the different cultures, languages, and customs of the entire world. We are recognized for our well-rounded international program, and we're happy to showcase films from around the globe in the second year of this competition.
Based on audience vote, the winner of this competition will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony and recieve a $7,500 cash prize.
Competition Presented by:
Tom Piraino & Barbara McWilliams
International Narrative Films sponsored by:
Local Heroes Competition
Local Heroes is our annual celebration of films made about Ohio, in Ohio, or by Ohioans. We are honored to once again support these films and filmmakers, hoping to empower the already booming independent film community of Cleveland and Ohio alike. Based on audience vote, this year’s competition will yield a $7,500 cash prize to the winner announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Lauren Rich Fine
Local Heroes Films sponsored by:
Music Movies Competition
At the 30th CIFF we launched our Music Movies Sidebar, which has since grown into a grouping of some of our most popular films each Festival. For the sixth year in a row, we’re happy to showcase these films even more and continue the Music Movies Competition. Comprised of documentaries and narratives, this competition is based on audience vote and awards the winner with a $7,500 cash prize, which willbe announced at our Closing Night Ceremony.
Competition Presented by:
Jules and Fran Belkin
Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition
The Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition is dedicated to the life and work of our long-time board member and friend Mark Schwartz (1956-2014).
For 15 years, the CIFF has presented the N+S Documentary Competition. This will be the third year we celebrate the life of Mark Schwartz with a sharper focus on portrait documentaries. Much like Mark himself–and the creative firm he founded–the subjects in these documentaries are determined, dedicated, and daring. The films are artistic and passionate, telling stories with insight, power, and revelation.
N+S (www.NSideas.com) is a ground-breaking graphic design studio committed to telling their clients' stories through bold ideas they least expect. Film, like design, is a medium of change. Sponsoring a program that rewards excellence in that medium is a natural fit for a studio that demands the same.
Portrait documentaries in competition that are screening in the Festival will be viewed by our panel of jurors throughout the week. The winner will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony, receiving a cash prize of $10,000.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Brian Newman – Brian Newman is the founder of Sub-Genre, which consults on content development, financing, distribution, and marketing to help connect brands and filmmakers with audiences. Clients include Patagonia, REI, Keen, Yeti Coolers, New York Times, Sonos, Sundance, Vulcan Productions, and Zero Point Zero. Brian is the Producer of "Love & Taxes," "The Outside Story," "The Wild," and "The Heist," and Executive Producer of "Shored Up." Brian has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute and is on the advisory board of the Camden International Film Festival.
Brian Owens – Brian Owens became Artistic Director of the Calgary International Film Festival in 2018. Prior to that, he served as Artistic Director for the Nashville Film Festival for a decade, overseeing his final festival last May. He began his career in the film industry by founding the Indianapolis International Film Festival. He has served on juries across the U.S. and Canada and has published several writings online and in print.
Nina Gilden Seavey – Nina Gilden Seavey is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and 30-year veteran of the documentary world. Nina's eclectic body of work has won numerous recognitions, including five Emmy nominations. Nina serves as the Director of the Documentary Center at The George Washington University, which she founded in 1990. She holds the academic rank of Research Professor of History and Media and Public Affairs at the university. In 2012 Nina was named on of the top 50 journalism professors in the U.S. In addition to being a filmmaker and professor, in 2002 Nina became the Founding Director of SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival (now AFI Docs). She continued with the festival as Executive Producer, strand programmer, and senior member of the management team until 2009.
New Direction Competition
At the 39th CIFF we premiered our focus on debut directors whose innovative films transform the traditional notions of cinematic storytelling. Thanks to the support of CoverMyMeds, we are proud to present our fourth New Direction Competition. Screening within this competition are films created by emerging filmmakers who we believe will define the future of filmmaking. Films in competition that are screening in the Festival will be viewed by our panel of jurors throughout the week. The winner will be announced at our Closing Night Ceremony, receiving a cash prize of $10,000.
Competition Presented by:
Jurors:
Jim Brunzell III – Jim Brunzell III was born in the 70s, played sports in the 80s, went to school in the 90s, and started working at film festivals in the 2000s. He is the Artistic Director of the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) in Austin, TXand the 32nd annual festival will take place August 22-25, 2019. Jim was named a "Top 10 Local Queer Hero" by the Austin Chronicle in 2016. Jim is also the Festival Director for the music/film/art festival, Sound Unseen, in Minneapolis, MN, which was named "One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2016" by Moviemaker Magazine and will be celebrating its 20th annual festival, November 13-17, 2019. Jim has served on numerous film festival juries and is a big sports nerd.
Megan Leonard – Megan Leonard is a producer and festival programmer based in Seattle, WA. Her short film, "Mixtape Marauders" (dir. Peter Edlund, 2017), premiered at the Academy-qualifying Aspen ShortsFest and continued to screen at festivals across the U.S. It received a Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere, as did her two previous collaborations with director Peter Edlund, "Chase the Clouds" (2016) and "The New West" (2014). In 2018 Megan co-produced and assistant directed Factory 25's feature production, "You Mean Everything To Me." Megan has also produced numerous other short films, including "I See Through You." And she has produced music videos for Mudhoney, Chastity Belt, Noah Gundersen, and more. In addition to producing, Megan has served on the Seattle International Film Festival programming team for the last ten years, where she heads the New American Cinema and SIFF ShortsFest teams. She also programs at DOC NYC, Indie Memphis, and Cucalorus. Megan has served as a mentor at SXSW and Film Independent Forum and as a juror at Fantastic Fest, Twist, and Sound Unseen.
Boyd van Hoeij – Boyd van Hoeij is a Dutch-born freelance film writer based in Paris and Luxembourg. He was a contributing critic for the U.S. trade paper, Variety, between 2008 and 2013, before moving to The Hollywood Reporter, where he reviews films from all the major international festivals, including Cannes, Venice, and Toronto. He's also the film editor of Winq magazine (Netherlands) and regularly contributes to De Filmkrant (Netherlands). Besides his writing activities, Boyd is part of the Selection Committee of the Luxembourg Film Fund and a programmer at the Luxembourg City Film Festival. He's also taught film criticism short courses and conducted shot-by-shot analyses of film classics in countries as varied as Lithuania, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, and the United States.
ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
We are thrilled to once again celebrate female filmmakers at the Cleveland International Film Festival. The ReelWomenDirect Award, based on audience vote, will be presented to a woman director at our Closing Night Ceremony, accompanied by a $10,000 cash prize. In an industry historically dominated by men, we are honored to showcase these women–who make up nearly 40% of our feature filmmakers–and the empowered female perspectives they provide within their films.
Competition Presented by:
Deborah Bachman Ratner
After Hours Shorts 1
Running Time: 96 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 2
Running Time: 98 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 3
Running Time: 95 Minutes
After Hours Shorts 4
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Animated Shorts
Comedy Shorts 1
Comedy Shorts 2
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Comedy Shorts 3
Family Shorts 1
Family Shorts 2
Family Shorts 3
FilmSlamŪ African Diaspora Shorts Program
Running Time: 67 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Arabic Shorts Program
Running Time: 79 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Chinese Shorts Program
Running Time: 71 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ French Shorts Program
Running Time: 84 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ German Shorts Program
Running Time: 68 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ International Shorts Program
Running Time: 79 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Middle-School Light Program
Running Time: 81 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Russian Shorts Program
Running Time: 78 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
Running Time: 80 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ Spanish Shorts Program
Running Time: 80 Minutes
FilmSlamŪ World Language Program
Running Time: 72 Minutes
Local Heroes Shorts 1
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Local Heroes Shorts 2
Watch Out! Shorts 1
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Watch Out! Shorts 2
Shorts Program 1
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 2
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Shorts Program 3
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Shorts Program 4
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 5
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 6
Shorts Program 7
Shorts Program 8
Running Time: 97 Minutes
Shorts Program 9
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Shorts Program 10
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Shorts Program 11
Shorts Program 12
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 13
Shorts Program 14
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shorts Program 15
Running Time: 96 Minutes
United Arab Emirates
Directed By: Nada El-Azhary
Running Time: 10 Minutes
When a flirty text to her crush accidentaly gets sent to her dad’s phone instead, a shy teenager must do whatever it takes to delete the message before her dad checks his phone. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Family Shorts 1
FilmSlamŪ Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Middle-School Light Program
FilmSlamŪ Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
GERMANY
Directed By: Florian David Fitz
Running Time: 110 Minutes
U.S. PREMIERE Toni and Paul are best friends who have created an app that gives cell phone voices personalities to match the owners. Unknown to Paul, Toni has used Paul’s prototype app to mine intimate personal data to encourage him to... {more}
Sweden
Directed By: Jimmy Olsson
Running Time: 14 Minutes
Charlotte faces an unexpected challenge in her new job as a second-grade teacher. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
IRAN
Directed By: Jafar Panahi
Running Time: 100 Minutes
When beloved Iranian actress Behnaz Jafari receives a video from a young girl in a remote village, her life is shattered. It depicts the apparent suicide of the girl—an aspiring actress forbidden by her family to attend the conservatory in... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: André Roy
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A VR documentary about a school gym that becomes the site of an experiment in reverse inclusion when non-disabled students ask for wheelchairs so that they can play basketball with their classmates - two sisters who have muscular dystrophy. {more}
USA
Directed By: Jethro Patalinghug
Running Time: 82 Minutes
Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses throwing elegant balls with dazzling gowns and tiaras. The Grand Courts of Europe? No. The Imperial Court of San Francisco, the oldest LGBTQ charity in the world. Found by Jose Sarria in the 1960s,... {more}
Austria
Directed By: David Auerbach
Running Time: 29 Minutes
A beloved former communist institution fights for survival amidst the ever shifting political and economic tides of the disputed Crimean peninsula. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
UK
Directed By: Dezhou Li
Running Time: 13 Minutes
About Bintou is a short documentary about an African female Muslim student’s life in Guangzhou, China. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
ARGENTINA, MEXICO
Directed By: Gonzalo Tobal
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Before the vicious murder of her best friend, Camila, Delores lived a privileged life as a relatively well-off college student. But two years later, she’s about to stand trial for the crime, though she vehemently denies any involvement. The killing... {more}
France
Directed By: BOUTROT Lucas, CARRET Elise, CREANTOR Maoris, HUBERT Pierre, LACROIX Camille, PERROUX Charlotte
Running Time: 7 Minutes
In ancient China, a little dragon who can't breathe fire will fight to overcome his weakness in order to take part in the New Year’s celebration. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
NORWAY
Directed By: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
Running Time: 90 Minutes
When a mysterious bouquet of fresh roses shows up on Anita’s doorstep, her evening runs become a bit more guarded. She’s just started a new job as a substitute teacher where she struggles to fit in with her colleagues. Instead,... {more}
USA
Directed By: Derek Knowles, Spencer Seibert
Running Time: 18 Minutes
AFTER THE FIRE follows residents of Sonoma Valley as they struggle to find their places in a community that has been reshaped overnight by the historic Northern California wildfires. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Ofra Bloch
Running Time: 94 Minutes
When Jerusalem-born trauma expert, Ofra Bloch, first set out to make this documentary, her original focus was on the legacy of the Holocaust in Germany and creating conversations between the children of Jewish survivors with the children of Nazi perpetrators.... {more}
SUDAN, SOUTH AFRICA, QATAR, GERMANY
Directed By: hajooj kuka
Running Time: 78 Minutes
Adnan is torn. He’s in love with Lina, but he’s really in love with Nancy, his beloved AK47. The civil war in Sudan has been on hiatus during the rainy season, but the time has come for Adnan to rejoin... {more}
Spain
Directed By: Bernabé Rico
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Madrid, Christmas 2009: a newborn is abandoned in the middle of the street. With only the shelter of a sports bag, the baby undertakes a journey of survival at the hands of nocturnal beings who, although overtaken by events, will... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Ben Adam-Harris
Running Time: 4 Minutes
A skeleton struggles to let go of an ex lover. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: David Maddox
Running Time: 9 Minutes
A well meaning math teacher finds herself trumped by a post-fact America. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Jacqueline Olive
Running Time: 89 Minutes
Public reports prove nearly 5,000 lynchings took place from the 1890s through the 1960s, an era of American history that still haunts black and white communities. For much of the nation, these horrific acts may feel like a distant memory.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
Running Time: 76 Minutes
On a busy boardwalk of Puerta Vallarta, Diego weaves in and out of the crowds on his unicycle. But his carefree life of being a surf instructor abruptly changes direction when he’s forced to move back home to Colima to... {more}
USA
Directed By: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Dayton, Ohio has a rich history of innovation and industry as the home for the aviation pioneer Wright Brothers, companies such as National Cash Register, and artists including poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the early 20th century, the region was... {more}
USA
Directed By: Pat McGee, Adam Linkenhelt
Running Time: 105 Minutes
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses. The epidemic knows no boundaries, affecting people from all walks of life, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Many times, the... {more}
USA, DENMARK, NORWAY
Directed By: James Longley
Running Time: 117 Minutes
The children of Kabul, Afghanistan have never known peace. Raised amidst the chaos and violence of continuous conflict, their curious minds try to make sense of their circumstances and the fate of their homeland. Attempting to provide some sense of... {more}
POLAND, SPAIN, BELGIUM, GERMANY, HUNGARY
Directed By: Raúl de la Fuente, Damian Nenow
Running Time: 86 Minutes
It’s 1975 in freshly liberated Angola, and a horrific war is erupting between the Socialist and Democratic factions of the country. As world powers choose sides, the bloody civil-conflict spreads far beyond Angola’s borders and onto the international stage, becoming... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Nicholas de Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 6 Minutes
A VR documentary that immerses viewers in the Dandora Landfill - the largest of its kind in Kenya. A landfill that receives about 2,000 tons of waste per day, it also represents an emerging microeconomy of the more than one... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Nicholas de Pencier, Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A VR documentary that captures the largest ivory burn in history, which took place in Nairobi National Park in April 2016. Over 100 tons of confiscated elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns (equaling between 105 to 150 million dollars) were set... {more}
CANADA
Directed By: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky
Running Time: 87 Minutes
For nearly 12,000 years, civilization as we know it has formed within the Holocene Epoch. This geological time scale can be read within the stones of the Earth. For the last ten years, a group of scientists has been investigating... {more}
USA
Directed By: Paul Connor, Josh Chesler
Running Time: 7 Minutes
THE APPLICANT tells the story of Adam Parker, a complex man with good intentions who finds himself trapped in a high-tech world of unlimited power, resources, and seemingly unlimited corruption. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
U.S.A
Directed By: Bola Ogun
Running Time: 9 Minutes
When Lauren and Bill's 14 year-daughter says she's going to her first dance with her classmate, Ryan, they question their preconceived notions of her sexuality and their openness as parents. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Oliver Krimpas
Running Time: 79 Minutes
WORLD PREMIERE When a location scout tours an old French chateau for a possible film production, he spends the afternoon engaged in a dynamic conversation about philosophy and science with the property’s representative. She is a beautiful young woman who is... {more}
Spain, US
Directed By: Erika Sanz
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Eli, a writer in the doldrums and Angela an aspiring actress, are on the brink of a breakup but an unexpected visit from the past will change everything. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
GERMANY
Directed By: Florian Gallenberger
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Georg “Schorsch” Kempter has never been a man of many words. He spends his days working quietly as a gardener and landscaper in a small Bavarian town. His marriage has lost the little spark it had, and his daughter has... {more}
NORWAY
Directed By: Magnus Meyer Arnesen
Running Time: 91 Minutes
With only a few weeks left of his probation period, Joachim’s struggle with heroin addiction seems to be behind him. On the surface, he appears to be back on track with a steady job and productive therapy sessions—when he’s not... {more}
JAPAN, FRANCE
Directed By: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Running Time: 120 Minutes
A chance meeting at her favorite photography exhibit leaves Asako swept up in love. Meek in nature, Asako finds the sexy, free-spirited Baku irresistible, and the two are immediately smitten. Asako’s best friend, Haruyo, warns her that Baku is nothing... {more}
Venezuela
Directed By: Manuel Trotta
Running Time: 18 Minutes
Beto, a sophisticated man, returns to his remote hometown with the goal of bringing his senile father to a care home in the city. But his father, Don Alfredo, does not want to leave home until he fulfills his only... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA, AUSTRALIA
Directed By: Martin Taylor
Running Time: 20 Minutes
A ground-breaking, first-person cinematic VR thriller that blurs the lines of reality through the story of Harry - a man obsessed with solving a mysterious lucid dream. {more}
United Kingdom
Directed By: Alberto Corredor
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Kevin is haunted by grief and has questions that only the recently deceased can answer. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
France
Directed By: Donato Sansone
Running Time: 5 Minutes
In the beginning was the Stain. A paintbrush reveals a being of gouache, opens him, transforms him, twists him, completes him. From this accelerated evolution arises a conquering being. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Canada
Directed By: Christina Willings
Running Time: 23 Minutes
Beauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their ideas of what it means to be fully human. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Elliot Dickerhoof
Running Time: 4 Minutes
Even in the 18th century musicians had to deal with the usual criticisms from music producers. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
US
Directed By: Aaron Smithson
Running Time: 12 Minutes
While hiking the Appalachian Trail, a deaf couple argue over the moral implications of giving their child a cochlear implant. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlamŪ Shorts for Those with Hearing Loss
Shorts Program 4
USA
Directed By: Hannah Pearl Utt
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Stage manager Rachel Gurner still lives in her childhood apartment—along with her off-kilter actress sister, Jackie; eccentric playwright father Mel; and deadpan preteen niece Dodge—above the tiny theatre they own and operate. Level-headed and turtleneck-wearing Rachel is the only thing... {more}
USA
Directed By: Sarah Berkovich
Running Time: 12 Minutes
Experience life through the eyes of Henry Evans in this interactive VR documentary. After suffering a stroke which left him paralyzed, he uses cutting-edge technology to connect with the world he was forced to leave behind. {more}
UNITED KINGDOM
Directed By: Simon Amstell
Running Time: 85 Minutes
Seven years ago, young Benjamin Oliver wowed the critics and won awards for his first film, “Happy.” Now he is finally releasing his long overdue follow-up, “No Self”—an odd mix examining his inability to maintain relationships, coupled with Buddhist philosophy.... {more}
United Kingdom
Directed By: Garry Crystal
Running Time: 17 Minutes
A classic suburban tale of parenthood, bereavement and a mysterious pug. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
China
Directed By: Mengchen Niu
Running Time: 24 Minutes
Besieged follows the lives of Yang and Victor, Chinese half-brothers who have been in competition with each other their entire lives. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
United Kingdom
Directed By: Kerry Skinner, Stewart Alexander
Running Time: 8 Minutes
You don't want to come between this girl and her bike. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Family Shorts 1
FilmSlamŪ International Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ Middle-School Light Program
USA
Directed By: Brandon LaGanke, John Carlucci
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A typical family is terrorized by a revolutionary new A.I. product. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Ireland
Directed By: Carol Freeman
Running Time: 7 Minutes
A baby whale separated from his family discovers a caged bird; the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Together they struggle to survive lost at sea. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Indonesia
Directed By: Sil van der Woerd, Jorik Dozy
Running Time: 5 Minutes
The symbolic story of a man arriving on a perfect Earth, who encounters his nemesis in the form of ocean pollution. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: John William Ross, Michael Thelin, Jerome Sable, Chris Leone, Ben Franklin & Anthony Melton, Toby Meakins, Andrew Laurich, Rob Savage, Jack Bishop & Justin Nijm
Running Time: 21 Minutes
An innovative cinematic collaboration presented in 10 genre bending 2-minute shorts, BITE SIZE HORROR is a festival of fright and delight that explores every facet of the unknown. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Black Knuckle & Deputy Maltese
USA
Directed By: Jason Phillips
Running Time: 15 Minutes
In the western town of Coal Ridge, a deputy keeps his love a secret until the outlaw who stole his heart is taken hostage. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
US
Directed By: Mike Berry
Running Time: 10 Minutes
A young girl helps the homeless by supplying them with blankets. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Nicholas D'Agostino
Running Time: 9 Minutes
An ex con gets wrapped up in a con within a con. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: James Morosini
Running Time: 5 Minutes
A guy and his girlfriend are forced to navigate new territory when he's caught wearing her dress. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Poland
Directed By: Milena Dutkowska
Running Time: 15 Minutes
Bogdan and Rose have been married for many years. Now they find their daily lives are filled with silent moments of reciprocal malice. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana
USA
Directed By: Frank Henenlotter
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Freedom of speech is one of America’s most cherished rights, protected by the First Amendment. But as some have learned, not all speech is covered by it. One such exception is obscenity, defined by Merriam-Webster as “any utterance or act... {more}
USA
Directed By: Jeremy Borison
Running Time: 13 Minutes
While Oma and her granddaughter pack up the belongings of Oma's recently deceased husband, truths come to light about her granddaughter's sexuality and Oma's own secret life before the Holocaust. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine
USA
Directed By: Scott Crawford
Running Time: 73 Minutes
BOY HOWDY! THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE chronicles what some consider to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll magazine ever made (with an iconic mascot designed by cartoonist, Robert Crumb). In this compelling film, Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe, Michael Stipe,... {more}
Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero
USA
Directed By: Eric Mahoney
Running Time: 108 Minutes
When Brainiac was starting out, being from Dayton, Ohio wasn’t exactly the coolest thing for a band to claim. But the foursome wore it like a badge of honor. Fronted by singer/multi-instrumentalist Tim Taylor, the indie rock outfit was ahead... {more}
UNITED KINGDOM, USA
Directed By: Robert Ryan
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Nuns with guns who sell weed! It may sound like the plot of some exploitation film, but it’s actually a summary of BREAKING HABITS, an explosive documentary directed by Robert Ryan. The story follows Christine Meeusen, a divorced former corporate... {more}
USA
Directed By: Tom Shadyac
Running Time: 100 Minutes
In the summer of 2002, Brian Banks was charged with dragging a female classmate into a stairwell and raping her. Though Brian maintained his innocence, he agreed to a plea bargain to avoid decades of imprisonment. The accepted plea deal... {more}
Canada/Tunisia/Qatar/Sweden
Directed By: Meryam Joobeur
Running Time: 25 Minutes
Mohamed is a hardened shepherd living in rural Tunisia with his wife and two sons. He is deeply shaken when his oldest son Malik returns home after a long journey with a mysterious new wife. Tension between father and son... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlamŪ Arabic Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ International Shorts Program
Shorts Program 7
INDIA
Directed By: Rima Das
Running Time: 95 Minutes
As a teenage girl growing up in rural India, Bulbul struggles to find her place within a traditional society where women are expected to be modest and well-behaved. Her rebellious spirit and curious mind don’t exactly fit into the gender... {more}
France
Directed By: Daouda Diakhate
Running Time: 30 Minutes
Omar is thirty years old when he gets out from a long stay in psychiatric hospital. He goes back into the district where he lives with his father and his younger sister. The only thing which interests him is to... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
USA
Directed By: Daniel Bydlowski
Running Time: 28 Minutes
A 10-year-old boy is relentlessly bullied until he discovers a secret beneath his school that promises to keep him safe -- if he's willing to play by the rules. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
France
Directed By: Nirina Ralantoaritsimba
Running Time: 19 Minutes
Max is an ambitious young man. His dream school is an oral exam away from becoming reality but first he needs his grandmother's assistance and she needs his as well. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
FilmSlamŪ French Shorts Program
FilmSlamŪ World Language Program
Shorts Program 10
Buņuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
SPAIN
Directed By: Salvador Simó
Running Time: 77 Minutes
After screening his latest film, “L’Age D’Or,” surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel is roundly condemned for blasphemy. The church, his friends, and even his own mother ostracize him, and he cannot get funding to do further work. After reading an ethnography... {more}
United States
Directed By: Erin Brown Thomas, Mike Esperaza
Running Time: 5 Minutes
Life before and after coffee. {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
LUXEMBOURG
Directed By: Fabrizio Maltese
Running Time: 104 Minutes
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE At 203.5 square miles, California City is the third largest city in the state of California in terms of area. Founded in 1958 by sociologist/real estate developer, Nat Mendelsohn, it was supposed to become the next big metropolis.... {more}
USA
Directed By: Sabina Vajrača
Running Time: 18 Minutes
When a talented yet struggling actress Laura has an uneasy encounter with a top Hollywood director at the biggest audition of her career, she has to make a decision of whether to take the role, or walk away from her... {more}
This film is part of the following shorts programs:
Campfire Creepers: Midnight March
USA
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
Running Time: 12 Minutes
When the ruthless counselors of Camp Coyote force the kids to take a ritualistic midnight march, one fed-up boy reveals a terrifying secret about himself, in this 80s-style horror VR series. {more}
Campfire Creepers: Skull of Sam
USA
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
Running Time: 12 Minutes
This creepy episode of the Camp Coyote-set VR horror series is about a couple who encounter a vicious stranger in the woods, played by the iconic Robert Englund. {more}
USA
Directed By: Hernan Barangan
Running Time: 101 Minutes
At age 15, Hernan Barangan was diagnosed with Leukemia. Unknown to him at the time, he was one of roughly 70,000 teenagers diagnosed that (and every) year. Just when life was beginning to unfold, he had to battle to keep... {more}