Cleveland International Film Festival
Circa 2003 -2006
This was the official website for the Cleveland International Film Festival.
Content is from the site's 2003 -2006 archived pages offering just a glimpse of what this festival is all about.
The current website for the Cleveland Film Festival, now called the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIIF), is found at: https://www.clevelandfilm.org/
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about cfs |
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Founded in 1977, the Cleveland Film Society has presented the Cleveland International Film Festival every spring for nearly three decades. History:
The first Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) was organized by Jonathan Forman and presented April 13 – June 2, 1977. Eight films from seven countries were shown at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights over an eight-week period. Presented as a subscription series, the first CIFF received substantial media attention, and attendance indicated that Clevelanders wanted a broader schedule. By its third year, the CIFF had grown to include feature films from around the world, children’s films, retrospectives, and short subjects. A Board of Trustees — consisting of community leaders, film scholars, and film enthusiasts — was assembled to oversee the mission, funding, and growth of the CIFF. By its fifth year, the CIFF had developed a network of screening locations, establishing itself within the Greater Cleveland arts community as an eagerly awaited annual event. Fund raising was enhanced through the generosity of The George Gund Foundation and The Cleveland Foundation, and educational efforts were strengthened as a result. In 1986 the CIFF moved its Opening Night to the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square, adding to the excitement and appeal of the event. Guest filmmakers regularly attended the Film Festival to introduce their films and answer audience questions. And a fall program of international films became an annual part of the organization’s presentations for a number of years. In January 1991, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move the Film Festival from the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights to Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland, making the event more accessible to film lovers from throughout the region. In addition, , the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland International Film Festival also voted to change the name of the organization to the Cleveland Film Society (CFS). The purpose of the change was to reflect the evolution of the organization’s mission. During its first year downtown, the Festival’s attendance (14,000) fell slightly. But by 1995 attendance had grown to 23,000. And in 1998 the Festival experienced its greatest one-year increase in attendance: a jump of 16% resulted in 32,000 admissions. At the 28th CIFF in March 2004, there were more than 39,000 admissions. Today the Cleveland International Film Festival is the flagship event of the organization, though certainly not its sole function. Year-round programs and services include Film Feasts (mini-fundraising events), film appreciation classes, and membership activities.
Ohio's premier film event features more than 200 new films from over 40 countries on six continents. Visiting directors, panel discussions, student screenings and a conference for area filmmakers are all CIFF highlights. The Cleveland Film Society serves area film enthusiasts with film appreciation classes and year-round film exhibition. Over 1,500 people belong to its various membership and subscription groups. And tens of thousands of people enjoy its programs. The age range of participants is 8 to 80. Youngsters attend the Family Film Festival at the CIFF and senior citizens share their enjoyment of the art form in film appreciation classes. In addition to being the flagship event of the Cleveland Film Society, the Cleveland International Film Festival is the premier film event between New York and Chicago. A number of different venues are used to showcase the films. If you have sat through as many viewings as I have over the years you begin to appreciate the better venues because of certain comforts such as cushy seats or the quality of the paper towels & paper product found in the rest rooms. You may laugh at that, but really, don't you take pleasure in soft, 2 ply toilet paper over those thin 1 ply rough cheap paper found in many public rest rooms. Likewise nice paper towels to dry your hands and even tissue paper boxes are really to value considering what some places offer visitors. I have a brother who works for an e commerce site that sells paper towells & paper product supplies to both wholesale and retail customers. This guy knows his paper products. He'll come out of a rest room and say, "Hey, they have GEN Jumbo Jr. 2-Ply toilet paper rolls in the stall. Good choice!" Or " I approve of the Windsoft 2420 Kitchen 2-ply paper towel rolls they have in the dispenser." Some folks think he's a bit nuts. I understand, and although I don't know the specific brand or manufacturer, I know what I like and don't like. Today’s CIFF includes a full survey of contemporary international filmmaking with approximately 100 features from 44 countries and more than 100 short subjects that are shown in collected programs. Along with the main program of international films, there are special sections that add interest and diversity to the overall Festival. These include American independent, documentary, Eastern European, family, gay and lesbian, and Pan-African films. |
We are now accepting entries for the 28th Cleveland International Film Festival.
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The 27th Cleveland International Film Festival
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the programs |
| In addition to being the flagship event of the Cleveland Film Society, the Cleveland International Film Festival is the premier film event between New York and Chicago. Today's CIFF includes a full survey of contemporary international filmmaking with approximately 80 features from 35 countries and more than 100 short subjects that are shown in collected programs. Along with the main program of international films, there are special sections that add interest and diversity to the overall Festival. These include American independent, documentary, Eastern European, family, gay and lesbian, and Pan-African films.
Many filmmakers and other special guests attend the CIFF where they participate in FilmForums, which are panel discussions that give audience members a chance to talk about the films they've seen at the Film Festival. Additionally, through a community outreach program called Cultural Journeys, members of culturally diverse groups and communities learn from one another using the universal language of film. FilmSlam is the CIFF's student film festival for high school students. It is held on weekday mornings during the CIFF. At the 26th CIFF in March 2002, over 2,000 students from 60 Northeast Ohio schools participated in FilmSlam. In addition to viewing films, they met with visiting filmmakers. The three-day Midwest Independent Filmmakers Conference (MIFC) is held during the last weekend of the CIFF each year. This event features panels, workshops, equipment demonstrations, film screenings, and social events. Since it moved into its new Ohio City office space in August 1999, the CFS has been able to offer film appreciation classes (taught by educators and other experts) year-round and on the premises. During the past three years, popular film appreciation classes have included "An Introduction to Film Appreciation," "Fellini on Film," "Film Noir," "Rock Documentaries," and "The Films of Alfred Hitchcock." (By the way, the CFS moved to its current office space on August 13, 1999, which was the 100th anniversary celebration of Alfred Hitchcock's birthday.) Another class, "Opening This Friday," is so popular that it is offered every session. "Opening This Friday" is like a book club for cinephiles: the entire class sees the same new release one week and gets together to talk about it the next week. Currently the CFS is preparing to launch a new education initiative that will focus on media literacy training for educators and media literacy experiences for high school students. |
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| Thursday, March 20, 2003 Opening Night Gala Post-Party Eve 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. 1229 W 6 St, Cleveland - Warehouse District Drink specials and free sushi at Midnight Friday, March 21, 2003 Monday, March 24, 2003 Tuesday, March 25, 2003 Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Thursday, March 27, 2003 Friday, March 28, 2003 Saturday, March 29, 2003 Saturday, March 29, 2003 |
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| 04/10/2003 | ||
| HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 27th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (CIFF). MARCH 20-30, 2003 TOWER CITY CINEMAS ON THE AVENUE AT TOWER CITY CENTER CLEVELAND, OHIO FACTS AND FIGURES
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| Driving Directions
Tower City Cinemas are located at Tower City Center on Public Square in the heart of downtown Cleveland. |
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| FROM THE WEST Shoreway east to Lakeside Ave. exit South (right) on W. 6th St. West (right) on St. Clair Ave. South (left) on W. 9th St. Continue south on Huron Rd. Enter Tower City Parking on the right. |
FROM THE EAST Shoreway west to W. 3rd St. exit West (right) on St. Clair Ave. South (left) on W. 9th St. Continue south on Huron Rd. Enter Tower City Parking on the right. |
| OR, FROM THE EAST I-90 West to Prospect Ave., Exit 173A West (right) on Prospect Ave. West (left) on Huron Rd. Continue west on Huron Rd. Enter Tower City Parking on the left |
FROM THE SOUTH I-71 North to Ontario Ave., Exit 171B Continue north on Ontario Ave. West (left) on Huron Rd. Enter Tower City Parking on the left |
| OR, FROM THE SOUTH I-77 North to E. 9th St., Exit 163C North (right) on Ontario Ave. West (left) on Huron Rd. Enter Tower City Parking on the left |
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SPONSORS
The 27th Cleveland International Film Festival was sponsored by Adcom Communications, Adelphia, The Avenue at Tower City Center, Avery Dennison Fasson Rolle North America, AVID Communications, Baker & Hostetler LLP, Bartha Visual, Bright.Net, The Camera Department, Century Cycles, Cleveland Cinemas, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Jewish News, Cleveland Magazine, Cleveland Scene, Cleveland Urban Properties, Cohen & Company, Continental Airlines, Consume Design, Copy King, Cuyahoga Community College, Dollar Bank, Film Craft Lab, FilmFinders, The Glenmede Corporation, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Gateway, Holiday Inn Select City Centre Lakeshore, Huntington National Bank, Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade, Ideastream WCPN, IMI Talent, indieWIRE, Intercontinental Suites Cleveland, Intervideo, KeyBank / McDonald Financial Group, Kodak, KPMG, Land Rover Solon, Luchita's Mexican Restaurante, Madstone Films, Magic Eightball Productions, National City Bank, Nice Multimedia, Northeast Projections, PlanetOut Partners, Process Creative Studios, Reserve Square, Residence Inn by Marriott - Cleveland Downtown, The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, Sheraton Cleveland City Centre Hotel, Silver Screen Media, Sun Newspapers, Sweet & Associates, Thompson Hine LLP, TLA Releasing, Ulmer & Berne LLP, WCLV, WKSU-FM, withoutabox.com, and Women Make Movies.
Major foundation support came from The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, the Callahan Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation, and the Kiwanis Foundation of Greater Cleveland. Government funding was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman.
The Cleveland International Film Festival is a program of the Cleveland Film Society, which is a not-for-profit arts and education organization. The mission of the Cleveland Film Society is to promote artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.
The 28th Cleveland International Film Festival will be held March 18-28, 2004.