It’s that time of year again, when some of the most brilliant up-and-coming film makers join each other in downtown Cleveland for the Cleveland International Film Festival. This year the event will last from March 30th to April 10th. “This year’s festival is bigger and better than ever. With over 192 features and over 213 short films, there’s something for everyone.” This is true, the event sports all genres of movies, actors, and directions. In just a short visit, you can find romance, comedy, horror, thriller, tragedy, foreign, and so many more types of films. The other special part about this years festival is that it is the 40th anniversary of the event. Back in 1977 the tradition was born but at this point there was only 8 features per week with the current numbers constantly soaring higher and higher. As of last year about 97,000 people attend the film festival for at least one feature.
When CIFF was first introduced to the city, it took place at Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights but as the festival got more popular and grew with more and more films, the event was relocated to Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland. Each year there are also awards given out such as Best Animated SHort, Best Comedy Short, Student’s Choice Award for Best Feature, and many more including very many memorial awards. For more recognition, the winners of the Best Animated Short and the Best Live Action Short will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category at the annual Academy Awards.
The Cleveland International Film Festival will last for a few more days so make sure to take a trip downtown to see some of the best film makers’ masterpieces.
