Land of the Lost

Hope is the currency of Cleveland sports fans. For 52 years, they've invested their hearts, souls and season tickets in teams that have failed to win a single championship. When every year is next year, it takes a special breed of fan to maintain loyalty to the Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.

Why Cleveland sports fans are so diehard is explored in ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary Believeland, premiering March 31 at the 40th Cleveland International Film Festival, which runs March 30 through April 10.

"[Sports is] the one playing field that we still think we have a chance to beat out New York, beat out Philadelphia, beat out Detroit," says Believeland director Andy Billman, an Ohio native and graduate of the University of Toledo. "Because of that, we kind of live and die with these teams."

Believeland chronicles every gut-wrenching setback from Red Right 88 to the departures and returns of the Browns and LeBron James. One scene even shows teary-eyed Browns running back Earnest Byner recalling the hate mail he received after the Fumble.

Yet throughout, the passion of Cleveland fans is evident, whether they were latching onto Browns players as they thanked fans after the last home game before the Baltimore move or in the case of Billman, trying to skip school because of postgame depression.

"I did not act appropriately at all in 1997 when the Indians lost the World Series," says the 36-year-old. "I didn't want to go to school the next day."

A special March 31 premiere at the Connor Palace Theatre features an all-star panel discussion by Byner, Cleveland Cavalier Craig Ehlo, Esquire writer Scott Raab and ESPN Cleveland sportscaster Tony Rizzo.

The film, which has a CIFF encore screening April 5 at Tower City Cinemas and plays on ESPN in May, includes exclusive interviews with Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown, Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton and Ehlo as well as media members Tom Hamilton, Tony Grossi and Brian Windhorst.

Despite ample disappointment, the film shows fans' dedication is what makes our sports teams great even if the scoreboard doesn't reflect that.

A touching closing scene between Raab and his son, Judah, captures that as they discuss the unbreakable bond formed between true fans and their teams.

My Blind Brother

Shot in 22 days in Lorain, Sheffield, Berea and Tremont last May and backed by local Low Spark Films and Think Media Studios, this dramedy examines the conflicts between an underachiever (Nick Kroll), his blind brother (Adam Scott) and the woman they desire (Jenny Slate). April 2 & 3

Unseen

Cleveland Heights documentary filmmaker Laura Paglin shines a light on one of our city's darkest moments — the 2009 discovery of 11 decaying female bodies at the Imperial Avenue property of serial killer Anthony Sowell. The powerful film includes chilling stories from five women who survived Sowell's attacks. April 2-4