The Cleveland International Film Festival soon returns to Playhouse Square for its 48th year, running in-person from April 3 to April 13.
For 2024, the lineup has been spiced up with several retro and festive screenings that go hand-in-hand with the theme "In The Glow," including a showing of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on the day of the actual eclipse itself.
If you can’t make it Downtown, don’t worry: You’ll have the opportunity to watch films online through the virtual festival CIFFStreams48, which will have more than half of the in-person festival’s feature films and nearly all of its short films.
The festival will kick off with 137 feature films as well as 225 short films to enjoy. Check out the list below for some must-see films to whet your cultural palate.
Thelma
Kicking off the 10-day festival is Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb starring as the titular character Thelma, a feisty 93-year old woman who loses $10,000 to a phone scammer impersonating her grandson. Rather than take it lying down, she and her neighbor and his motorized scooter take to the streets of Los Angeles to shake down the people who stole from her. This film also features legendary actor Richard Roundtree in one of his final performances. April 3, 7 p.m., Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Daughters
The product of an 8-year documentary journey, Daughters follows four little girls — Aubrey, Santana, Raziah and Ja’Ana — as they prepare for a daughter-Daddy event with their incarcerated fathers. Full of joy and heartbreak in equal amounts, this documentary challenges the stereotypes held about having an incarcerated loved one. April 13, 9:35 a.m., Upper Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Your Fat Friend
A “passionate and fury-inducing” profile of Aubrey Gordon, a prolific author, podcaster and activist who unknowingly kickstarted her successful career exploring the effects of anti-fat culture after writing an anonymous letter to The New York Times under the signature “Your Fat Friend.” The film is both an education on the important topics of anti-fat biases that run rampant in our culture along with the many myths behind mainstream dieting, as well as an intimate portrait of Gordon herself, the woman behind the alias. April 13, 2:30 p.m., Keybank State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland clevelandfilm.org
Preconceived
As the political war on women’s bodies rages on in America, Sabrine Keane’s Preconceived explores the dark side of the anti-abortion movement with this expose on pregnancy crisis centers, where women looking to terminate their pregnancies face “manipulation, junk science, misleading information and weaponized faith.” Preconceived follows Maleeha and Maria, two clients at PCPs, and also features interviews from authorities on both sides of the topic. April 5, 4:55 p.m.; April 6, 9:45 a.m., Mimi Ohio Theatre, 1511 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Porcelain War
With a strong Eastern European demographic, many Northeast Ohioans have felt the effects of the war on Ukraine in a personal way these last few years. Slava Leontyev’s Porcelain War shows that beauty can indeed be found in the rubble as Leontyev documents the experiences of three Ukrainian artists and their efforts to stay and fight while also continuing with making their porcelain art: Leontyev himself along with his wife, Anya, and collaborator Andrey. April 12, 11:55 a.m., Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
How about a short film? Set in 1813 England, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets a very unwelcome visitor — her period — in the middle of a long-awaited proposal. When her dashing suitor Mr. Dickley mistakes the blood stain for a sudden injury, it becomes clear that his prestigious education hasn't prepared him for this. April 5, 7:30 p.m., Upper Allen Theatre; April 7, 7:25 p.m., Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
A Moment of Your Time
This emotional short introduces us to River, a trans woman who returns to her estranged family’s home to attend her father’s funeral. She is anxious to see her mother, but nothing can prepare her for the anticipated reunion. April 9, 7:20 p.m., Upper ALlen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Ghostlight
Anyone fancy a bit of Shakespeare? In this sensitive and heartwarming film, we follow unwilling construction worker-turned-actor Dan as he discovers the power of artistic expression through a local production of Romeo and Juliet. As Dan struggles with a difficult marriage and an even more difficult teenage daughter, he experiences feelings that he doesn’t completely understand at times, leading him to channel them through his newfound art. April 11, 11:55 a.m.; April 14, 7:15 p.m., Keybank State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
You’ll feel uber sophisticated with this French-subtitled film. Sasha, a vampire, is the family disappointment: She has no bite. She refuses to murder to quench her thirst, but she may have found her answer in Paul, a suicidal man she meets at a group therapy session. Realizing that they may be able to help each other out, they set off on a night of adventure to fulfill Paul’s dying wish before Sasha digs in. April 11, 10:05 p.m.; April 13, 12:10 p.m., Upper Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
Coherence
First appearing at the 38th Annual Cleveland Film Festival, Coherence is still talked about to this day. And what better timing to bring it back? On the night of the passing of Miller’s Comet, strange things begin happening: glass shatters, the internet and power go down and friends start to turn on each other. Come and relive the madness after experiencing Cleveland in total darkness during the total solar eclipse. April 8, 8:30 p.m., Mimi Ohio Theatre, 1511 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandfilm.org
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