Cleveland International Film Festival announced its juried competitions for the upcoming 47th edition of the festival, comprised of thirty-two feature films in three competitions, with $30,000 in cash prizes available. In addition, dozens of short films will be included in CIFF’s three Oscar qualifying categories, with $3,000 in cash prizes available.
The Festival also announced a partnership with HOMEGROWN: Future Visions, a new program presented by Firelight Media, PBS, and the Center for Asian American Media. HOMEGROWN: Future Visions is an anthology of eight documentary short films made by emerging BIPOC filmmakers that illuminate the living histories and thriving cultures of the American Midwest. Rooted in the cities of Detroit, Milwaukee, Gary, Minneapolis, Lansing, Lawrence, and Iowa City, each story centers around local residents who are redefining the future of their communities.
Each year the Cleveland International Film Festival commissions a local artist to create the Festival’s coveted Filmmaker Awards. This year’s Award Artist is April Bleakney, an artist, entrepreneur, and student of history.
Filmmaker Awards will be presented throughout the Festival and as part of the Closing Night Ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
CIFF47 will take place March 22-April 1, 2023 at Playhouse Square, followed by CIFF47 Streams, sponsored by PNC, which will take place April 2-9, 2023 online.
JURIED COMPETITIONS
GEORGE GUND III MEMORIAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COMPETITION
Award amount: $10,000 USD
BACKWARDS (Poland, Jacek Lusiński)
BUTTERFLY VISION (Ukraine/Czech Republic/Croatia/Sweden, Maksym Nakonechnyi)
THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD (Macedonia/Belgium/Slovenia/Denmark/Croatia/Bosnia/ Herzegovina, Teona Strugar Mitevska)
JANUARY (Latvia/Lithuania/Poland, Viesturs Kairišs)
LARRY (Hungary, Szilárd Bernáth)
MARCH ’68 (Poland, Krzysztof Lang)
ORDINARY FAILURES (Czech Republic/Italy/Hungary/Slovakia, Cristina Groșan)
PAMFIR (Ukraine/France/Poland/Chile, Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk)
R.M.N. (Romania/France/Belgium/Sweden, Cristian Mungiu)
SHTTL (Ukraine/France, Ady Walter)
VALERIE IS GETTING MARRIED (Israel/Ukraine, Michal Vinik)
NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ PORTRAIT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Award amount: $10,000 USD
ACCIDENTAL LIFE (USA, Henna Taylor)
BEING MARY TYLER MOORE (USA, James Adolphus)
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE (USA, Nicole Newnham)
IN THE COMPANY OF ROSE (USA, James Lapine)
IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL (USA, Alexandria Bombach)
JOONAM (USA, Sierra Urich)
JUDY BLUME FOREVER (USA, Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok)
LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING (USA, Lisa Cortés)
MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES (USA, SamPollard, Ben Shapiro)
NEW DIRECTION COMPETITION
Award amount: $10,000 USD
AMANDA (Italy, Carolina Cavalli)
CHARCOAL (Brazil/Argentina, Carolina Markowicz)
CHRISSY JUDY (USA, Todd Flaherty)
DAUGHTER OF RAGE (Nicaragua/Mexico/Netherlands/Germany/France/Norway/Spain, Laura Baumeister)
FALCON LAKE (Canada, Charlotte Le Bon)
I HAVE ELECTRIC DREAMS (Belgium/France/Costa Rica, Valentina Maurel)
I LIKE MOVIES (Canada, Chandler Levack)
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY (Dominican Republic, Victoria Linares Villegas)
JOYLAND (Pakistan/USA, Saim Sadiq)
PLAN 75 (Japan/France/Philippines/Qatar, Chie Hayakawa)
SHIMONI (Kenya, Angela Wanjiku Wamai)
THE TUBA THIEVES (USA, Alison O’Daniel)