The Cleveland International Film Fest continues through Saturday, and this year鈥檚 split-venue format is splitting public opinion. Theatergoers have been coming to Playhouse Square to see movies every spring since 2022.
In celebration of the 50th fest this year, about half of the screenings are at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights, where the festival began in 1977 with eight films shown over eight weeks.
The decision to bring the festival back to its original home came after a lunch meeting last spring between CIFF鈥檚 co-founder, Jon Forman, and current CIFF Executive Director Hermione Malone.
鈥淚 think it works for both a nod to our past and our founder and also a way to push the festival out into community a little bit more,鈥� Malone said.
The film fest ran at the Cedar Lee until 1990, when it moved to Tower City Cinemas until 2019. By the end, the 11-screen multiplex was run by Forman鈥檚 Cleveland Cinemas, which also owns the Cedar Lee. The 2020-21 festivals were virtual due to COVID-19, then moved to Playhouse Square. Tower City鈥檚 theaters never reopened. CIFF also streams for a week after the in-person fest to appeal to streaming audiences.
Over the last three years, some visitors complained about the cost of parking and dining options at Playhouse Square.
This year filmgoer Forrest Piatt Van Amber said he appreciated the option to attend a different venue with free parking and the many restaurants along Lee Road.
This is the Euclid resident鈥檚 fourth time at CIFF, alongside his husband, a former programmer for the Sarasota Film Festival. Each day, the two plan to see four or five films.
鈥淲e come to Cedar Lee a lot already, so it's kind of really awesome getting to see Cedar Lee be so full of life,鈥� said Piatt Van Amber. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty great so far, I鈥檝e really enjoyed it a lot.鈥�
The large, historic auditoriums at Playhouse Square hold hundreds more viewers than the six screens in Cleveland Heights. On Monday evening, screenings of 鈥�Slowburn Shoot鈥� at Playhouse Square and 鈥淭he Big Cheese鈥� at the Cedar Lee drew large audiences. However, on Friday afternoon, there was little activity in the Downtown theaters.
Gretchen Corp Jones is a former CIFF board member and has attended the festival for about 20 years. While she said she prefers the comfort of the larger theaters at Playhouse Square and for all screenings to be held under one roof, she sees the benefit of adding a second venue this year.
鈥淚 know a lot of people don鈥檛 like to drive Downtown [and] don鈥檛 like the parking,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲hatever can be done to remove the hurdles for people to see more and more independent films.鈥�
Ever since the pandemic, Jones said she鈥檚 seen smaller festivals like CIFF take the biggest hit. She noticed that the number of feature films is down: from 146 in 2022 to 90 this year. The number of shorts has increased from 182 to 236. Jones said festivals have to compete with streaming services and mobile devices, a sentiment echoed by Malone.
鈥淭he couch has a strong pull for people these days,鈥� Malone said. 鈥淪o, we're making more of an effort to try to create more unique experiences.鈥� CIFF offers FilmSlam, a media literacy program, for K-12 students that encourages discussions and activities around films along with workshops for educators.
This year there鈥檚 also a partnership with Cleveland State University鈥檚 School of Film and Media Arts to offer screenings, panel discussions and programming to help educate the next generation of filmmakers.
Forman will participate in a 鈥淪pill the Tea鈥� discussion on Thursday about his career alongside Cleveland-born writer and comedienne Ann Elder.
For visitors from outside the region, Malone said she鈥檚 heard high marks for Northeast Ohio.
鈥淪o many filmmakers have been like, 鈥榃e love your audiences 鈥� they're engaged, they're asking questions, they're really excited to be here,鈥欌�� Malone said. 鈥淪o, it's a boon for us to have all the fans of independent film come out.鈥�
The festival鈥檚 contract with Playhouse Square runs through 2032, but Malone said they have not yet discussed plans for venues beyond this year. In March, Cleveland Cinemas owner Jon Forman said he was hopeful they would continue the current split format.
Just before this year鈥檚 festival began, a nonprofit canceled an appearance at CIFF in support of a staff member who has alleged emotional abuse by Malone, which she has denied. Several former staffers have signed on to detailing the charges.
