Let's Go
To the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival

We expect to see quirky independent and foreign films at the CIFF. But did you know there's a whole group of local heroes films in this year's Festival? Did you know that you can learn about filmmaking from the filmmakers and their production crew through panel discussions called "Let's Make Movies"?

While this year's CIFF features over 290 films originating from 60 countries, some films were chosen specifically for their local connection. Artistic Director Bill Guentzler travels around the world to find films and a selection committee reviewed over 1700 films (a 50% increase over last year) to come up with this year's films. During the search process, Local Heroes sidebar films made in Cleveland or by Cleveland or Ohioan filmmakers or about Cleveland were brought into the fray. The Local Heroes films are sponsored by Cleveland State University and Tim and Nancy Callahan.

The Local Heroes films are interesting. Take 9000 Needles, a last-minute addition to the program. It was directed by Canton native Doug Dearth who is a Canton, Ohio, native. His film is about a guy who suffered a stroke. The guy who had a stroke is Dearth's brother. Dearth goes searching to find affordable treatment options and discovers acupuncture. The film is deeply personal, but that doesn't mean this is Dearth's first film; he won an audience award at Sundance in 2007.

Filmmakers from Yellow Springs bring us a film about the grueling pressure that goes into a Democratic National Convention in their film called Convention. Eyad Zahra, a filmmaker from Cleveland, gives us The Taqwacores, a film about a Pakistani engineering student and questioning the treatment of the Muslim culture by the media. Trailerpark was created and produced by students from Ohio University and focuses on thirteen neighbors living in a trailer park in a small New Hampshire town.

The rest of the films take place in Ohio. The Elephant in the Living Room takes place in Dayton and is about Tim Harrison, director of Outreach for Animals in Dayton. Showing us the truth from a different perspective, Fire in the Heartland is a documentary about the Kent State University shootings that took place in 1970, while music is the focus of the film First Voice Ohio about Ohio musicians and the importance our region plays in roots preservation.

If food is your thing, you'll love the film Ingredients, which includes The Chef's Garden in Huron, a family farm, and features the local food movement that has taken root across the country. As you can see, it's not just about food, it's about lifestyle. Many of the films focus on lifestyle. Ivory, a film by Andrew Chan, takes place on the Oberlin College campus and is about two competitions--one on stage at the piano and the other very backstage and about love.

Surfing in Cleveland? You have to see the Lake Erie surfers in the film Out of Place. The watch Pinned, a documentary about the St. Edward's and Lakewood High School wrestling teams is sure to be a popular choice amongst alumni and sports buffs.

As we see our manufacturing economy change, what that means to us is highlighted in the documentary The Last Truck, which is about the closing of the Moraine GM Plant outside of Dayton, whose film makers are from Yellow Springs. Finally, another film about our industrial economy's metamorphosis is Youngstown Still Standing.

Cleveland State University, which is "engaged in learning," enhances our experience of the films by sponsoring a series of interactive panel discussions on movies on Saturday and Sunday where the filmmakers and members of the local production community discuss the craft and business of filmmaking. The talks are free and open to the public and being held at the CSU School of Communication, 2001 Euclid Avenue, Auditorium MU 107?. The best thing about the CIFF is that there are lots of quirky movies, cultures to become immersed in, and brilliant film making. Every time I see a Cleveland International Film Festival film, I connect emotionally with the people in the film or am enlightened.

If you're a Film Festival devotee, you know that the independent filmmakers whose works are gathered into this event often work with low budgets and without support other than a close-knit group of writers, directors, actors, and cinematographers with a vision. It's all one big inspiring and thought-provoking event.

Marcie Goodman, Bill Guentzler, the staff, and all the volunteers have worked hard to provide the content and organize the event. But it's the people of Greater Cleveland and the surrounding artistic community, as well as the many sponsors, who make this event a huge success. Marcie Goodman says, "It's like a family reunion every year." It may be hard work and a little frantic, but as far as Marcie's concerned, "We have a blast."

The Cleveland International Film Festival runs through March 28 at Tower City Cinema. Make sure to buy your tickets early. Tickets can be purchased at the box office at Tower City, by calling 1-877-304-FILM or on-line at http://www.clevelandfilm.org. Let's GO!

From Cool Cleveland contributor Claudia Taller, whose passion for words has led to creation of the Lakeside Word Lover’s Retreats, an outgrowth of her work with Skyline Writers.

Her favorite foods are red wine, salmon, ice cream, and chocolate. She loves to read, write, tour wineries, ride her bike, ease into yoga, and cook gourmet meals for friends. Find her at http://www.claudiatallermusings.blogspot.com.