As the 36th annual Cleveland International Film Festival kicks off this Thursday at Tower City Cinemas, the spotlight will be on filmmakers.
The festival has an expansive series focusing on the African diaspora with nine directors representing African-Americans, Africans, Afro-Europeans and black Canadians, thanks to a three-year grant of $150,000 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For years now, the festival has aimed to promote diversity through a wide variety of films featuring minorities, oppressed women, the LGBT community, and activists of social-justice causes. This year is no different, only this time the focus will be on the people behind the camera.
Marcie Goodman, the festival’s executive director, said, “Our focus has always been on diversity, that’s not new. But that was about the films. This program is about populations of filmmakers. The films still need to meet our programming standards of excellence, but there is no specific topic. We’re focusing on the people making the films.”
The festival begins on Thursday with the world premiere of “Nesting,” by Greater Cleveland native John Chuldenko. It is a quirky comedy about a couple trying to rediscover each other. More than 320 features and short films from more than 60 countries will be shown throughout the festival, which will run through Sunday, April 1.
Tickets are available online at clevelandfilm or at Tower City Cinemas, which is located at 230 W. Huron Road in Cleveland.
