February 28, 2019

CIFF43 Announces Feature Film Juried Competitions

The 43rd Cleveland International Film Festival is thrilled to announce its feature film juried competitions. More than 40 films are included in three esteemed competitions, with $30,000 in cash prizes available.

GEORGE GUND III MEMORIAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COMPETITION
Twenty-nine years ago, CIFF launched a special focus on films from Central and Eastern Europe, the native lands of many Clevelanders. This year CIFF is proud to present the 17th Central and Eastern European Competition. And, for the seventh year, CIFF will present this competition in loving memory of George Gund III with the support of an endowment from The George Gund Foundation.

Award amount: $10,000 USD

CONSEQUENCES (Slovenia, Darko Stante)
CRYSTAL SWAN (Belarus/USA/Germany/Russia, Darya Zhuk)
DUKLA 61 (Czechia, David Ondříček)
ERASED (Slovenia/Croatia/Serbia, Miha Mazzini)
THE FACTORY (France/Russia/Armenia, Yury Bykov)
THE INTERPRETER (Slovakia/Czechia/Austria, Martin Šulík)
JUMPMAN (Russia/Lithuania/Ireland/France, Ivan I. Tverdovsky)
THE LITTLE COMRADE (Estonia, Moonika Siimets)
ONE DAY (Hungary, Zsófia Szilágyi)
TOMAN (Czechia, Ondřej Trojan)
VOLCANO (Ukraine/Germany, Roman Bondarchuk)
WEREWOLF (Poland/Germany/Netherlands, Adrian Panek)
THE WILD FIELDS (Ukraine/Switzerland, Yaroslav Lodygin)
WINTER FLIES (Czechia, Olmo Omerzu)
THE WITCH HUNTERS (Serbia/Macedonia, Rasko Miljkovic)

Jurors: Mark Adams (Edinburgh International Film Festival), Nicholas Bell (IONCINEMA.com), and Lenka Tyrpáková (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)

NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ PORTRAIT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The Nesnadny + Schwartz Portrait Documentary Competition is dedicated to the life and work of CIFF board member and friend Mark Schwartz (1956-2014).

For 15 years, the CIFF has presented the Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition. This will be the third year we celebrate the life of Mark Schwartz with a sharper focus on portrait documentaries. The subjects in these documentaries are determined, dedicated, and daring. The films themselves are artistic, passionate, and insightful. This competition is made possible with generous support from Nesnadny + Schwartz.

Award amount: $10,000 USD

BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA (USA, Frank Henenlotter)
THE BRINK (USA, Alison Klayman)
HESBURGH (USA, Patrick Creadon)
HOME GAMES (Ukraine/France/Poland, Alisa Kovalenko)
JAY MYSELF (USA, Stephen Wilkes)
JOSEPH PULITZER: VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (USA, Oren Rudavsky)
KING BIBI (Israel/USA, Dan Shadur)
MEETING GORBACHEV (USA/United Kingdom/Germany, Werner Herzog and André Singer)
MIKE WALLACE WAS HERE (USA, Avi Belkin)
OLYMPIA (USA, Harry Mavromichalis)
PROSECUTING EVIL: THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF BEN FERENCZ (Canada, Barry Avrich)
SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (USA, Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen)
WAITING FOR THE PUNCHLINE (USA, Mat Hames)
WALKING ON WATER (USA/Italy, Andrey Paounov)
WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL (USA, Rob Garver)

Jurors: Brian Newman (Sub-Genre), Brian Owens (Calgary International Film Festival), Nina Gilden Seavey (Documentary Center at The George Washington University)

NEW DIRECTION COMPETITION
Now in its fourth year, CIFF’s New Direction Competition focuses on debut directors whose innovative films transform the traditional notions of cinematic storytelling. This competition is made possible with generous support from CoverMyMeds.

Award amount: $10,000 USD

AFTERLIFE (Netherlands, Willem Bosch)
THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF CELESTE GARCIA (Cuba/Germany, Arturo Infante)
FREAKS (USA/Canada, Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein)
GOOD GIRL GONE BAD (Germany, Petra Lueschow)
GREENER GRASS (USA, Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe)
NEON HEART (Denmark, Laurits Flensted-Jensen)
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (Japan, Shinichiro Ueda)
PANIC ATTACK (Poland, Paweł Maślona)
PAUSE (Cyprus/Greece, Tonia Mishiali)
PHOENIX (Norway, Camilla Strøm Henriksen)
RAY & LIZ (United Kingdom, Richard Billingham)
SCREWDRIVER (Palestine/USA/Qatar, Bassam Jarbawi)
SENIOR ESCORT SERVICE (USA, Shaina Feinberg)
STARFISH (USA/United Kingdom, A.T. White)
THE UNTHINKABLE (Sweden, Crazy Pictures)

Jurors: Jim Brunzell (All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival and Sound Unseen), Megan Leonard (Seattle International Film Festival). Boyd van Hoeij (The Hollywood Reporter)