March 01, 2022

CIFF46 Announces Feature Film Juried Competitions and Award Artist

CLEVELAND (Tuesday, March 1, 2022) The 46th Cleveland International Film Festival is delighted to announce its feature film juried competitions. Thirty-nine films are included in three esteemed competitions, with $30,000 in cash prizes available.

GEORGE GUND III MEMORIAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COMPETITION
Thirty-two 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 20th Central and Eastern European Competition. And, for the tenth 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

107 MOTHERS (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Ukraine, Peter Kerekes)

BRIGHTON 4TH (Bulgaria/Georgia/Monaco/Russia/USA, Levan Koguashvili)

CELTS (Serbia, Milica Tomovic)

FIREBIRD (Estonia, Peeter Rebane)

GENTLE (Hungary, Anna Eszter Nemes, László Csuja)

KLONDIKE (Ukraine, Maryna Er Gorbach)

MARTIN AND THE MAGICAL FOREST (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Denmark, Petr Oukropec)

MIRACLE (Romania/Czech Republic/Latvia, Bogdan George Apetri)

MURINA (Brazil/Croatia/USA/Slovenia, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic)

NO LOOKING BACK (Russia, Kirill Sokolov)

SAMUEL'S TRAVELS (Latvia, Aik Karapetian)

UNCLENCHING THE FISTS (Russia, Kira Kovalenko)

VERA DREAMS OF THE SEA (Kosovo/North Macedonia/Albania, Kaltrina Krasniq)

Jurors: Chris Clark (Cinema St. Louis), Alan LaFave (Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival), Lela Meadow-Conner (mama.film)

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

Award amount: $10,000 USD

BROTHERHOOD (Czech Republic/Italy, Francesco Montagner)

DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD (USA, Brooke Pepion Swaney)

THE EXILES (USA, Ben Klien, Violet Columbus)

FIRE OF LOVE (USA, Sara Dosa)

THE FIRST STEP (USA, Brandon Kramer)

FRAMING AGNES (Canada/USA, Chase Joynt)

FROM THE HOOD TO THE HOLLER (USA, Pat McGee)

KRIMES (USA, Alysa Nahmias)

MIJA (USA, Isabel Castro)

MY OLD SCHOOL (United Kingdom, Jono McLeod)

NAVALNY (USA, Daniel Roher)

THE PEZ OUTLAW (USA, Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel)

THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER - FEATURING BRANDI CARLILE (USA, Kathlyn Horan)

WE FEED PEOPLE (USA, Ron Howard)

Jurors: Holly Meehl Chapman (Film Producer - JACINTA, LOVE CHARLIE), Donna Dabbs (GCUFF), Brandon Harrison (DOC NYC)

NEW DIRECTION COMPETITION
Now in its seventh year, CIFF’s New Direction Competition focuses on debut directors whose innovative films transform the traditional notions of cinematic storytelling.

Award amount: $10,000 USD

CANDELA (Dominican Republic, Andrés Farías)

CLARA SOLA (Sweden/Costa Rica/Belgium/Germany, Nathalie Alvarez Mesen)

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE (Chile/France/USA/Germany, Francisca Algeria)

HOMEBODY (USA, Joseph Sackett)

KARMALINK (Cambodia/USA, Jake Wachtel)

NUDO MIXTECO (Mexico, Angeles Cruz)

POSER (USA, Ori Segev, Noah Dixon)

QUICKENING (Canada, Haya Waseem)

SOUL OF A BEAST (Switzerland, Lorenz Merz)

SUBLIME (Argentina, Mariano Biasin)

SWEET DISASTER (Germany/USA, Laura Lehmus)

THREE MINUTES - A LENGTHENING (Netherlands/United Kingdom, Bianca Stigter)

Jurors: Casey Baron (Austin Film Festival), Chris Feil (Film & TV Critic, Host of This Had Oscar Buzz Podcast), Karen McMullen (TIDE Film Festival, Tribeca, DOC NYC)

AWARD ARTIST
Each year the Cleveland International Film Festival commissions a local artist to create the Festival’s coveted Filmmaker Awards. With more than 25 awards going to filmmakers from across the world, CIFF’s locally designed and produced awards are a calling card of the thriving arts community in Ohio.

Thanks to a collaboration with the Museum of Creative Human Art (MOCHA), whose vision is to transform the art world by ensuring equity, diversity, and the inclusion of underserved artists, CIFF is thrilled to announce this year’s Award Artist is Lo Smith.

Lo Smith (they/them) was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and as a result is both aggressively Midwestern and unapologetically Black. They are an artist and curator invested in Black stories and joy. Their mixed media works of printmaking, fiber, and performance aim to platform black joy through exploring medical experimentation, mental health, and community healing.

Their work has recently been shown at the Morgan Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute of Art, Ori Gallery, the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, and Emerson College. They enjoy imagining radical futures, baking, and exploring botany. Lo is currently based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Filmmaker Awards will be presented throughout the Festival, and as part of the Closing Night Ceremony taking place on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

CIFF46

CIFF46 will take place March 30 – April 9, 2022 at Playhouse Square, followed by CIFF46 Streams, presented by PNC, April 10 – 17, 2022 on the CIFF streaming platform. The Festival will showcase more than 300 films, as well as a slew of accompanying filmmaker Q&As and audience engagement opportunities.

The 46th Cleveland International Film Festival will announce its program lineup on Friday, March 4, 2022. Tickets go on sale to CIFF members Friday, March 11, 2022 and to the public on Friday, March 18, 2022. To become a member, please visit clevelandfilm.org/membership. For more information on CIFF, please visit clevelandfilm.org.

The Cleveland International Film Festival is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Also, the Cleveland International Film Festival is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

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CIFF46 JURIED COMPETITIONS :: HEADSHOTS
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TX31IvU2xJ__W7o64OCaWMt3oL4FdxaA?usp=sharing

CIFF46 ASSETS
https://legacy.clevelandfilm.org/assets/46/index.html

MEDIA CONTACT
Debby Samples, Marketing & Media Director, debby@clevelandfilm.org, 216.623.3456 x14