| CENTERPIECE
This years Centerpiece Screening is SHARI & LAMB CHOP screening on
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 7:30 pm in the Connor Palace. Directed by
Lisa D’Apolito, who will be in attendance for the screening and
post-film Q&A, the film is a comprehensive bio-doc on Shari Lewis,
who went from a young Jewish girl from the Bronx to the country’s
most famous ventriloquist as she blazed a trail for American
children’s television long before Mr. Rogers appeared on our
screens.
Debuting on “Captain Kangaroo” in 1956, a sock puppet named Lamb
Chop provided a voice for Shari that gave her the ability to say
things that a young woman in the 1950s couldn’t. Over their
decades-long career, Shari and Lamb Chop garnered 13 Emmys, a
Peabody, and countless accolades from children and parents alike.
With big aspirations, the duo achieved cultural icon status in the
U.S. by the end of the 20th century. SHARI & LAMB CHOP is a tribute
to the impact one woman and her faithful sock puppet made on
children’s television and across multiple generations.
The CIFF48 Centerpiece Screening is sponsored by Ted and Susan.
CHASING CHASING AMY
Director Sav Rodgers
DReam MAKER PROGRAM & AWARD
The DReam Maker Program and Award celebrates LGBTQ+ artists through
the recognition of an LGBTQ+ filmmaker and that person’s work – as
well as the presentation of a slate of films made by LGBTQ+
directors and featuring LGBTQ+ themes.
CIFF48's DReam Maker Award recipient is Sav Rodgers – award-winning
filmmaker, director, and co-producer of the CIFF48 film CHASING
CHASING AMY.
Originally from Kansas, Sav Rodgers is a filmmaker and screenwriter
whose feature directorial debut, CHASING CHASING AMY, is about the
complicated legacy of “Chasing Amy” (1997) and its profound
impression on his life. His screenplays have been recognized by
GLAAD, Outfest, and ScreenCraft, among others. An alumnus of the
Producers Guild of America’s inaugural PGA Create program, Sav is
also the Founder and Executive Director of the Transgender Film
Center, a nonprofit aiming to help trans creators bring finished
films to audiences around the world.
The DReam Maker Award, which is accompanied by $5,000 to support
future work, will be presented to Sav at a screening of his film
during CIFF48.
CHASING CHASING AMY - Screening Friday, April 12, 2024 at 7:30 pm
and Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 11:55 am in the Mimi Ohio Theatre,
the film explores the transformational impact of a ‘90s rom-com on a
12-year-old kid from Kansas, coming of age and contending with queer
identity. For young Sav Rodgers, the Kevin Smith cult classic,
“Chasing Amy,” became a life raft. As Rodgers examines the film and
its making as a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ cinema, he finds himself at a
complicated crossroads.
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THE CANDY LADY
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CAUGHT ON TAPE
SHORTS IN FOCUS
CIFF’s annual “Shorts in Focus” program celebrates a filmmaker or
organization for their work in the field of short films. This year
we honor the Louisiana Film Prize and its founder and Executive
Director, Gregory Kallenberg. An award-winning filmmaker himself,
Gregory created this extraordinary event, which awards a $50,000
cash prize to the winning short film each year – and many of them
have gone on to play and win awards here at CIFF. The program will
also feature some CIFF alum films that were handcrafted for the
Louisiana Film Prize, including three that took home the coveted
$50,000 prize. Stay with us after the screening of these
award-winning films while we speak with Gregory Kallenberg about the
creation of the event and the magical impact the Louisiana Film
Prize continues to deliver.
The CIFF48 Shorts in Focus: Louisiana Film Prize is an 87-minute
program of seven short films that will screen on Friday, April 12th
at 4:55 pm in the Allen Theatre.
WORLD PREMIERS
We will host the world premieres of 12 extraordinary films as part
of the CIFF48 lineup. Hailing from the U.S., Ukraine, Japan, and
Argentina, filmmakers from all 12 films will be among this year’s
roster of more than 300 guest filmmakers who will be on hand for
post-film Q&As.
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AMERICAN DELIVERY - USA
Directed by Carolyn Jones
Produced by Lisa Frank
Screening:
* Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 pm | Mimi Ohio Theatre
* Sunday, April 7 at 9:45 am | Mimi Ohio Theatre
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ATHLETES OF WAR - USA/UKRAINE
Directed by Gabriel Veras
Produced by Mykola Ponych, Gabriel Veras
Screening:
Wednesday, April 10 at 4:50 pm | Mimi Ohio Theatre
COUNTED OUT - USA
Directed by Vicki Abeles
Produced by Vicki Abeles, Amy Ferraris, Nancy Blachman, Doug Blush,
and Lisa Fruchtman
Screening:
Sunday, April 9 at 12:10 pm | Connor Palace
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FALSE POSITIVE - USA
Directed by Ismail Al-Amin
Produced by Ismail Al-Amin, Philip Aromando, Marquis Daisy
Screening:
* Saturday, April 6 at 4:55 pm | Connor Palace
* Thursday, April 11 at 2:20 pm | Connor Palace
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THE PITCH: PATIENT SAFETY'S NEXT GENERATION - USA
Directed by Mike Eisenberg
Produced by Kailey Brackett
Screening:
* Friday, April 12 at 5:10 pm | Mimi Ohio Theatre
* Saturday, April 13 at 9:45 am | Mimi Ohio Theatre
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RYAN'S WORLD THE MOVIE: TITAN UNIVERSE ADVENTURE - USA, JAPAN
Directed by Albie Hecht
Produced by Albie Hecht, Shion Kaji, Loann Kaji
Screening:Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 2:35 pm | Upper Allen
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SMALL TOWN UNIVERSE - USA
Directed by Katie Dellamaggiore
Produced by Katie Dellamaggiore, Nelson Dellamaggiore, Tracie Holder
Screening:
* Sunday, April 7 at 12:00 pm | Mimi Ohio Theatre
* Monday, April 8 at 5:00 pm | Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater at
Great Lakes Science Center
SOFA, SO GOOD - USA
Directed by Kyle Thiele, Eli Thiele, Cole Thiele
Produced by Eli Thiele, Andrew Swisher
Screening:
* Tuesday, April 9 at 7:25 pm | Allen Theatre
* Wednesday, April 10 at 12:10 pm | Allen Theatre
THE STAR I LOST (La Estrella que Perdí) - Argentina
Directed by Luz Orlando Brennan
Produced by Diego Amson, Luz Orlando Brennan, Fernando Salem
Screening: Sunday, April 7 at 4:55pm | KeyBank State Theatre
TRUE BELIEVER - USA
Directed by Kristen Irving
Produced by Kristen Irving, Julian Cautherley
Screening:
* Thursday, April 11 at 7:35 pm | Key Bank State Theatre
* Friday, April 12 at 2:25 pm | KeyBank State Theatre
TRUST IN BLACK AND WHITE - USA
Directed by Deborah L. Plummer
Produced by Deborah L. Plummer, Lori Stevic Rust
Screening:
* Tuesday, April 9 at 4:50 pm | Upper Allen
* Wednesday, April 10 at 2:35 pm | Upper Allen
WHAT'S NEXT - USA
Directed by Taylor Taglianetti
Produced by Taylor Taglianetti, Austin Tucker, Stephanie Troise
Walter
Screening:
* Sunday, April 7, 2024 at 2:20 pm | KeyBank State Theatre
* Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 2:25 pm | KeyBank State Theatre
You're Invited to join the CIFF48 Volunteer Team! We are looking for
active, outgoing people 18 years of age or older with a passion for
the arts who want to give back through service by volunteering for
CIFF48 (April 3-13, 2024) at Playhouse Square.
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CIFF volunteers fill a variety of roles
from helping out at the admin office pre-Festival to distributing
and collecting ballots, counting attendees, scanning tickets and
passes, monitoring the digital voting kiosks, and assisting
attendees with wayfinding during the Festival. There are also more
specialized roles such as hospitality volunteers who help out in the
Passholder Lounge and language greeters who are fluent in another
language who volunteer during foreign language FilmSlam student
screenings. We’ve got something for everyone!
All CIFF48 volunteers are required to attend one of the five Volunteer
Orientations in February. Volunteers are asked to commit to three
separate four-hour shifts during the CIFF48 Festival cycle
(February-April 2024). While volunteers do not watch films while
volunteering, they will be given two free CIFF48 vouchers at the end
of every shift! Free parking will be available at the US Bank
Garage! Bring a friend, refer a friend, come solo, just come on and
become a CIFF volunteer! |
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