Shorts Program 2 - Cleveland International Film Festival :: March 22 - April 1, 2023 (2024)

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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

CIFF46 will kick off its 11-day run at Playhouse Square on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at 7:00 PM with our Opening Night Film, PEACE BY CHOCOLATE. The evening includes the screening of the film in the stunning Connor Palace, followed by a post-film conversation with the film's director Jonathan Keijser. Attendees are then invited to a post-film dessert reception, featuring DJ BAM. A cash bar will be available.

Tickets to Opening Night are $100 ($80 for CIFF members).

Peace by Chocolate

CANADA
Directed by Jonathan Keijser
Running Time: 96 Minutes

When the Hadhads fled Damascus to escape the war in Syria, they were forced to leave everything behind, including their thriving chocolate business. Now, as refugees new to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, they must adapt to their unfamiliar life in a much smaller, much colder place. Tareq, the eldest son, longs to pursue his goal of returning to medical school. But his personal plans starkly conflict with the plans of his father, Issam, who is intent on rebuilding the family’s chocolate business in Canada. Insisting his father leave the past behind, Tareq is shocked when Issam’s chocolate business begins to take off. As Issam is presented with bigger opportunities to expand his chocolate factory, Tareq must make the difficult decision between fulfilling his own dreams or helping his father achieve his dreams for the family. Based on an incredible true story, PEACE BY CHOCOLATE is an inspiring narrative of working together and overcoming unimaginable hardship. Filled with moments of laughter and joy along the way, this film is sure to leave a sweet taste in your mouth! —G.S.

Saturday, April 09, 2022

CIFF46 will mark its final in-person weekend with its Closing Night Film LINOLEUM on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Connor Palace. Closing Night will include the screening of the film, as well as a post-film conversation with the film's director Colin West.

Tickets for Closing Night are $16 ($14 for CIFF members).All those in attendance at any of the films showing on Closing Night are invited to the Closing Award Ceremony in the Connor Palace after the screenings.

Linoleum

USA
Directed by Colin West
Running Time: 101 Minutes

In the fictional Fairview Heights, Ohio, Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), the host of a public access children’s science program, finds himself in what most would call a mid-life crisis. But when cosmic events bring a satellite crash to his backyard, his coming-of-age story really begins. Determined to truly follow his dreams and become an astronaut, he charges ahead. Building a fully operational rocket ship is his only mission, much to the dismay of his family and those around him, who have ambitions and dreams of their own. Among his wife, Erin (Rhea Seehorn), on her own path to fulfillment, his witty daughter, Nora, and a curious neighbor drawn in by the scientific exploration, Cameron navigates what becomes a blend of fantasy and reality as continued bizarre happenings heighten his journey…and there may even be an appearance from a doppelgänger. With Douglas Sirk-esque colors, incredible production design, and strong performances, LINOLEUM is a beautiful meditation on memory, dreams, and acceptance from Ohio-born writer/director Colin West. —B.R.

Tuesday, April 05, 2022

The Festival is pleased to present its Centerpiece Screening, NAVALNY, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Connor Palace. Both timely and educational, the film follows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in his quest to identify the men who poisoned him in August 2020.

NAVALNY director Daniel Roher will be in attendance for his screening and post-film Q&A.

Tickets for the CIFF46 Centerpiece Screening are $16 ($14 for CIFF members).

Navalny

USA
Directed by Daniel Roher
Running Time: 98 Minutes

In August 2020, a plane traveling from Siberia to Moscow made an emergency landing. One of its passengers, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was deathly ill. Taken to a local Siberian hospital and eventually evacuated to Berlin, doctors confirmed that he had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government. President Vladimir Putin immediately cast doubt on the findings and denied any involvement. While recovering, Navalny and his team—already with a large social media following in tow—partnered with the data investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat as well as other international news organizations to investigate his attempted assassination and find proof of the Kremlin’s involvement. In NAVALNY, filmmaker Daniel Roher reveals a courageous and controversial would-be president at the precipice of sacrificing everything in order to bring reform to his homeland. —Sundance Film Festival

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