BBC is a neighborhood outreach to the Cleveland International Film Festival. We’re thankful for the opportunity and very happy to see the event grow year after year.
Our staff members have seen films this year and thoroughly enjoyed them. If you haven’t attended yet, consider doing so next year. You will not regret it!
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39th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
PRESENTED BY DOLLAR BANK
CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING YEAR
The 39th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), presented by Dollar Bank, hosted record-breaking crowds during the 12-day event held in Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland and at eleven other neighborhood locations. The CIFF welcomed 100,204 attendees to its 500+ screenings and, in partnership with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, raised $138,427 in Challenge Match (annual campaign) donations.
The Festival showcased 196 feature films and 234 short subjects from 60 countries. FilmSlam (the CIFF’s high school and middle school mini-Festival) was attended by a record-breaking 8,800 engaged and enthusiastic students from 97 schools. More than 1,000 volunteers donated their time and talents to help pave the way for the success of the CIFF39, contributing over 11,000 hours of their invaluable time. And without the generous support of our 151 sponsors and funders, 178 non-profit community partners, and 80 media and neighborhood outreach partners, the CIFF39 would not have been possible.
The CIFF hosted approximately 300 filmmakers from around the world who shared their films and offered both local and global perspectives on a vast array of topics. The winners of the competitions and awards were announced at the Closing Night ceremony on Sunday, March 29, 2015.
Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award For Best Film
Sponsored by the Callahan Foundation
BECOMING BULLETPROOF, directed by Michael Barnett (USA)
$10,000 cash prize
George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition
Presented with generous support from The George Gund Foundation
THE FOOL, Directed by Yury Byko (Russia)
$10,000 cash prize
Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition
Sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz
STRAY DOG, Directed by Debra Granik (USA, Mexico)
$7,500 cash prize
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
Presented with generous support from The George Gund Foundation
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, Directed by Thomas G. Miller (USA)
$5,000 cash prize
American Independents Competition
Presented with the generous support of Lauren Rich Fine and Gary Giller
THE YOUNG KIESLOWSKI, Directed by Kerem Sanga (USA)
$5,000 cash prize
Local Heroes Competition
Presented with the generous support of Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
FORCED PERSPECTIVE, Directed by Nick Cavalier (USA)
$5,000 cash prize
Global Health Competition
Sponsored by Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine
BECOMING BULLETPROOF, directed by Michael Barnett (USA)
$5,000 cash prize
Music Movies Competition
Presented with the generous support of Jules and Fran Belkin
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, Directed by Martin Shore (USA)
$5,000 cash prize
ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
Presented with the generous support of Deborah Bachman Ratner
Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli (for FRAME BY FRAME; Afghanistan)
$10,000 cash prize
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Feature Film
BECOMING BULLETPROOF, Directed by Michael Barnett (USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize
Audience Choice Award for Best Short Subject
TILL THEN, Directed by Benjamin Wolff (Germany, USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Animated Short Award*
Sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A
BEAR STORY, Directed by Pato Escala (Chile)
$1,000 cash prize
Best Live Action Short Award*
Sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris
TILL THEN, Directed by Benjamin Wolff (Germany, USA)
$1,000 cash prize
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Short Film
SUPER PIMP, Directed by John Jivan, Dustin Lee, Terry Geer, Ledion Isufaj, and Eric Schilling (USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize
*These award winners will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards®.
For a full list of short subject film award winners, 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.
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