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50th edition
Cleveland International Film Festival
Cleveland, United States
10 days
About Cleveland International Film Festival
The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual multi-day film festival founded in 1977 and produced by the Cleveland International Film Society. Documentary programming is central to the lineup, with juried Academy Award-qualifying competitions for short films in animation, documentary and live-action categories. The festival presents dedicated documentary feature and short awards with more than $70,000 in cash prizes, and draws over 30,000 attendees each year.
Festival details
Location
2400 Orange Avenue, #5146, Cleveland, OH 44101 · Cleveland, United States
Scope
International
Focus
Documentary · International Cinema · Independent Cinema · Shorts · LGBTQ+ Cinema · Central and Eastern European Cinema
Duration
10 days
Founded
1977
Awards
Grand Jury Award: Documentary
$5,000 top jury prize for outstanding documentary feature.
Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary
$10,000 audience-voted award for best documentary feature.
Best Documentary Short Jury Award
Academy Award-qualifying, $1,000.
Best Live Action / Animated Short Jury Awards
Academy Award-qualifying.
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Award
Juried award for films on social justice and human rights.
Special programs
Festival Features and Shorts
Main lineup including Academy-qualifying short competitions.
FilmSlam and Education
Year-round education programs.
Community Programs
Year-round screenings and community events.
Streaming Festival
Online edition extending films to viewers across the US.
Special Interest Competitions
American independent, Central/Eastern European, LGBTQ+ and Ohio-connected films.
For filmmakers
Screening eligibility
Via FilmFreeway; doc/animated/live-action shorts winners qualify for Oscar consideration.
Accepted formats
Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Animated Short
Best Documentary Films
Award-Winning Documentaries
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