The 49th annual Cleveland International Film Festival opens this week in Playhouse Square with a notable slate of documentaries.
“We had more documentary submissions than we ever had,” said Mallory Martin, CIFF’s artistic director. “It’s just a year for documentaries for us this year.”
From docs on musical acts such as Linda Perry and the band America to the story of sisters in Alaska fighting a mine project near their homes, the CIFF lineup includes more than 100 feature films and nearly 200 shorts. In addition to documentaries, there’s horror, drama and comedy too.
The festival opens Thursday night and continues through April 5 in various theaters at Playhouse Square. Slightly less than half of the feature-length films and all of the shorts move online for CIFF49 Streams April 6-13.
‘The Debutantes’
One director with not one but two docs screening at the festival is Contessa Gayles. She takes this year’s CIFF Groundbreaker Award, which honors filmmakers of color creating work about race and social justice.
“The Debutantes,” filmed in Canton, spotlights multiple generations of Black women reviving a cotillion tradition in Stark County. It follows young women coming of age, reconsidering gender norms and celebrating their girlhood.
“They really wanted it to be more accessible to more women of all socioeconomic backgrounds than it was previously,” Martin said. “I hope people see past the stigma of a debutante ball and realize what this organization and this event really ended up meaning to these three girls in particular.”
Gayles’ second film at CIFF, “Songs from the Hole,” centers on a quest for healing while incarcerated through music, sharing the story of James “JJ’88” Jacobs.
“The Debutantes” screens Friday at 7:45 p.m. in the Mimi Ohio Theatre.
‘The Stamp Thief’
Comedy and real-life mystery collide as former “Seinfeld” producer Gary Gilbert seeks to track down valuable stamps reportedly stolen from Holocaust victims by a Nazi officer during WWII. Under the guise of filming a movie in Poland, a crew sets out to recover the stamps and, of course, complications ensue.
“I don't want to give anything away on whether they find anything or not, but it's definitely, it's a fun ride for sure to take,” Martin said, adding that a Q&A after the film will include director Dan Sturman, who grew up in Shaker Heights.
“The Stamp Thief” screens Friday at 12:05 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Mimi Ohio Theatre.
‘The Beldham’
Another Northeast Ohio native, Patricia Heaton, is known for her comedy on sitcoms like “Everyone Loves Raymond” and “The Middle.” But she steps into a much different role for “The Beldham,” playing the mother of a new mom. Katie Parker plays the new mom, Harper, and is haunted by a presence in the family’s home.
“Not everybody is into horror, and I understand that. I desperately am,” Martin said. “I think that creating a horror film out of what can happen to a woman's mind during postpartum is like just genius, and I really love this film.”
“The Beldham” screens Friday at 2:40 p.m. and Saturday at 10:10 p.m. in the Mimi Ohio Theatre.
‘A Photographic Memory’
A filmmaker who tragically lost her mother before her second birthday seeks to reconnect through an archive of her mother’s work as a writer and photographer in the doc “A Photographic Memory.” Rachel Elizabeth Seed reinterviews some photographers who worked with her mother, Sheila Turner Seed, listens to her recorded interviews and pieces together details about her life.
“I think what she ends up really trying to highlight in the film is whether or not it is possible to know somebody, like through just looking at the things they leave behind,” Martin said.
"A Photographic Memory" screens April 3 at 7:25 p.m. and April 4 at 12:15 p.m. in the Upper Allen.
‘Seeds’
Another documentary filmmaker from Dayton presents “Seeds,” a look at 100 years of Black farming in Georgia and Mississippi. Brittany Shyne spent nine years filming “Seeds,” which just won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and she was inspired by her own family history to pursue this intimate look at farming life.
“This is a film that is almost breathtaking with how beautiful it is,” Martin said. “She really is patient with telling you the story of these farmers.”
Shyne also worked on the cinematography for “The Debutantes.”
“Seeds” screens Monday at 7:20 p.m. and April 2 at 2:25 p.m. in the Upper Allen.
‘Honeymoon’
Two newlyweds in Ukraine shift from settling into their new life together to concealing themselves quietly in their apartment after Russia attacks. The two-person thriller was filmed in Ukraine in early 2024, despite ongoing conflict.
“It’s a very claustrophobic film,” Martin said. “It's maddening. It's terrifying. It's also really sexy.”
“Honeymoon” screens April 4 at 5:00 p.m. in the Upper Allen and is available on CIFF49 Streams.
'Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts.'
Former Pizza Huts around the country have become other restaurants, a dispensary and even a church. In this documentary, the recognizable architecture remains, taking on new life as new people bring their ambitions into the old pizzerias remembered for their red plastic cups and salad bar.
“This follows a lot of people who are really daring entrepreneurs but also really charming,” Martin said. “But it also tells the history of Pizza Hut and the two brothers who started the company in Kansas in 1958.”
“Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts” screens April 3 at 2:30 p.m. in the KeyBank State Theatre and April 5 at 7:35 p.m. in the Allen Theatre.
‘Come See Me in the Good Light’
Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson and partner, Meg Falley, also a poet, navigate Gibson’s terminal cancer diagnosis in a portrait about living fully. The documentary was voted fan favorite at Sundance this year.
“Bring your tissues for this one for sure,” Martin said. “It also reminded me of how good people can be and really restored my faith in humanity as well, even in the face of death.”
“Come See Me in the Good Light” screens Wednesday at 7:40 p.m. in the Mimi Ohio Theatre.
