The 43rd Cleveland International Film Festival opens this week. This year it is expanding with screenings across town in addition to its longtime home at Tower City.
The festival is adding screenings on Cleveland’s West Side in the Gordon Square Arts District at the Near West Theatre and the Capitol Theatre.
There are also screenings on the East side in University Circle at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History.
Associate Director Patrick Shepherd is excited for the festival to expand its footprint.
"We’ve done neighborhood screenings over the years, but this is a strategic move to really engage the arts districts that are in Cleveland," he said.
The festival opened with a screening of the family drama "The Etruscan Smile," kicking off nearly two weeks of screenings showcasing 450 feature and short films.
