37th Cleveland International Film Festival presented by Dollar Bank celebrates record-breaking year

[Press release from the Cleveland International Film Festival.]

The 37th 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.  The CIFF welcomed 93,235 attendees (a 9.7% increase from 2012) to its 475+ screenings and, in partnership with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, raised $154,138 in Challenge Match donations. 

The Festival showcased 180 feature films and 165 short subjects from 64 countries.  FilmSlam (the CIFF’s high school and middle school mini-Festival) was attended by 6,009 engaged and enthusiastic students.  Volunteers are key to the success of the CIFF and this year was no exception with 730 volunteers who contributed 8,334 hours of their invaluable time.  And without the support of our 210 sponsors and funders, 165 non-profit community partners, and 73 media and neighborhood outreach partners, the 37th CIFF would not have been possible.

The CIFF welcomed 222 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, April 14, 2013. 

Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award For Best Film

Sponsored by the Callahan Foundation

GOOD OL’ FREDA, Directed by Ryan White

$5,000 cash prize

George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern Film Competition

Presented with generous support from the George Gund Foundation

WHEN DAY BREAKS, Directed by Goran Paskaljević

$10,000 cash prize

Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Film Competition

Sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz

SHEPARD & DARK, Directed by Treva Wurmfeld

$7,500 cash prize

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition – Standing Up “For”

Presented with generous support from the George Gund Foundation

HONOR FLIGHT, Directed by Dan Hayes

$5,000 cash prize

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition – Standing Up “To”

Presented with generous support from the George Gund Foundation

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN, Directed by Harry Freeland

$5,000 cash prize

American Independents Film Competition

Presented with the generous support of Alan and Marta Glazen

MARIACHI GRINGO, Directed by Tom Gustafson

$5,000 cash prize. 

Local Heroes Film Competition

Presented with the generous support of Mike and Nicki Cancelliere

UNDERDOGS, Directed by Doug Dearth

$5,000 cash prize

ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman

Presented with the generous support of Deborah Bachman Ratner

Freida Mock (for G-DOG)

$10,000 cash prize

Best Animated Short Film Award*

Sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A

BEAR ME, Directed by Katarzyna Wilk

$1,000 cash prize

Best Live Action Short Award*

Sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris

KOLONA, Directed by Ujkan Hysaj

$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 www.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.