The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Tells It Like It Is, Oct. 3-8

The overused label (especially in movie hype) “labor of love” really applies to the The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. The CDFF premiered eight years ago, as organizer Mary Ann Quinn Ponce’s way to honor her son, filmmaker and Chagrin Falls native David Ponce who died at 20 of leukemia in 2006 during post-production of one of his nonfiction films.

Now the CDFF is a widely anticipated event that unreels in the fall

throughout the village of Chagrin Falls when the place is in full autumn foliage. Screening sites - most of which are all within nice walking distances from one another - range from the Chagrin Valley Little Theater to the old Township Hall on Main Street to the United Methodist Church.

How big is the festival? Serious names in the film industry arriving this year include Colin Hanks, actor-filmmaker son of Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival alumnus Tom Hanks. Two features directed by Hanks the younger will screen, both music-oriented. ALL THINGS MUST PASS is an oral history of the roller-coaster rise and fall of Tower Records, a music-vending chain that helped shape the pop scene as we know it. EAGLES OF DEATH METAL (NOS AMIS) profiles the American hardcore-sound band caught in a notorious Islamic terror attack at a French concert in 2015 and their return to France a year later.

"Goodbye, Ohio" (April 6th at the Cleveland International Film Festival)

[“Goodbye, Ohio” screens Wednesday April 6th at 9:40 pm as part of the Ohio Shorts 2 program at the Cleveland International Film Festival.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

A young woman (Jessy Leigh) is leaving behind her small Ohio town (Chagrin Falls) to chase her dream of being a writer in the big Apple. Before she goes, though, there’s a loose end that needs to be tied up in the form of her ex-boyfriend (Jesse DeFranco). The two meet for lunch at a diner, and it isn’t long before trite small talk gives way to the guy trying to convince his ex-girlfriend not to go.

Co-producer/director Mike Wendt has crafted a solid, professional looking piece. Co-producer/writer/editor/co-star Jessy Leigh gives herself a nice spotlight for her acting talents, and her editing is tight and professional. Her screenplay is a bit too cutesy and on the nose at times, but it also has the ring of authenticity. Co-star Jesse DeFranco acquits himself well, too, although his role doesn’t allow him to stand out quite as much. The end result isn’t exactly what I’d call a “must see”, but it’s a pleasant enough diversion for its fifteen-minute running time that makes a nice little calling card for its participants. 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Visit the Nonfiction section, as The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival returns, Oct. 7-11.

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Now in its sixth year, the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival is northeast Ohio's contribution to a boom in recent film festivals (like the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Canada's HotDocs) uniquely devoted to nonfiction features and shorts.

The CDFF takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 11, at venues throughout the famously postcard-pretty village of Chagrin Falls on the eastern side of Cuyahoga County. Screening sites - most of which are all within nice walking distances from one another - range from the big school auditorium on Philomethian Street to the more salon-like environment of the Valley Art Center.

Win a pair of tickets to the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

If you would like a pair of tickets for you and a guest to see one film at the Chagrin Documentary Film Fest, send your name and address to: clevelandmovieblog@gmail.com by Friday October 2nd. We'll randomly select the winner from all entries at midnight on October 2nd and notify you by email.

 

Celebrating its sixth year, the Festival is being held Oct. 7 to Oct. 11 in Chagrin Falls, OH. The 66 selected documentaries represent the work of filmmakers from 28 countries and focus on a wide range of thought-provoking topics. The Festival was named to MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 50 Film Fests Worth the Entry Fee” the last three years.

Cleveland Cinemas Announces Its Fall Documentary Series

[Press release from Cleveland Cinemas.]

 

With subjects ranging from Hollywood legends and Rock ‘N Roll gods to the world’s oldest horse race and an incredible story of a fight over a lost and found human leg, Cleveland Cinemas will present eleven new documentaries as part of its FALL DOC SERIES.

 

$1 Family Films at Cleveland Cinemas

[Press release from Cleveland Cinemas.]

 

Cleveland Cinemas is happy to announce its $1 FAMILY FILMS series, June 24 through July 29th, at the Apollo Theatre (19 E. College St., Oberlin), Capitol Theatre (1390 W. 65^th St., Cleveland), Chagrin Cinemas (8200 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls) and Shaker Square Cinemas (13116 Shaker Square, Cleveland).

 

The series will kick off with showings of the critically acclaimed PADDINGTON and conclude with one of the late Robin Williams’ most beloved family films, JUMANJI.

 

“We’re excited to offer our $1 Family Films this summer,” says Ken Young, Cleveland Cinemas Director of Operations.  “With tickets priced at just $1, parents can take advantage of this low-cost opportunity to take their children to the theatre to see these great family films.”

 

Best of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, April 25 and 26.

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Springtime in Chagrin Falls means two things. First there's the Memorial Day weekend "Blossom Time" community festival that customarily includes a massive hot-air balloon convention and flyover. But Chagrin Falls has another claim to fame in the spring. It's the "Best of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival."

The actual CDFF a week-long celebration of the latest in nonfiction cinema, normally takes over the whole of the town in October. But as a runup to the 2015 edition, the CDFF is making Saturday a retrospective of highlights and audience-award winners from last year's fest.

An interview with Lance Kinsey, director of 'All-Stars' (screening March 19 at Chagrin Cinemas and March 20th and 21st at Tower City Cinemas as part of the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival)

See all posts about the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival

Interview by Bob Ignizio

Lance Kinsey was born in Arlington, VA in 1959, but he grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. His parents were involved with the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, and Lance got his first taste of acting at the age of 9 playing the role of Miles in a stage production of “The Innocents”. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, Kinsey eventually made his way to Chicago where he joined the Second City comedy troupe. Lance eventually got into film and television acting, and is probably most famous for playing the role of Proctor in POLICE ACADEMY 2 through 6.

Now Lance has directed his first feature film, the mockumentary ALL-STARS which he also wrote, produced, and stars in. It's a very funny spot-on look at a girls' softball team, parents who are sometimes more intent on winning than the kids, and the coaches and officials who have to deal with it all while trying to make sure everyone has a good time. The film plays at the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival, first with a special “neighborhood screening” at Chagrin Cinemas on Thursday March 19th at 7:00 pm, followed by two showings at the Film Festival proper in Tower City Cinemas on Friday March 20th at 5:00 pm and Saturday March 21st at 2:45 pm.

I contacted Lance ahead of the film's screening, and he graciously agreed to answer my questions about both his past work and the new film.

All-Stars (March 19th at Chagrin Cinemas and March 20th and 21st at Tower City Cinemas as part of the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival)

[ALL-STARS screens Thursday March 19th at 7:00 pm at Chagrin Cinemas, Friday March 20th at 5:00 pm, and Saturday March 21st at 2:45 pm at Tower City Cinemas as part of the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival.]

See all posts about the 39th Cleveland International Film Festival

Review by Bob Ignizio

With his debut feature as director, veteran character actor Lance Kinsey (perhaps best known as Proctor in POLICE ACADEMY 2 through 6) opts to follow in the mockumentary footsteps of Christopher Guest's WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, BEST IN SHOW, and A MIGHTY WIND . ALL-STARS may not be reinventing the wheel, but it's a consistently funny film about a girl's softball team, their often obnoxious parents, and the put-upon coaches and officials trying to achieve the impossible task of making everyone happy while still finding a way for the kids to have a good time.

The Curse and the Symphony (October 8th, 10th, and 12th at the Chagrin Documentary Festival)

[THE CURSE AND THE SYMPHONY screens Wednesday October 8th at 7:00 pm, Friday October 10 th at 7:00 pm, and Sunday October 12 th at 12:00 pm at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Composer Nathan Felix

Nathan Felix, formerly of the indie rock band Noise Revival Orchestra, heard a symphony in his head and was bound and determined to get that music out into the world. The work, titled “The Curse, The Cross, & the Lion”, comes complete with a story and cast of characters that, from the illustrations we see, looks something like the Thundercats fighting an epic battle against the creatures from THE DARK CRYSTAL. Heck, I'd see a ballet or opera based around that idea.

Truth and consequences at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Oct. 8-12.

[Event Preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.]

FACT: The mainstream movie industry has just experienced its worst summer in a dozen-and-a-half years

FACT: If you wanted to carry home any remotely good memories of fictional-narrative cinema in 2014, you probably should have quit right after seeing THE LEGO MOVIE during the deep winter.

FACT: Documentaries, however, are not fictional narrative cinema. And the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, now in its fifth year, is full of documentaries. And documentaries are full of FACTS.

The CDFF takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 12, at venues throughout the famously postcard-pretty village of Chagrin Falls on the eastern side of Cuyahoga County. Screening and special-events sites range from the Chagrin Valley Little Theater to several local churches to the Judson Manor.

Win a pair of tickets fot the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

Would you like to win a pair of tickets good for the movie of your choice at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival? Then send an email to clevelandmovieblog@gmail.com with your name and address. We'll draw one lucky winner at midnight Friday October 3 rd. If you win, you'll be contacted by email and we will post your name on the blog. That's all there is to it.

Celebrating its fifth year, the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival is being held Oct. 8 to Oct. 12 in Chagrin Falls, OH. The 68 selected documentaries represent the work of filmmakers from 20 countries and focus on a wide range of thought-provoking topics. The Festival was named to MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 50 Film Fests Worth the Entry Fee” list in both 2013 and 2014.

Festival highlights and special events include:

Best of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, on June 1

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.
 

Ever since LeBron James left, the only significant thing about Cleveland, we can all agree, is the proximity to Chagrin Falls. This postcard-perfect village in southeastern Cuyahoga County last Memorial Day weekend celebrated their annual “Blossom Time” community festival that customarily includes a massive hot-air balloon convention and flyover. 

Now where else in Northeast Ohio would you see a skyfull of manned hot-air balloons in profusion? In Cleveland they’d be made out of lead (a contractor mistake), and run too low on money to afford the luxury of air.

But that was last week. The big-deal celebration this week in Chagrin is a special “Best of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. The Festival, a week-long celebration of the latest in nonfiction cinema, normally takes over the whole of the town in October. But as a runup to the 2014 edition, the CDFF is making Sunday, June 1, a day long retrospective of highlights and audience-award winners from 2013.

Repost: Dear Mr. Watterson (opens in Cleveland December 6th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theatre)

[DEAR MR. WATTERSON opens in Cleveland Friday December 6th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theatre.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

In every medium there are a handful of undisputed masters, people whose talent cannot be denied. When it comes to comic strips, one name that immediately comes to mind in that light is Chragrin Falls cartoonist Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes. The strip, about a mischievous six year old boy and his stuffed (or is he real?) tiger, began in November of 1985 and quickly became a huge hit. Watterson could have easily given in to the forces of crass commercialism, but he refused to license his characters for merchandising. And when he felt he had done all he could with the strip, Watterson walked away from it in December of 1995. Since then the artist has largely shunned the public eye, becoming to some degree the comic strip equivalent of J.D. Salinger, as well known for his reclusiveness as he is for his work. And yet, like Salinger, that work continues to inspire new generations of readers.

Repost: Dear Mr. Watterson (October 2nd, 3rd, and 5th at the Chagrin Documentary Film Fest)

[DEAR MR. WATTERSON screens Wednesday October 2nd at 7:00 pm, Thursday October 3rd at 7:00 pm and Saturday October 5th at 3:30 pm at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

In every medium there are a handful of undisputed masters, people whose talent cannot be denied. When it comes to comic strips, one name that immediately comes to mind in that light is Chragrin Falls cartoonist Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes. The strip, about a mischievous six year old boy and his stuffed (or is he real?) tiger, began in November of 1985 and quickly became a huge hit. Watterson could have easily given in to the forces of crass commercialism, but he refused to license his characters for merchandising. And when he felt he had done all he could with the strip, Watterson walked away from it in December of 1995. Since then the artist has largely shunned the public eye, becoming to some degree the comic strip equivalent of J.D. Salinger, as well known for his reclusiveness as he is for his work. And yet, like Salinger, that work continues to inspire new generations of readers.

Honest, No Fooling, the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival returns, Oct. 2-6.

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Ever since LeBron left, the only thing significant about Cleveland, we can all agree, is its close proximity to Chagrin Falls, hometown of Tim Conway, National Lampoon eminence Doug Kenny, and "Calvin & Hobbes" cartoonist Bill Watterson. 

And for four years now, Chagrin Falls has also been host to the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, the region's only film festival uniquely devoted to nonfiction features and shorts. It's a must on any local film fans' itinerary.

The CDFF takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 6, at venues throughout the famously postcard-pretty village of Chagrin Falls on the eastern side of Cuyahoga County. Screening sites range from the venerable old Township Hall on Main Street to the Chagrin Valley Little Theater and the Federated Church.

Dear Mr. Watterson (April 9th, 10th, and 11th at the Cleveland International Film Festival)

[DEAR MR. WATTERSON screens Tuesday April 9th at 5:30 pm and Thursday April 11th at 9:45 pm at the Cleveland International Film Festival with special screenings at the Apollo Theatre on Wednesday April 10th at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

In every medium there are a handful of undisputed masters, people whose talent cannot be denied. When it comes to comic strips, one name that immediately comes to mind in that light is Chragrin Falls cartoonist Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes. The strip, about a mischievous six year old boy and his stuffed (or is he real?) tiger, began in November of 1985 and quickly became a huge hit. Watterson could have easily given in to the forces of crass commercialism, but he refused to license his characters for merchandising. And when he felt he had done all he could with the strip, Watterson walked away from it in December of 1995. Since then the artist has largely shunned the public eye, becoming to some degree the comic strip equivalent of J.D. Salinger, as well known for his reclusiveness as he is for his work. And yet, like Salinger, that work continues to inspire new generations of readers.

Amber Alert (November 2nd and 3rd at Chagrin Cinemas)

[AMBER ALERT screens Friday November 2nd and Saturday November 3rd at 9:50 pm exclusively at Chagrin Cinemas.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

At this point, the “found footage” gimmick has ceased to be fresh. In fact, it now seems well on its way to becoming just another way of making a movie no more likely to raise eyebrows or draw attention than any other. Originally used almost exclusively by low budget horror films like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, THE LAST EXORCISM, and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, the technique has branched out of late with the sci-fi/superhero flick CHRONICLE and the teen sex comedy PROJECT X. Now with AMBER ALERT co-writer/director Kerry Bellessa has given us a found footage suspense thriller.

As is the case with most found footage films, AMBER ALERT has to create a situation where it makes sense for its protagonists to be video taping themselves. In this caseNate (Jasen Wade) and Samantha (Summer Bellessa), two long time platonic friends (although Nate obviously has a crush on Samantha) are making an audition tape for a reality show with Samantha's mostly unseen younger brother operating the camera. While out driving around acting goofy, Nate notices an electronic sign for an amber alert. He then notices that the car in front of them is a grey Honda, just like the one mentioned in the alert. Samantha is dismissive at first, but once the license plate number is verified, she becomes insistent that they do something to help.

Glenafooka: Glen of the Ghost (October 4 at 8 p.m. at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival)

[GLENAFOOKA: GLEN OF THE GHOST screens Thursday October 4th at 8:00 pm at the Chagrin Falls Documentary Film Festival.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Reviewer disclaimer: I have personal affection for this untypical short feature, released - barely - on VHS by Icarus Films in 2000. And aye, it was at my urging that they added it to the lineup of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, despite its being a dozen years in circulation (or non-circulation; this will be a rare chance to see it in a group forum).

I felt (and still feel) that in an age when so-called paranormal investigators and DIY ghostbusters vie for kitsch-stardom with their infantile acts on the Travel Channel and SyFy, skulking about ruins with their e-meters and digital cameras pretending to be terrorized by invisible demons and "EVPs," filmmaker Mary Sue Connelly's lyrical, poetic approach to the supernatural in GLENAFOOKA is more like visual art. One really gets the sense of entering another realm of awareness here, and of seeing things caught on camera for the first and only time - no, not `orbs,' but rather the testimony and cosmology of the elders of County Waterford. Connelly told me that many of her interviewees have since passed from this veil of tears, and one is glad she spoke to them when she did. 

That’s a Fact, Jack! The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival returns, Oct. 3-7 2012

[Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.]

Now in its third year, the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival is northeast Ohio's only film festival uniquely devoted to nonfiction features and shorts. It's a must on any local film fans' itinerary. Because, let's face it, if some guy who thinks he's a Batman villain is going to open fire at a movie house, you can bet it's not going to be at a documentary.

Those draw a whole different crowd – even though a well-wrought nonfiction feature can be just as entertaining as any Hollywood-industry product.Often better.

The CDFF takes place from Wednesday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 7, at venues throughout the famously postcard-pretty village of Chagrin Falls on the eastern side of Cuyahoga County. Screening sites range from the big school auditorium on Philomethian Street to the more salon-like environment of the sushi restaurant Umami.