by David C. Barnett
About 2000 Northeast Ohio film fans gathered in the Tower City Fountain Court, Sunday night, to hear which movies took top honors at the 40th Cleveland International Film Festival. Following a familiar pattern in recent years, the Festival broke previous attendance records with 102,000 viewers coming through the turnstiles, over the past twelve days. But, one of the evening's biggest announcements had nothing to do with an award-winning film.
Ever since the Film Festival kicked off it's 40th anniversary, a couple weeks ago, there was an open question about the future of this popular Northeast Ohio event. For the past 25 years, the Festival's home base has been Tower City Cinemas, underneath the Terminal Tower complex, just off Public Square. But, in late March, Detroit-based Bedrock Real Estate Services --- connected to Quicken Loans and Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert --- bought the Tower City property, leaving future film festivals up in the air. But, that uncertainty was partially cleared-up, last night, when Festival Executive Marcie Goodman expressed gratitude to the new landlord.
"Thanks for giving us the go-ahead to announce that the 41st Cleveland International Film Festival will be held in 2017 at Tower City Cinemas"
Among the award-winners for this year's festival were Mentor native Charles Moore for his edgy comedy, Madtown, which netted a $7500 cash prize. Dawn Porter's documentary Trapped, took a $10,000 prize, and the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice award of $15,000 went to a non-fiction film, Romeo is Bleeding, that compares the deadly turf wars in a San Francisco Bay suburb to Shakespeare's classic tale.
The highest attendance for any film at this year's festival went to "Believeland", with over 4,000 viewers for the ESPN chronicle of Northeast Ohio professional sports frustration.
WRAP-UP OF WINNERS:
Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film
Sponsored by the Callahan Foundation
ROMEO IS BLEEDING , directed by Jason Zeldes (USA)
$15,000 cash prize
George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition
Presented with generous support from The George Gund Foundation
A GOOD WIFE , directed by Mirjana Karanovic (Serbia)
$10,000 cash prize
Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition
Sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz
MOM AND ME , directed by Ken Wardrop (Ireland, USA)
$7,500 cash prize
New Direction Competition
Presented with generous support from Cover My Meds
THE FITS, directed by Anna Rose Holmer (USA)
$7,500 cash prize
Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
Presented with generous support from The George Gund Foundation
Jim Brown’s amer-i-can dream , directed by Aurora Ferlin (USA)
$7,500 cash prize
Global Health Competition
Sponsored by Cleveland Clinic
THE C WORD , directed by Meghan O’Hara (USA)
$7,500 cash prize
American Independents Competition
Presented with the generous support of Lauren Rich Fine and Gary Giller
COMING THROUGH THE RYE , directed by James Sadwith (USA)
$7,500 cash prize
Local Heroes Competition
Presented with the generous support of Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
MADTOWN , directed by Charles Moore (USA)
$7,500 cash prize
Music Movies Competition
Presented with the generous support of Jules and Fran Belkin
What Would Beethoven Do? , directed by Jonathan Keijser (USA, Canada)
$7,500 cash prize
ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
Presented with the generous support of Deborah Bachman Ratner
Dawn Porter (for TRAPPED; USA)
$10,000 cash prize
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Feature Film
ROMEO IS BLEEDING , directed by Jason Zeldes (USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize
Audience Choice Award for Best Short Subject
THE GNOMIST , directed by Sharon Liese (USA)
$1,000 Cash Prize
Best Animated Short Award*
Sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A
Aria for a Cow , directed by Dan Lund (USA)
$1,000 cash prize
Best Documentary Short Award*
Sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin
Life After Pi, directed by Scott Leberecht (USA)
$1,000 cash prize
Best Live Action Short Award*
Sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris
Pardon the Intrusion , directed by Louise Galizia (United Kingdom)
$1,000 cash prize
FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Short Film
"Un Encuentro" (An Encounter) directed by Miguel Berzal De Miguel (Spain)
$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 clevelandfilm.org.
