Films Exploring Creativity at CIFF 50
Art-Centric Films at the Cleveland International Film Festival
As the Cleveland International Film Festival marks its 50th year, Assembly for the Arts is proud to celebrate our longtime partners and friends at CIFF—an institution that has helped shape Northeast Ohio’s cultural landscape for half a century. CIFF is a gathering place for artists, audiences, and ideas, drawing thousands of residents and visitors into shared spaces of storytelling, dialogue, and discovery. Film, by its nature, is a collaborative art form—one that weaves together music, visual art, literature, performance, design, and technology—and CIFF’s anniversary lineup is a powerful reminder of how deeply cinema intersects with the broader creative ecosystem.
By amplifying diverse voices, supporting local and global artists, and activating theaters, neighborhoods, and conversations across the region, CIFF continues to demonstrate how the arts strengthen community, fuel connection, and contribute to a vibrant creative economy in Greater Cleveland.
Various films in this year’s festival lineup highlight how film connects to and elevates other artistic practices—from music and visual art to literature, performance, and storytelling in all its forms. The films below offer just a glimpse into how creativity crosses disciplines at CIFF50. We encourage readers to explore these selections, attend screenings across the region, and discover the power of creativity within film.
Use the buttons below to explore films celebrating, exploring, and commenting on art at CIFF 50:
Visual Arts, Artists, and Art History
Barbara Forever
An archive-driven documentary celebrating pioneering filmmaker Barbara Hammer and her enduring creative legacy.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 9:30 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 11 – 12:00 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
More info: Barbara Forever – CIFF Film Archives
Our Mr. Matsura
The story of early 20th‑century photographer Frank Matsura, whose images captured life in the American Northwest.
Screenings:
Wed, Apr 15 – 2:20 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Thu, Apr 16 – 5:10 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Paint Me a Road Out of Here
An incisive look at Faith Ringgold’s landmark artwork and its long journey toward institutional recognition.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 5:00 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 11 – 12:15 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Paint Me a Road Out of Here – CIFF Film Archives
The Christophers
When the children of a celebrated artist hire a forger to complete his unfinished paintings, questions of authorship arise.
Screening:
Sun, Apr 12 – 5:00 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Music, Sound, and Musicians
Chopin, A Sonata in Paris
A sumptuous portrait of Frédéric Chopin navigating fame, illness, and obsession in 19th‑century Paris.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 2:30 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Sat, Apr 11 – 9:30 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
Don’t Forget Me
The official biography of rock ’n’ roll pioneer Eddie Cochran.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 7:20 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 11 – 7:00 PM | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Charliebird
A moving story where music therapy becomes an emotional bridge between past and present.
Screening:
Sun, Apr 12 – 2:30 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
In the Ever
An intimate story following Sam Ellis, a mechanic, whose songs written for his dead mother become a surprise hit.
Screening:
Sun, Apr 12 – 5:00 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
On a String
A quietly funny look at the life of a freelance classical violist in New York City.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 5:15 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Sat, Apr 11 – 12:15 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
A music memoir tracing the life of the producer behind countless legendary recordings.
Screenings:
Wed, Apr 15 – 7:00 PM | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Thu, Apr 16 – 12:15 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Song Silenced: Coming Out in Christian Music
A revelatory documentary about queer artists challenging faith-based music spaces.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 17 – 3:00 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 18 – 5:10 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Song Silenced: Coming Out In Christian Music – CIFF Film Archives
The Blind Couple from Mali
Musical legends Amadou & Mariam reunite to record a final album connected to their roots.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 12:10 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Sat, Apr 11 – 5:15 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Power Ballad (Closing Night)
A bittersweet, feel‑good film about songwriting, ambition, and recognition.
Screening:
Sat, Apr 18 – 7:30 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
The Soundman
A wartime love story told through radio waves, voice, and performance.
Screenings:
Thu, Apr 16 – 2:00 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Sat, Apr 18 – 9:15 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
You Had To Be There: How The Toronto Godspell Ignited The Comedy Revolution...
A documentary about how Toronto Godspell helped launch an entire generation of performers.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 2:35 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 11 – 4:50 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
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Literature, Writing, and Storytelling
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Literature becomes resistance as women in Tehran secretly read banned novels.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 17 – 9:45 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 18 – 12:05 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Guess Who Is Calling?
A busy writer outsources daily life to finish his most personal work.
Screenings:
Thu, Apr 16 – 11:15 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
Fri, Apr 17 – 7:10 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Yesterday Island
A failed novelist hoping to break his writers block becomes trapped in a time loop.
Screenings:
Thu, Apr 16 – 9:45 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Fri, Apr 17 – 11:50 AM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Steal This Story, Please!
Journalism as creative resistance in this portrait of Amy Goodman.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 12:15 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sun, Apr 12 – 2:40 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Steal This Story, Please! – CIFF Film Archives
Film, Performance, and the Creative Process
Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day
Four filmmakers pursue artistic freedom under political suspicion.
Screenings:
Thu, Apr 16 – 4:00 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Fri, Apr 17 – 9:15 AM | Playhouse Square Complex
Beyond
Performance becomes transformation inside Sing Sing prison.
Screenings:
Sun, Apr 12 – 7:35 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Tue, Apr 14 – 4:45 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Bravado
A meta‑thriller about screenwriting, power, and control.
Screenings:
Thu, Apr 16 – 4:50 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Fri, Apr 17 – 10:00 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Run Amok
An amateur harpist stages a musical reenactment of a traumatic event.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 17 – 7:30 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
Sat, Apr 18 – 2:45 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
We Are Pat
A joyful exploration of comedy, gender, and performance culture through the lens of the iconic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, It’s Pat.
Screenings:
Fri, Apr 10 – 5:00 PM | Cedar Lee Theatre
Sun, Apr 12 – 2:45 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
My Pathetic Career
A portrait of a one‑man variety performer reflecting on 50 years of art-making.
Screening:
Thu, Apr 16 – 4:45 PM | Playhouse Square Complex
