HIGHLIGHTS FROM
THE 28th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (CIFF)
MARCH 18-28, 2004
TOWER CITY CINEMAS ON THE AVENUE AT TOWER CITY CENTER
CLEVELAND, OHIO

AWARD WINNERS

The Roxanne T. Mueller Award for Best Feature Film (audience choice award) goes to BORN INTO BROTHELS directed by Ross Kauffman & Zana Briski (USA).
Runners up include HOME OF THE BRAVE directed by Paola di Florio (USA), BUDDY directed by Morten Tydlum (Norway), A PANTHER IN AFRICA directed by Aaron Matthews (USA), KOPS directed by Josef Fares (Sweden), DOUBLE DARE directed by Amanda Micheli (USA), PATERNAL INSTINCT directed by Murray Nossel (USA), SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER AND… SPRING directed by Kim Ki-Duk (South Korea) MAGNIFICO directed by Maryo J. Delos Reyes (Philippines), and THE OPPOSITE SEX: RENE’S STORY directed by Josh Aronson (USA).

• The winner of the $10,000 cash prize for the CIFF Central and Eastern European Film Competition (sponsored by George Gund III & Iara Lee) was THE STROLL (Progulka) directed by Alexei Uchitel (Russia). In a statement from the three jurors (Chris Clark of Cinema St. Louis, Andrea Picard of Cinematheque Ontario and Sheryl Mousley of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis): “Audacious and refreshing on many accounts, THE STROLL employs a deft vérité style whose exuberance is lead by the film's three protagonists who romp through the streets of St. Petersburg in a display of carefree adventure and flirtation. Uchitel embraces, to great and breathtaking effect, the properties of digital video, which along with the dynamic and unfaltering performances by Irina Pegova, Pavel Barshak and Yevgeny Grishkovets, achieves a frenetic, engrossing and distinctive means of storytelling. THE STROLL is a bold and significant addition to new Russian cinema. While THE STROLL stood out among the films in our category, the stories from the twelve countries represented help all film audiences understand the histories and fictions of the eastern European community.”

The judges of the Shorts Selections were David Bergholz (formally of the George Gund Foundation), Joe Gunderman (WKSU) and Lori McClung (Center for Community Solutions).
• Best Live Action Short Film (Sponsored by Anna Vedouras and Jack Ramsey): MIMMO & PAULIE directed by Domenic Silipo (USA)
 Best Animated Short Film (Sponsored by SpaldJack, Inc.): I WANT A DOG directed by Sheldon Cohen (Canada)

 Process Award for Visual Excellence (Sponsored by John Williams and Process Creative Studios): RENT- A- PERSON directed by Kurt Kuenne (USA)

 Humanitarian Award (Anonymously Sponsored): PASSING HEARTS directed by Johan Brisinger (Sweden)

 Best Student Short Film (Sponsored by The William Worth Wardwell Scholarship Fund): THE SCHOOL directed by Ezra Krybus and Matthew Miller (Canada)

 Best Ohio Short Film (Sponsored by Kodak and Film Craft Lab): AFRICAN AMERICAN directed by Askia Holloway and Johny Ramos (USA)

 Best Women’s Short Film (Sponsored by Jinny and John Johnson): A SECOND OPINION directed by Hadas Ragolsky (USA)

 Best Documentary Short Film (Sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin): WHEN THE STORM CAME directed by Shilpi Gupta (USA)

 Chuckle Award (new addition created by the judges): SPIDERMEN directed by Harry Kellerman (USA)

 The Cleveland International Film Festival awarded THE SERVICE TO THE FIELD AWARD to ThinkFilm. ThinkFilm embodies the new face of independent film: bold, business-oriented and brimming with creativity. This young, dynamic company acquires and distributes the cream of the indie crop. Recent theatrical releases include the acclaimed SPELLBOUND, Gus Van Sant’s GERRY and THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, among many others. The ThinkFilm selections in the 28th CIFF included THE AGRONOMIST, BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS, THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL and WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF.

OPENING NIGHT

 Sponsored by Dollar Bank, Opening Night of the 28th Cleveland International Film Festival featured DANDELION (USA). Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman served as Honorary Chair of the Opening Night Gala and William Koeth, Senior Vice President of Dollar Bank served as Chairperson. Special guests included: Mark Milgard (director and co-screenwriter), Molly Mayeux (producer), Vincent Kartheider (actor) and Robb Williamson (music and co-screenwriter). Following the screening of the film, there was an Opening Night Gala Reception at the MK Ferguson Plaza. Over 800 people attended Opening Night on Thursday, March 18th.

CLOSING NIGHT

 BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (United Kingdom), directed by Stephen Fry and starring Jim Broadbent, Stockard Channing and Peter O’Toole, closed the Festival on Sunday, March 28th. A Closing Night Party at the English Oak Room, sponsored by NewsChannel 5, took place after the film.


OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS

 The Film Festival partnered with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland for a special presentation sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz and presented with the generous support of Toby Devan Lewis. NAKED WORLD, directed by Arlene Donnely Nelson, is a film documenting artist Spencer Tunick who creates temporary site-related installations of nudes. The partnership presentation was held on Tuesday, March 23rd. Amy Gillman (curator at MOCA), moderated the program. There was an after-party at Cloud Nine Lounge hosted by MOCA.

 IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL, a touching homage to outsider artist Henry Darger, was sponsored by Angle Magazine. There was a post-film discussion and After Party at Spaces Gallery on March 24th.

 In celebration of the life of Nina Simone (1933-2003) the CIFF was proud to host a partnership presentation of NINA SIMONE, LOVE SORCERESS in honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Tri-C Jazz Fest.

 Cultural Journeys, which is a multicultural Film Festival program, welcomed new audiences from a broad spectrum of ethnic and national backgrounds. Featuring cutting edge films from a variety of cultural communities, Cultural Journeys brings people together to learn about each other’s customs, lifestyles, and traditions through the shared language of film. The six Cultural Journeys films represented a number of countries: BOOKSHOP (Tunisia, France, Morocco), DEEP BREATH (Iran), DREAM CUISINE (Japan), HANDCUFF KING (Finland), HARD GOODBYES MY FATHER (Greece, Germany), and JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (Bulgaria).

A World Celebration event took place on Saturday, March 27th at 530 ARTcade in the Colonial Marketplace. More than 500 party-goers danced to music from around the world, while sampling an assortment of ethnic cuisine. Cultural Journeys was sponsored by KeyBank and McDonald Financial Group.

 Three FilmForums were presented during the Festival. On Thursday, March 25th, following the screening of HOME OF THE BRAVE, panelists addressed the African American civil rights struggle as it related to the compelling story of Viola Liuzzo, the only white woman to die during the Civil Rights March. On Monday, March 22nd, following the screening of 5 SIDES OF THE COIN, panelists examined the history of Hip Hop and its impact on American culture. On Saturday, March 27th, following the screening of PATERNAL INSTINCT, panelists discussed the complex issue of second parent adoption.

 FilmSlam, our film festival for high school students, took place on five weekday mornings. A record-breaking 3347 high school students registered to see the following films: 4th FLOOR, 5 SIDES OF THE COIN, CUBA LIBRE, HOME OF THE BRAVE, I AWLAYS WANTED TO BE A SAINT and JUSTICE. Cuyahoga Community College presented FilmSlam. The Kiwanis Foundation of Cleveland and The Thomas H. White Foundation provided additional support.

GUESTS
Josh Aronson, Director
THE OPPOSITE SEX: JAMIE’S STORY
THE OPPOSITE SEX: RENE’S STORY

Rodrigo Bellot, Director
SEXUAL DEPENDENCY

Zana Briski, Director
BORN INTO BROTHELS


Chris Clark, Juror
Central/Eastern European Film Competition

Emy Craciumescu, Director / Writer / Producer
Tristella’s Tears

Nancy Dickenson, Executive Producer
HOME OF THE BRAVE

Juan Gerard, Director
CUBA LIBRE

Gavrillo Gnatovich, Director
TRIP TO THE DENTIST

David Golden, Composer
SOMETIMES THE NEIGHBOR

Askia Holloway, Director / Producer
AFRICAN AMERICAN

Karen Johnson, Producer
DOUBLE DARE

Vincent Kartheiser, Actor
DANDELION

Ross Kauffman, Director
BORN INTO BROTHELS

Paul Kell, Director
5 SIDES OF A COIN

Ezra Krybus, Director / Cinematographer
THE SCHOOL

Tif Laufer, Cinematographer
PASSAGE

Richard Levine, Writer
HAPPY HOUR

Molly Mayeux, Producer
DANDELION


Glen McDonald, Director / Writer
LOVING THE IN-LAWS

Jonathan McNeal, Director / Producer
THE RUBI GIRLS

Mark Milgard, Director
DANDELION

Matthew Miller, Director / Producer
THE SCHOOL

Thomas Miller, Editor
HOME OF THE BRAVE

Princess Monique, Director / Producer
THE CALL

Sheryl Mousley, Juror
Central/Eastern European Film Competition

Tim Nakashi, Director
DIRTY WORK

Andrew Nisker, Producer
LOVING THE IN-LAWS

Annie Oelschlager, Producer / Actor
GRETCHEN BRETTSCHNEIDER SKIRTS THIRTY

Tim O’Hara, Director
1

Michaela Pavlatova, Director
FAITHLESS GAMES

Andréa Picard, Juror
Central/Eastern European Film Competition

Bill Rose, Director
THE LOSS OF NAMELESS THINGS

Adam Salky, Director
SOMETIMES THE NEIGHBOR


David Sampliner, Director
DIRTY WORK

Carlos Sandoval, Director
FARMINGVILLE

Catherine Tambini, Director
FARMINGVILLE

Spencer Tunick, Featured
NAKED WORLD

Robb Williamson, Co-writer and Composer
DANDELION