In today’s film climate it is hard to showcase short films. Many festivals only care about features and it seems like this art is dwindling to silly videos about kittens on the internet. Even though we love kittens (who doesn’t?) here at the Short. Sweet. Film Fest., we love short films (heck, short is even in our title).

With seven festivals under our belt, our goal for our eighth annual film festival is to showcase films under 30 minutes to the growing art scene in the greater Cleveland area and highlight the works of student filmmakers across the country. We are looking for the best short films locally, nationally, and internationally. So send them our way!

Our festival will take place in the Alex Theater at the Metropolitan at the 9 hotel in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Filmmakers and patrons can stay at the hotel at a discounted rate and enjoy food and beverages throughout the festival.

CIFF43 Program Guides will be hot off the press on Monday, March 4th. To celebrate, that evening we’re holding simultaneous casual come-and-go events – one on the west side and one on the east side – from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM so you can Get the Scoop!

Join us at the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch (1876 S Green Rd / South Euclid / 44121) where you can pick up a #CIFF43 Program Guide. And, thanks to our friends at Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream, you can also get a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream which will be served at the library! All while supplies last.

Or, join us at our west side Get the Scoop event, which will be held at Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream’s headquarters in Ohio City: https://bit.ly/2TzKCuH

The 43rd Cleveland International Film Festival will be held March 27 – April 7, 2019 at Tower City Cinemas in Cleveland, Ohio.

In April 2018 at the 42nd CIFF, Ohio’s premier film event featured 469 films originating from 72 countries and an attendance of 105,656 film-lovers – making CIFF one of the largest and longest running regional film festivals in the US.

CIFF is one of the few Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the world for all three categories of short films – live action, animated, and documentary. CIFF is also one of the only festivals that continues to provide written feedback from our selection committee for every film that is officially submitted. This past year, CIFF gave cash awards totaling nearly $130,000 to the winning filmmakers of 30 different competitions.

“The Cleveland International Film Festival may very well be the best kept secret in the festival world. No red carpets, no photo calls. And yet they somehow manage to pack theaters for several screenings in a row. Plus they make it easy for you to watch films, they offer food and drinks around the clock, and everyone goes out of their way to assist you with anything you might need. No one is stressed or arrogant or ignorant, everyone is in good moods and sincerely friendly, sharp, and efficient. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone – in today’s world, almost unbelievable. It’s a well-oiled machine dedicated to cinema, made of an army of caring humans.”
– Christina Kallas, Director, THE RAINBOW EXPERIMENT

“The Cleveland International Film Festival was a remarkable event, truly hospitable and a beautifully wide, eclectic mix of strong films. But most impressive for me were the audiences – regular viewers, not industry, there for one reason only: because they love film. You could really feel that.”
– Thomas Lennon, Director, SACRED

“We tell stories to connect and inspire one another. CIFF took the stories from the screens to the community to allow people to take action together to change the world. It’s the ultimate reward for filmmakers to see their work go from screens to the community. This is the love and community that every filmmaker, artist, and activist needs to have behind them.”
– Apo W. Bazidi, Director, RESISTANCE IS LIFE

The 43rd Cleveland International Film Festival will be held March 27 – April 7, 2019 at Tower City Cinemas in Cleveland, Ohio.

In April 2018 at the 42nd CIFF, Ohio’s premier film event featured 469 films originating from 72 countries and an attendance of 105,656 film-lovers – making CIFF one of the largest and longest running regional film festivals in the US.

CIFF is one of the few Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the world for all three categories of short films – live action, animated, and documentary. CIFF is also one of the only festivals that continues to provide written feedback from our selection committee for every film that is officially submitted. This past year, CIFF gave cash awards totaling nearly $130,000 to the winning filmmakers of 30 different competitions.

“The Cleveland International Film Festival may very well be the best kept secret in the festival world. No red carpets, no photo calls. And yet they somehow manage to pack theaters for several screenings in a row. Plus they make it easy for you to watch films, they offer food and drinks around the clock, and everyone goes out of their way to assist you with anything you might need. No one is stressed or arrogant or ignorant, everyone is in good moods and sincerely friendly, sharp, and efficient. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone – in today’s world, almost unbelievable. It’s a well-oiled machine dedicated to cinema, made of an army of caring humans.”
– Christina Kallas, Director, THE RAINBOW EXPERIMENT

“The Cleveland International Film Festival was a remarkable event, truly hospitable and a beautifully wide, eclectic mix of strong films. But most impressive for me were the audiences – regular viewers, not industry, there for one reason only: because they love film. You could really feel that.”
– Thomas Lennon, Director, SACRED

“We tell stories to connect and inspire one another. CIFF took the stories from the screens to the community to allow people to take action together to change the world. It’s the ultimate reward for filmmakers to see their work go from screens to the community. This is the love and community that every filmmaker, artist, and activist needs to have behind them.”
– Apo W. Bazidi, Director, RESISTANCE IS LIFE

This year’s short film fest includes a special preview night on Friday night, 6 blocks of film on Saturday – Family Films, Documentary, Drama, Comedy, Animation & Horror / Sci Fi. The closing night on Sunday night will feature the BEST OF THE FEST – 7 short films chosen by audiences competing for a juried grand prize. This festival focuses on connecting up-and-coming directors with passionate audiences.

Sponsored in part by Visit Canton and ArtsinStark

Schedule

The International Horror Hotel Film Festival and Convention is held every June in Northeast Ohio. We have yearly competitions for films, scripts and music videos in the following genres: fantasy, horror, horror-comedy, slasher, sci-fi and suspense-thriller, documentary (film only), and experimental (film only), as well as a yearly horror film scoring competition. At the event, we also have live scream queen and FX makeup competitions.

The event features four days of film screenings, two days of panel discussions and lectures, a convention, special guests, networking parties, live competitions and more.

Planning to attend from out of town, or just looking to stay at the hotel for the duration of the event? The Norwood Inn offers a special discounted group rate for our attendees. Book your reservation directly by calling the hotel at+1 (330) 653-9191  and saying you are with HORROR HOTEL. There is a limited block of rooms available at this rate for our attendees. Booking early ensures reservations are still available.