CIFF turns 50: The moments that defined Cleveland's film festival
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The first movie ever screened at CIFF was Orson Welles' "F For Fake." Photo: Apic/Getty Images
The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) kicks off its 50th edition on Thursday.
Why it matters: CIFF has become one of Northeast Ohio's longest-standing events, attracting tens of thousands of people every year to its in-person and online screenings.
Driving the news: CIFF will feature 326 short and feature-length films through April 18.
- Thursday night's opening features a screening of the documentary "A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole" at 7pm at KeyBank State Theatre.
In honor of CIFF's 50th year, we're looking back on the festival's most memorable moments:
1977: The first film ever screened is "F for Fake," the groundbreaking docudrama written, directed and starring Orson Welles.
1979: The festival holds a special screening of "It's a Wonderful Life" with director Frank Capra in attendance.
1984: Legendary director Robert Altman opens the festival with a screening of his film "Streamers."
1985: A screening of "Stranger Than Paradise" with director and Cuyahoga Falls native Jim Jarmusch closes the festival.
1989: The festival opens with "Major League," with cast members Wesley Snipes, Corbin Bernsen and Bob Uecker in attendance.
1999: A special showing of 1961's "A Raisin in the Sun" is followed by a conversation with Philip Rose, producer of the film and the original Broadway play.
2003: CIFF screens "American Splendor," the film chronicling the life of Cleveland Heights comic book writer Harvey Pekar.
2004: "Born Into Brothels" wins the festival's audience choice award for best film and goes on to win the 2005 Academy Award for best documentary feature.
2009: CIFF celebrates its first year as a qualifying festival for the animated short and live action short categories at the Academy Awards.
2015: The festival surpasses 100,000 attendees for the first time.
2016: The premiere of the ESPN documentary "Believeland" draws more than 2,000 people to Connor Palace.
2025: Nearly 2,500 people attend a screening of the locally filmed "Lost & Found in Cleveland," a single-film record for CIFF.