The 38th CIFF will launch with an Opening Night Film and Gala to an anticipated crowd of 1,500 people on the evening of Wednesday, March 19th. Following Opening Night, more than 475 film screenings will be exhibited in ten theaters at Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight (and even later on weekends) for the next eleven days. Our Closing Night awards program will likely draw 2,000 people on the evening of Sunday, March 30th.
Since 2003, the CIFF has experienced tremendous growth, including a 165% increase in attendance to 93,235 in 2013. Over 200 filmmakers and other special guests attend the Film Festival, and hundreds of students participate in a mini-festival of CIFF films for high school and middle school students screened every weekday morning.
Program Guides will be available the week of February 24th. Tickets go on sale to members only on Friday, February 28th — one week before they go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 7th. Because advance tickets for many screenings sell quickly, patrons are advised to purchase tickets as early as possible.