Thu 9/21-Fri 9/29
If you are a film buff in Cleveland, there’s no way you can say your interests are underserved. In addition to the big Cleveland International Film Festival in March and the year-round contributions on the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, there are so many special-interest festivals it’s hard to keep track: documentaries, short subjects, Jewish, LGBT and of course, horror, horror and more horror.
The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, which kicks off Thu 9/21 and runs through Fri 9/29 at the Shaker Square Cinemas, caters to those interested in films that address African-American interests and issues and encourages African-Americans to pursue careers in the movie business.
Its 32 films include both narrative and documentary films, as well as films by Cleveland area youth, along with panel discussions, workshops and symposiums.
The opening night film is Love by Chance about a pair of actors from South Africa trying to break into the Hollywood scene. There is a pre-screening reception and director Samad Davis will be present for a Q&A after the film. Documentaries cover such topics as prostate cancer in black men, black women in the medical field, America’s racist justice system, the achievements of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the evolution of black music.
Underexposed, screening Tue 9/26, looks at Cleveland’s Shooting Without Bullets program which gives teens in struggling communities an artistic outlet to express the issues they face and hopefully avoid falling victim to violence.
Is there a horror film? You bet! On Sat 9/23 the festival screens All Eyes on Emma 5, starring Cleveland actor Peter Lawson Jones as a man cursed to stare at an immobile women every night.
For a full schedule of events and times, go here.
Shaker Square Shopping Center, Cleveland, OH 44120