Inaugural Cleveland International Kids Film Festival debuts this weekend

Midwinter is often when the heart of the film festival season kicks off, with Sundance in late January followed by South by Southwest (SXSW) in March, the Los Angeles Film Festival in early summer and the New York Film Festival in June.

Those are the big festivals, though. There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of film festivals across the country. From the prestigious Columbus International Film and Animation Festival to the true grassroots indie FunMill Films Festival, there’s a place to showcase your work.

Even if you’re a kid.

Introducing the Cleveland International Kids Film Festival

This weekend, the Cleveland International Kids Film Festival will unspool 21 films from young filmmakers ranging in age from 7 to 17. The festival is a division of the non-profit The Young Filmmakers Academy (YFA), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

“We have submissions from nine countries, from the U.S., Iran, Switzerland and more,” says film festival organizer Eric Swindermann. “We’re showcasing 21 films with nine films in contention for the top prize, Best Picture. As we grow we hope to increase our number of submissions so that we can showcase hundreds of films.”

The festival is hosting its inaugural year online, due to COVID. For those who want to watch any of the narrative and documentary film submissions - and catch sneak peeks at many of the movies - visit www.clevelandkidsfilmfest.com. The festival runs from February 25 to 27.

Digital tickets to individual films will cost viewers $1.99 each. A festival pass, allowing access to all films, runs $25. The festival will also host a Q&A session with the filmmakers, viewable online. Actress Giselle Eisenberg (The Wolf of Wall Street, American Housewife, Puppy Dog Pals) will announce the festival winners on Feb. 27.

Comments

Mike Judge's 'Automated Trucking' one of several films awarded tax credits for 2025

Mike Judge and Alec Berg, creators of 'Automated Trucking' >>> Automated Trucking , a new comedy feature from Mike Judge, creator of Office Space , Beavis and Butthead , and King of the Hill , will shoot in Ohio this year - but where in Ohio is the real question. Automated Trucking was one of 14 projects awarded more than $26 million of $33 million in tax credits from the Ohio Department of Development’s Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program (OMPTC) aimed at boosting production and infrastructure across the state. The newly launched Ohio Film & Theater Capital Improvements Tax Credit Program (OFATCI) will provide more than $7.3 million to support capital improvements for film and theater production. "Our film tax credits bring producers and stars to Ohio, and they create opportunities for the local businesses, skilled trades, and creatives already here," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The expansion of film in...

What's so 'Freaky' about Cleveland screenwriter Michael Kennedy?

Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn When Michael Kennedy was 16 years old, growing up in North Olmsted, Ohio, a group of his high school friends convinced him to get in a car, cruise to Westgate Mall , and buy tickets to see this new Drew Barrymore romantic comedy titled Scream. You know, the “romantic comedy” in which the masked killer dispatches Barrymore within the film’s first 10 minutes? The “romantic comedy” that completely turned the horror genre on its head, created by Cleveland’s own Wes Craven ? The uber meta motion picture that would change 16-year-old Michael Kennedy’s life forever? Yep, that Scream . “The thing is, I didn’t grow up on a diet of horror movies, and I think my friends knew this,” Kennedy says. They probably imagined they’d get a bit of bonus entertainment watching Kennedy squirm in his seat. “But here’s the thing. Within the first five minutes, I was completely enamored.” Flash forward nearly 25 years. Now it’s Kennedy’s turn to splatter the screen with lov...

‘Too Many Cooks’ creator shooting horror feature ‘Arnie’ in Cleveland this summer

AI imagines the characters from 'Arnie' >> The next juicy horror feature is about to creep onto the streets of Cleveland, and it comes from Chris “Casper” Kelly, creator of the cult classic Too Many Cooks . The feature, Arnie , is tentatively shooting from July through August in the Cleveland area, according to a casting call from Angela Boehm Casting . (It's a live-action film. We don't want our AI interpretation confuse you!) Arnie was one of 14 projects awarded more than $26 million of $33 million in tax credits from the Ohio Department of Development’s Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program (OMPTC) aimed at boosting production and infrastructure across the state. Northeast Ohio’s Low Spark Films will produce. Filmmaker Casper Kelly Who is Casper Kelly? Kelly is an American writer, director, and producer known for his work in television and film. His work often blends humor, horror and absurdity. He gained attention with the viral short Too Many Cooks and ...

Midwest Movie Maker

Search This Blog