Skip to main content

'Lost and Found in Cleveland' breaks attendance records at CIFF, Announces Nov. 7 theatrical release

Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak give direction on the set of 'Lost and Found in Cleveland' >>>

Cleveland’s found its latest box-office sensation, and it isn’t sporting an ‘S’ on its chest or zipping through the city’s eenie-meanie streets. It’s entirely homegrown.

The independent film Lost & Found in Cleveland made history at the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), drawing nearly 2,500 moviegoers to its Midwest premiere on March 30, setting the record for the largest single-screening audience in festival history. 

Not only did it outpace all previous CIFF screenings, but it also packed the house at Playhouse Square like no film has since the venue’s foundation was established in 1973, according to Cleveland.com

Moviegoers who missed the opportunity will have to wait until Nov. 7 to see the film in theaters nationwide. (unless Lost & Found enters more film festivals, of course). Double G Films announced Lost & Found's theatrical release in early April. This marks the first feature release from The Fithian Group's Attend platform, which connects filmmakers directly with theater owners through data-driven tools.

Staging a parade for 'Lost and Found in Cleveland'

Directed by Cleveland native Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, Lost & Found in Cleveland weaves through the stories of five strangers brought together by an antiques appraisal show. 

The cast of Lost & Found in Cleveland includes: 

  • Dennis Haysbert as a mailman with an unassuming collection of vases 
  • Santino Fontana as a professor hoping to offload an embarrassing yet potentially valuable item 
  • Stacy Keach as a Korean War vet with a set of mysterious plates 
  • Liza Weil as a socialite with a statue of questionable origins, and, 
  • Benjamin Steinhauser as a precocious nine-year-old whose old letter might just change his life

Keep your eye out for June Squibb, who made a splash in Thelma, CIFF 48's opening night feature, and comedic icon Jon Lovitz as Cleveland's mayor

One more star: The city of Cleveland

Shot entirely in Cleveland in 2023, the film turns the city into a character all its own, showcasing landmarks like Playhouse Square, the West Side Market, and the Hope Memorial Bridge. Local staples such as Malley’s Chocolates, Discount Drug Mart, and Sherwin-Williams make appearances, further cementing the film’s deep ties to the city.

And who's familiar voice guides us through the movie? Legendary Cleveland broadcaster Leon Bibb, that's who. Bibb is no stranger to the silver screen. He also appeared in LeMaro Smith’s Affliction and Eric Swinderman’s Made in Cleveland.

For Gerchak, the film is more than just entertainment—it’s a mission. 

“Cleveland is the protagonist of this film,” he said in a recent Cleveland.com interview. “We want to change how people see the city, not just across the country but right here at home.”

Watch the Lost and Found in Cleveland trailer here!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Everything we know about Hulu's ‘The Land,’ the Cleveland Browns TV series

Actor Christopher Meloni hanging with the Cleveland Browns (photo Christopher Meloni) >> The Land , once called 17 Sundays , is This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman‘s upcoming Hulu series set in the world of pro football, starring Christopher Meloni and William H. Macy, and featuring a fictionalized version of the Cleveland Browns. Production has now wrapped, scenes were filmed in Northeast Ohio, and Hulu is targeting a 2027 release. In August 22025, Deadline reported that “ The Land  … got the largest allocation (of California tax credits) … with nearly $43 million.” Here’s everything we know so far about The Land . What is The Land  TV series about? The series centers on the Cleveland Browns, with Macy as team owner Hank Durkin, Meloni as head coach Danny Roarke, and Mandy Moore as Durkin’s ambitious daughter, Lauren, who has spent much of her life preparing to one day run the team. With family succession battles, front-office politics, an Ohio State quarterback becoming...
1 comment
Read more

'Frankenstein,' family history and the art of listening: Meet Brittany Dobish

Brittany Dobish >> Whether she is documenting a nonprofit’s mission, preserving a piece of local history or helping someone tell a deeply personal story, Brittany Dobish believes the most meaningful moments happen when people feel safe enough to be heard. And safe enough to be honest. “I don’t interview people to find out who they are,” Dobish explains. “I interview them to remind them of who they are.” That philosophy shapes both her filmmaking and Dobish Legacy Films , the company she launched in 2024 to help people and organizations preserve the stories that might otherwise disappear. For Dobish, documentary filmmaking is not simply about recording what happened. It is about listening closely enough to discover what those experiences meant. Dobish with Mark Hamer, Crash Cat Media Finding meaning in the misunderstood Dobish’s interest in people, identity and personal history began long before she picked up a camera. As a teenager, she spent years observing the people around he...
Post a Comment
Read more

Everything we know about ‘Eenie Meanie’ on set in Cleveand, Toledo and Sandusky

Samara Weaving as Edie in 'Eenie Meanie' Before James Gunn and the cast and crew of Superman took over Cleveland, another star-studded feature film was laying claim to the sights and sounds and gritty streets of Northeast Ohio: Shawn Simmons Eenie Meanie , debuting today on Hulu. While both films tell the tale of a misunderstood hero just trying to live an honest life, each production brought an entirely different vibe to Cleveland’s neighborhoods. And I say this from personal experience. As a cinephile working downtown during Superman ’s shoot, getting a peek behind the scenes was an exercise in watching from a distance, peering through second-story grocery store windows, or finding hidden spots in parking decks looking over Progressive Field. Eenie Meanie ? Well, all you had to do was ask, and the crew would point you to a good spot on set to watch the action. The set was so open and friendly on the one day I went exploring in Ohio City, I was too self-conscious to take pictu...
Post a Comment
Read more