Midwest Movie Maker

The Ohio Independent Film Festival kicks off Thursday, Nov. 6 The Ohio Independent Film Festival (OIFF) is one of those unique Midwest gems that independent filmmakers know a whole lot about and, every year, film fans of all shapes, sizes, ages and interests discover for the first time. Maybe you’re one of them. If so, now’s your chance to discover the festival – and a ton of amazing films. The event kicks off this Thursday, Nov. 6, at Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore 7 in Euclid , Ohio . We recently sat down with Peter Balint , executive director of the OIFF to learn more about the event. Midwest Movie Maker : If this is the first time I've heard of the OIFF, what should I know? Peter Balint : The Ohio Independent Film Festival has brought independent film to Cleveland for more than 20 years! We accept submissions from around the world in all genres including feature length narratives and documentaries, as well as shorts, animations, micro shorts and short docs. ...

Peter Balint, executive director of the Ohio Independent Film Festival Change is coming to one of Northeast Ohio’s greatest cinema organizations. After more than 20 years as leader of the Ohio Independent Film Festival (OIFF) , Bernadette Gillota has departed the organization she founded to pursue new opportunities, and a newly appointed Executive Director Peter Balint has stepped in to lead the organization forward. “Bernadette did an astounding job of growing the organization from its inception in 1993 to the solid festival it is today,” says Balint. “After achieving many of the goals she set out to achieve, she made the personal decision to pursue other interests and pass the Ohio Independent Film Festival to the next generation.” Over the last seven years, Balint immersed himself in the Cleveland film community, working on short films as everything from producer to screenwriter. As his interests shifted to promoting independent film, he became an volunteer with th...