Cleveland International Film Festival Receives National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Grant to Support Education and Exhibition Programs
CIFF Grant is One of 895 NEA Art Works Grants Funded Nationwide
by Debby Samples
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced today that the Cleveland International Film Festival is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is recommended for a $40,000 grant to support its exhibition and education programs.
Funding from the National Endowment for the Arts will enable the presentation of the Film Festival’s primary educational programs, FilmSlam and FilmForums.
The Film Festival’s longest running educational program is FilmSlam, which takes place on seven weekday mornings during the CIFF. FilmSlam impacts the lives of young people (including a record 6,009 junior high and high school students in 2013) by giving them the opportunity to see remarkable films by some of the world’s most innovative filmmakers. A volunteer committee of junior high and high school students and teachers helps select the FilmSlam program. And all films are linked to curriculum strands. Study guides (including an introduction to media literacy) are provided to teachers, and filmmakers speak after the screenings.
FilmForums are moderated and interactive panel discussions that feature filmmakers, community leaders, and scholars who are knowledgeable about the topic at hand. FilmForums offer CIFF patrons creative and unique opportunities to explore urgent, relevant, and complex social issues. These are issues that cannot and should not be ignored.
Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”
CIFF Executive Director Marcie Goodman noted, “The generous support of the NEA makes it possible for our organization to fulfill its mission of promoting artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community. We are so grateful.”
Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 895 are recommended for grants for a total of $ 23.4 million.
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.
38th CIFF FACT SHEET
WHAT: The 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF)
www.clevelandfilm.org or 216.623.FILM (3456)
WHEN: March 19 – 30, 2014
WHERE: Tower City Cinemas in Tower City Center in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio
WHY: For the past 37 years, the CIFF has been the premier film event in Ohio. Today the CIFFpresents approximately 180 feature films and over 160 short subject films from at least 60 countries.
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.
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.
HOW: 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.
The 38th Cleveland International Film Festival presented by Dollar Bank will take place March 19 – 30, 2014 at Tower City Cinemas in Tower City Center. For more information on the Cleveland International Film Festival, please visit www.clevelandfilm.org or call 216.623.3456.
