Cleveland International Film Festival Moving To Playhouse Square

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is moving permanently to Playhouse Square starting in 2021. The festival had been held at Cedar-Lee Theatre (for 14 years) and Tower City (for 30 years).

“By moving to Playhouse Square, the CIFF gets to remain in our beloved downtown Cleveland and under one phenomenal roof,” said Executive Director of CIFF Marcie Goodman. “We will have the privilege to be part of a thriving arts district where the sum of our Film Festival and Playhouse Square parts, along with the other resident companies, will be profoundly strong. The time is right for us to make the move in 2021 and to position ourselves within an incredible entertainment complex with multiple-sized venues and enormous capacity."

The 44th Cleveland International Film Festival will be held at Tower City for the final time from March 25 to April 5. For the past 5 years, CIFF has topped 100,000 in attendance and hosted more than 600 screenings. Festival details will be released Feb. 28 online and program guides will be released March 2. Tickets go on sale March 6 to CIFF members and March 13 to the public.

“The Cleveland International Film Festival has been a pivotal part of the city’s cultural fabric for an incredible 44 years, and it has been our honor at Bedrock to host the event during part of its 30-year tenure at The Avenue Shops at Tower City Center,” said Ken Till, Bedrock Vice President, Development. “We wish the Festival and its leaders the very best in their new location."

Starting in 2021, films will be screened at the Allen Theatre, KeyBank State Theatre, Mimi Ohio Theatre and Connor Palace.

"It will be thrilling for us to create a different audience experience, from intimate to grand, as we honor Playhouse Square’s past, which was built on cinema. We cannot wait for our future to begin!” Goodman added.