Shaker Square Cinemas is host venue

The Greater Cleveland Film Festival (GCUFF) will hold its 12th film festival September 14-22 at Atlas Cinema Shaker Square located at 13116 Shaker Square [44120]. Guests will be able to view animation, documentaries, narrative, shorts, and a variety of other genres. There will also be workshops, panel discussions, and community events during the morning, afternoon, and evenings.

This year’s theme is Afrofuturism, which is what you get when you get mix science and technology with the African diaspora or “a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens,” according to Ingrid LaFleur, a globally recognized curator, and Afrofuturist.    

GCUFF will kick off with the opening night film, “Mississippi Christmas” about a matriarch who must find a way to bring her daughters together when they come home for Christmas. Starring in the film are Darrin Henson, Christina Kara, Valarie Pettiford, Clifton Powell, Anthony Dalton II, Teri J. Vaugh, Kia Walker, and Sir Brodie.

The film will be shown during the September 13 opening night reception at One Cleveland Center, 1375 East Ninth St [44114] from 6-9p. The after party will be at Sausalito’s located at 1360 East 9th Street from 9:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at evenbrite.com/e/gcuff-film-festival-opening-night.

The schedule of film showings and events can be viewed at gcuff.org/festival_1/program-guide. Individual tickets and passes can be purchased at gcuff.org/passes-tickets. Pass options include:

  • $350 - $250 VIP Producer Pass
  • $200 - $150 Director Pass
  • $150 - $100 Film Lover Pass
  • $125 - $100 Virtual Screening Pass
  • $100 - $75 Student Pass

This year’s festival will also include a podcast competition and a pitch competition. The podcast finalists include: Strategic Moves with Kenn Dowell, The Love Offering Talk Show & Social Gathering, The Curious Ear, Public Opinion with Pam and Vanett, and Conversations in Courage with Imani Capri.

The pitch competition will provide contestants the opportunity to pitch a film or television production to an industry executive for a chance at a distribution or development. Contestants will get “invaluable, tailored feedback from a panel of esteemed judges who represent diverse markets,” according to GCUFF’s website. “The winner will be flown to Washington D.C. to have lunch and a discussion with an industry executive for a one-on-one masterclass on what it takes to bring their idea to screens worldwide.”

The closing night film “216 Legends of the Land” is a Cleveland Hip-Hop documentary that examines the people, places, and things that helped evolve the city’s hip-hop culture that led to Bone Thugs N Harmony’s stardo. The film will be shown September 22 at 6:30p during the closing night reception at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in collaboration with Nerve DJs. There will be free appetizers, a cash bar, and a talk back.

You can watch GCUFF videos on what filmgoers can expect, the student initiatives, how GCUFF is preparing the next generation of filmmakers, and a conversation with founder, Alton Tinker at gcuff.org/home.

GCUFF was established in 2012 as a non-profit organization dedicated to celebration, preservation, promotion, and advancement of African American arts, culture, and cinema. The organization provides a platform for independent filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors to tell “our stories.” Learn more about GCUFF and the 2023 festival by visiting their social media: https://www.facebook.com/gcuffcleveland, https://www.instagram.com/gcuffcleveland/, https://twitter.com/GCUFF, and https://www.clubhouse.com/house/gcuff-all-things-blk-film. 

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