48th Cleveland International Film Festival preview: Come hang out

Mar. 29—Truthfully, we weren't expecting tears when we asked Marcie Goodman how she was doing emotionally.

"Fine, thank you," the director of the Cleveland International Film Festival says with a laugh during a recent phone interview. "(At this time), we all just put our heads down and keep working, so nothing has actually hit home yet.

"We're doing a festival, so it's all good."

OK, sure, but this isn't just any festival for Goodman. Set to run April 3 through 13 at Playhouse Square, the 48th Cleveland International Festival, aka CIFF48, will be Goodman's last at the helm.

Aside from a hiatus from 1994 to '97, Goodman has been with the Ohio City-based nonprofit that puts on the annual celebration of cinema since 1987 and has led it since 2001, when she became the organization's third executive director in what is now a nearly 50-year-old history.

With Goodman having just turned 69 and the festival approaching the big 5-0, she says it made sense to step away this year, which she'll do at the end of June.

"There's going to be a lot to celebrate, of course, turning 50," she says. "I think the organization will be looking back a bit, but I think it's way, way, way more of an opportunity to look forward. And so to have somebody in place now and give them a couple of years to get ready to look forward seemed like the right time for the organization, for me, for whoever gets my job?

OK, but she had to be tempted to stick around for the big one, right?

"I think a lot of people made that assumption but no," she says, laughing again. I think change is good, and a new leader as we go into our 50th (festival) is good for everybody. So no, I wasn't tempted."

Slated to feature 137 feature films and 225 shorts, according to a news release, CIFF48 has adopted the theme "in the Glow," chosen in collaboration with Cleveland-based graphic design firm Type Twenty Seven, which created its visual representation.

"I love everything about it," Goodman says. "We knew that we wanted to reference the eclipse — we'll never have a total solar eclipse in our history again, probably.

"And 'In the Glow' addresses that, and it addresses the festival will be in the glow of everything that's happening in our community this year during the festival, which is extraordinary."

She isn't kidding. Along with the eclipse on April 8, downtown Cleveland will see folks come in for the Guardians home opener and other games, a couple of Cavaliers contests and the NCAA Women's Final Four basketball games.

"There's just SO much happening," she says.

Speaking of the eclipse, which will take place shortly after 3 p.m. April 8, the CIFF folks are leaning into the celestial happening, not scheduling films at Playhouse Square that day until about 5 p.m. AND screening an outlier if there ever was a CIFF outlier, 2010's "Twilight Saga: Eclipse," at 6 p.m. that day.

The plan is for the staff and volunteers to report to Playhouse Square earlier in the day for lunch and to experience the eclipse as a collective, Goodman says.

This is CIFF's third year at Playhouse Square after what was to have been its final year at Tower City Cinemas, 2020, was scrapped as COVID-19 was gaining a foothold in the country.

Is much being tweaked for Year Three?

"I mean, we always tweak," she says. "We did that for 29 years at Tower City; we tweaked every single year. We never stop trying to make things better."

At a recent staff meeting, she says, they went over what will be moved around for CIFF48, including aspects that do not affect attendees, such as theater operations.

"The change we made last year: We purposely did not use the Connor Palace because we wanted to contain our footprint and give people that film-festival feeling again, hopefully," Goodman says. "I think we were successful, but because we were down one theater, (a lot of films were given) one screening only, and that's really hard for our audience. So this year we're using the Connor again the entire festival; we might feel a bit more spread out but ... more films will be screened two times."

Between the move and the pandemic, it certainly seems fair to say it's been a challenging time for the festival. In 2019, which proved to be the final year at Tower City, the organization reported an attendance of more than 105,000. Goodman says last year's hybrid festival had an in-person attendance of about 34,000, with another roughly 42,000 watching at home during the subsequent CIFF47 Streams.

"I think the greatest context is, of course, the pandemic, and one of the outcomes of the pandemic is the change in viewing habits. We're part of the film industry, and that's what this industry is up against more than anything — it's so easy to stay home. The challenge for movie theaters, for film festivals, for all of us, is how to get people off the couch.

"What film festivals have going for them is our content," she continues. "Our programming, for the most part, you won't be able to see anywhere else. And we have the filmmakers here; and, of course, that's what makes a film festival a film festival — we have the artists with us.

"But it is challenging."

Are we looking at a new normal?

"I don't know," Goodman says. "I think it's too early to tell because, again, we've only been back in person for going on three years. I mean, I guess we're all going to find out together, but we're doing everything we can obviously to compel people to join us in person.

"We're happy to stream, and that's great. But, in my opinion, film festivals are supposed to be in person, and you're supposed to see a movie on a big screen — as they're meant to be shown — and you're supposed to see it with other people, and you're supposed to talk about it afterwards.

"We're certainly giving people that opportunity," she adds. "You know, we'll never give up — just going to keep trying."

The hybrid formula remains in place, with CIFF48 Streams set for April 14 through 21. Most of the short films from the in-person fest will be available to nibble on a home but only about half of the features.

"The content online is out of our control because (it's determined by) what the filmmakers and distributors say 'OK' to," Goodman says. "I think we're landing on permission for about 50 percent. And the previous two years we were more like 60 percent, so feature permission seems to be going down, and it's only because, like us, distributors and filmmakers — they want theatrical. They want people to show up in person."

Goodman isn't the person to ask about which films to see — unlike CIFF Artistic Director Mallory Martin, she isn't spending her year at other film festivals, instead working throughout the year to raise funds and the like — but she has seen a few CIFF entries.

Among them is the opening-night film, "Thelma," starring June Squibb — an Academy Award nominee for 2013's "Nebraska," which is "wonderful and delightful and feel-good," Goodman says.

"And to think that June Squibb is in her early 90s and this is her first leading role in her career — that's just mind-boggling."

She also notes the "Thelma" is "bittersweet," as it boasts the final performance of "Shaft" star Richard Roundtree, who died in October.

She also talked up the film's Centerpiece film, "Shari & Lamb Chop," which will be screened at 7:30 p.m. April 9 at the Connor Palace. The documentary focuses on Shari Lewis, known for performing with the Lamb Chop puppet on the childrens' show "Captain Kangaroo."

Goodman hasn't seen the closing-night film, "Devo," a documentary about the famed Akron band of that name.

CIFF also will show a documentary about a more recently famous Akron rock act, the helpfully titled "This Is a Film About The Black Keys."

And if you want more Northeast Ohio-related content, check out the movies in the fest's Local Heroes Competition.

Cleveland International Film Festival queues up Local Heroes Competition

Turning our attention back to the fest's future, is Goodman involved in the search for her successor?

"No, I'm not part of it, which is so fantastic!" she says. "Like, finally, something is going on around here that I have nothing to do with! Like, what an amazing invention!

She says after the announcement of her pending departure was made in early August, the "amazing" board created a search committee and hired a search film.

"They're doing their thing. They're getting close."

OK, one last question, and it's the potentially dreaded "legacy" one.

"I don't think of (my legacy), but I do think of the legacy of the organization," Goodman says. "I love talking about the ripple effect of the film festival and the impact that our films and our filmmakers and our community partners and our audience among themselves — that they have on one another, most of which we will never, ever, ever know about. But we know it happens endlessly.

"And I just love that — that the ripple effect of the film festival, no matter what, will never end."

48th Cleveland International Film Festival

When: April 3 through 13.

Where: Playhouse Square.

Tickets: Individual screenings are $16 for CIFF members and $18 for non-members.

CIFF48 Streams: April 14 through 21; movies are $12 for CIFF members and $14 for non-members.

Info: ClevelandFilm.org; 877-304-FILM.