CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - For the past 10 years volunteers and staff with the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival gathered compelling, quirky and entertaining films from around the world to present to Chagrin Valley viewers in a variety of in-person venues. This year, Oct. 6-11, CDFF is bringing the same level of quality films to your living room or wherever you watch streaming video.
The festival includes 101 films from 32 countries, including topics such as the environment, the human spirit. The fest opens with “Playing with Fire,” featuring the Cleveland-based Grammy Award winner Jeannette Sorrell and her passion for classical music
How do you uphold an 11-year tradition of presenting a full-scale international film festival during a global pandemic when people cannot gather safely into theater venues? This year’s Chagrin Documentary Film Festival has gone virtual and can be viewed from the comfort of your home.
Additionally, for those wanting the larger-than-life big screen experience, two outdoor venues are offered. An adapted drive-in location gives viewers the opportunity to sit in their cars to view selected films. Families can bring chairs or a blanket at noon and at 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday to Riverside Park to watch a selection of free documentary shorts on an LED screen. This free venue is also offered Sat. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday during the festival.
The at-home video streaming option gives patrons the flexibility to screen the films on demand to fit their schedules, as opposed to past years when they choose a film based on when they could slip away to a theater or screening location in a church, school or large meeting room. Some of the in-person charm of meeting independent film makers will be missing, but potentially viewers will be able to watch more films than they could in previous years. On-demand viewers can experience videos of filmmaker panels and interviews from all over the world.
The opening night film will be Playing with Fire – Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting, a film about Cleveland-based, Grammy-winner Jeannette Sorrell and her passion for classical music. This documentary gives the audience a look behind the curtain at Sorrell’s drive and vision as she launches the successful Baroque orchestra Apollo’s Fire after overcoming obstacles, which is very relatable to CDFF’s founder and director Mary Ann Ponce. After her son’s death in 2006 from cancer at 20 years old, Ponce took on the task of finishing a documentary film the aspiring young filmmaker was working on. That experience included taking the finished work to various film festivals, which sparked her drive to create a festival here.
Despite the global pandemic, sitting this year out was not viewed as an option for Ponce and the CDFF organizers, who see the festival as a much-needed break from current events and politics. With that said, fans of the lively panel discussions and behind the scenes talks with filmmakers will not be disappointed.
Some of the countries represented among this year’s films and filmmakers include: US, Hungary, Ireland, China, Mexico, Canada, Jordan, Costa Rica, Japan, UK, Israel, India, Iceland, Lebanon, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy and Azerbaijan.
“We had to pivot plans to accommodate this new normal,” explains Ponce. We believe in the power of documentary film to bring us together and to get us thinking and communicating with each other, even if it’s virtually. And right now, film’s superpower is to connect us on a deeper level as a community to experience some great films."
Storybook Lane event: Children’s book author and Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce director, Molly Gebler is hosting a drive-through event noon, Sunday, Oct. 4 in South Russell to celebrate the launch of her new book Shuttys. Gebler’s series of five books highlight local scenes, traditions and characters. Shuttys focuses on the Chagrin Hardware store. During her drive-through event your child can write their own story to the pictures posted on “Story Book Lane,” then they receive a link to their online book they can share with others. For costs and to register visit apieceofmollysmindcom.
To post your news and events, contact Rusek at jcooperrusek@gmail.com.
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