As the spread of COVID-19 continues to affect the globe, many events have had to be postponed, canceled or closed to stop the spread. This includes the Cleveland International Film Festival, originally scheduled to run from March 25, 2020 to April 5, 2020. Instead of projecting the films in theaters, the movies set to be shown will be available for streaming as part of a new program called CIFF Streams.

The cancellation was the city’s decision announced during Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s press conference. The festival planned to show hundreds of movies from dozens of foreign countries with Tower City Cinemas in downtown being the main theater playing these films for the last time. Next year the festival plans to move to Playhouse Square.

Marcie Goodman, the executive director of the festival, told cleveland.com she estimated more than 100,000 people would have attended with 95 percent of that audience being Ohioans. Because dozens of sponsors support the event and the attendance helps local business, the economic ramifications of the cancellation have yet to be sorted out.

Costs spent in preparation of the event will now be lost, according to Patrick Shepherd, the associate director of the festival.

“We are heartbroken that, as a Film Festival Family, we will not have the opportunity to experience CIFF 44’s amazing films and talented filmmakers," Shepherd said. "Substantial income has been lost because of our costs being spent in advance, but we know that we are grateful that our Film Festival Family of members, sponsors, funders, volunteers and supporters will help us to continue our mission of film exhibition and education.”

 CIFF Streams became available on April 15, 2020 and will run until April 28. This will allow people to stream many of the selected films for $8 each, where they will be given special screening tickets at home. In addition to the films, the program will feature CIFF Speaks, a podcast featuring hosts Dee Perry and Aaron Spears as they discuss film and all things CIFF-related. The streaming service will be available to access through the Cleveland International Film Festival’s official website at clevelandfilm.org.

The festival began in 1977 and has been a regular at the Tower City Cinema since 1991. In recent years, the festival has presented films that address social issues, such as feminism, LGBTQ rights and environmentalism.

“It definitely is unfortunate that the festival is canceled,” said Andrew Sperhac, a film student at Cleveland State University, “but it’s the best option to prevent circumstances from getting any worse.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie industry could lose up to $20 billion as a result of the virus. Many films have had to cancel or postpone their release dates. Theater chains, like AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas, have closed their doors, leading many studios to release their films on digital streaming platforms.

Though the festival has been canceled this year, the 45th Cleveland International Film Festival will take place from April 7 to April 18, 2021.

CIFF Streams URL: https://www.clevelandfilm.org/ciffstreams