Film lovers in Northeast ohio have a packed agenda from Tuesday through Sunday. Three distinct festivals open their doors, while independent cinemas sprinkle the calendar with genre spotlights, classic revivals, and free community screenings. Whether you are drawn to hard-hitting documentaries, midnight-hour horror, or celebrated classics, the region’s venues are buzzing with options.
Documentary and cultural festivals dominate the early week
The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival begins its 17th annual edition this Tuesday and runs through Sunday. Seventy-five films representing 31 countries will screen, including local works such as “The Bulldogs” a close-up of East Palestine, Ohio, after the 2023 train derailment, and “Lagerland” which chronicles Cleveland’s brewing heritage. The lineup also features “Micronations” exploring DIY monarchies, and “Tina’s At The End Of The World” a portrait of a Gordon Square karaoke bar—produced in part by the article’s author. Full schedules and tickets are posted at the festival’s website.
Celebrating two decades of storytelling, the Cleveland Jewish Film Festival launches Thursday and runs until Oct. 18. The event will showcase a slate of feature films and two short-program blocks at the Cedar Lee Theatre, the Cleveland Cinematheque, and the Mandel Jewish Community Center. Audiences can expect a mix of contemporary Jewish narratives and classic works, with ticket information available through the Mandel JCC site.
Horror, genre, and short-form showcases light up the weekend
Akron’s horror community steps into the spotlight Saturday with the third edition of the Akron Independent Horror Short Film Festival presented by Killer Video. Held at the historic Akron Civic Theatre (182 S. Main Street, Akron 44308), the program offers three hours of bite-size terror. Meanwhile, The Nightlight Cinema in Akron adds its own flavor, opening the documentary “You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited The Comedy Revolution” which features Martin Short and Eugene Levy discussing the sketch-show lineage that birthed SCTV and SNL.
Other genre-focused events include a Thursday 6:50 p.m. screening at the Cleveland Cinematheque of the acclaimed film “Filipiñana” a teen-driven thriller set in a country-club doctor’s office, followed by the 8:50 p.m. “Speak of the Devil” slot featuring Indonesia’s 1980 horror “Satan’s Slave”. Friday night the Cinematheque revisits the French drama “Colours of Time” while Saturday 7:10 p.m. presents the true-crime documentary “Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders” with filmmaker Jeffery Schwarz joining virtually for a Q&A.
Special one-off screenings and classic revivals
This Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the free Ohio Goes To The Movies series screens “Kill The Irishman” at Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore 7 (22624 Lakeshore Blvd, Euclid). The biopic follows Cleveland mob enforcer Danny Greene, starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Christopher Walken. Later in the week, the Cleveland Cinematheque’s “Sundays With Shearer” program presents the 1931 classic “A Free Soul” at 3 p.m., followed by a 40th-anniversary showing of the documentary “Sherman’s March” at 5 p.m., and the Gogol Bordello portrait “Scream Of My Blood” at 8 p.m.
Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy masterpiece “Pan’s Labyrinth” receives a 20th-anniversary 4K restoration at The Nightlight Cinema, while Greg Sestero will appear in person for a live Q&A and merchandise sale during Saturday’s 7 p.m. showing of Tommy Wiseau’s cult classic “The Room!” at the Capitol Theatre (1390 W. 65th St, Cleveland). Additional screenings include Case Western’s 35 mm presentation of “Cars 2” and “Pitch Perfect 3” as well as double-feature horror nights at Canton’s Palace Theatre featuring Stephen King adaptations and Hitchcock staples. All event details, ticket links, and timing are available on the respective venue websites.
