Some comedians coming through the Hilarities 4th Street Theatre have quipped that Clevelanders are the only people in the nation who love to wear shirts boasting their city’s name.
That probably helps to explain the popularity of the Local Heroes Competition of the Cleveland International Film Festival, the 48th incarnation of which runs April 3 through 13 at Playhouse Square.
“Clevelanders just love local stories,” said Patrick Shepherd, Cleveland International Film Festival associate director. “We love to elevate the stories of people from Cleveland and from the Northeast Ohio region. They are often the most sought-after films in the festival.”
This year’s Local Heroes Competition — featuring films made about Ohio, in Ohio or by Ohioans — boasts more than a half-dozen Ohio-related movies with filmmakers vying for a $7,500 cash prize.
“We have a robust Local Heroes competition once again this year,” he said. “Some highlights are ‘American Delivery,’ which is also in our Global Health Competition.
“It’s about maternal care and birthing babies, particularly as it relates to MetroHealth, which is prominently featured. ‘American Delivery’ is going to be a great interest.”
Another film with a warm heart is the Northeast Ohio-centered “What’s Next?”
“That’s about Dr. Howard Tucker, who is more than 100 years old,” he said. “Dr. Tucker has the Guinness World Record for being the oldest practicing doctor.
“He’s from here in Cleveland, so we’re hoping Dr. Tucker will be able to join us for the ‘What’s Next?’ screening.”
Shepherd also pointed to “Trust in Black and White.”
“This is about (Northeast Ohio-based psychologist) Debbie Plumber and her work,” he said. “It’s a bridging-and-bonding conversation between white and Black women that we think will have great local interest.
“And then there’s ‘False Positive.’ It’s about an Akron man who — wrongly accused of taking steroids — has to overcome adversity.”
The Local Heroes Competition consist of “American Delivery” (7:30 p.m. April 6, 9:45 a.m. April 7), “False Positive” (4:55 p.m. April 6, 2:20 p.m. April 11), “ROUGE” (2:20 p.m. April 6, 9:40 a.m. April 7), “Sofa, So Good” (7:25 p.m. April 9, 12:10 p.m. April 10), “Trust in Black and White” (4:50 p.m. April 9, 2:35 p.m. April 10), “Unspoken” (12:15 p.m. April 7), “What’s Next?” (2:20 p.m. April 7, 2:25 p.m. April 9) and “Yaniv” (5 p.m. April 10).
Shepherd noted a few CIFF films that aren’t part of the Local Heroes Competition but have ties to Akron. They include “This Is a Film About the Black Keys” (7:35 p.m. April 5) and closing-night film “Devo” (7:30 p.m. April 13).
For more information on screening dates, visit clevelandfilm.org/festival/awards-competitions.
