Cleveland International Film Festival a big hit; "One Bad Cat" is audience favorite

by Clint O'Connor/Plain Dealer Reporter

Monday March 17, 2008, 7:37 AM

"One Bad Cat," about the late Cleveland artist the Rev. Albert Wagner, won the Cleveland Magazine Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film.

Despite a busted water main on opening day and a blizzard-blown opening weekend, the 32nd Cleveland International Film Festival was a smash. The 11-day festival wrapped Sunday night at Tower City Cinemas after screening more than 130 films and 160 shorts from 59 countries. But it was a Cleveland story that was No. 1 with audiences.

"One Bad Cat," about the late Cleveland artist the Rev. Albert Wagner, won the Cleveland Magazine Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film. The documentary was shot in Cleveland by director Thomas G. Miller.

More than 8,700 people attended films Saturday, the biggest day in festival history. Organizers said total attendance was 52,100, about 650 shy of last year's record high. Executive Director Marcie Goodman said the festival took a hit during the snowstorm but broke previous one-day attendance marks every day this past week.

The Central and Eastern European Film Competition was won by "Travelling with Pets," from Russia, which includes a $10,000 prize for director Vera Storozheva. The Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition, and a $5,000 prize, went to "Iron Ladies of Liberia" (U.S.-Liberia) and its directors Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson.

Other award winners announced Sunday night

American Independent: "Under the Same Moon."

Nesnadny and Schwartz Documentary Film Competition: "Out of Time," from Austria.

Cleveland State University Audience Choice Award for Best Short: "Conviction: The True Story of Clarence Elkins." (U.S.)

Best Documentary Short Film: "The Tribe." (U.S.)

Best Ohio Short Film: "Make A Wish."

Other fan favorites this year included the French comedy "Priceless," the Mongolian epic "Mongol" and the Danish teacher-from-outer-space film "The Substitute," which sold out several screenings and was the last to roll Sunday night.

Asked to explain the latter movie's success, festival artistic director Bill Guentzler gave a simple answer. "It's fun," he said. "It's just a lot of fun." It also arms schoolchildren everywhere with excellent speculative fodder: Your substitute might be an alien.

The 33rd film festival is scheduled for March 2009.