CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland International Film Festival is going back to where it all began for its 50th anniversary.
The festival announced this week that it will hold screenings at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights -- its original home -- in addition to Playhouse Square and the Cleveland State University School of Film & Media Arts, which will also join as a new venue in 2026.
"A return to the birthplace of CIFF for our 50th festival was a no-brainer for us," said CIFF Executive Director Hermione Malone in a statement. "Our founder and Cedar Lee owner Jon Forman, has been an incredible supporter of the festival over the years and this nod to our past is acknowledgement of that.
"Films will be programmed throughout the Festival at Cedar Lee, Playhouse Square and the CSU School of Film and Media Arts. We look forward to a continued partnership with all three organizations as we build on the strong foundation of the festival to create new programs throughout the coming year."
The Cedar Lee hosted CIFF from 1977 to 1991 before it moved to Tower City Cinemas. The festival relocated in 2022 to Playhouse Square, where attendance has averaged about 32,800.
The return to Cedar Lee was announced in a press release outlining the organization's "renewed vision" for the event. In it, Malone and new Director of Programming Paul Sloop wrote that they "look forward to rolling out new and improved components to the festival that respond to the feedback you've provided on how we can make the festival a better, more engaging experience for all -- starting with access."
That point of emphasis includes the return of second screenings for every film in the lineup, a feature eliminated when the festival downsized to Playhouse Square. The announcement also noted that the CIFF50 programming team is "now entirely composed of Clevelanders."
Sloop, who previously oversaw the festival's shorts program, succeeds former Artistic Director Mallory Martin, who resigned following CIFF49 amid a period of transition for the organization.
"We're excited to share more details with you over the coming weeks and months, highlighting the creativity of Clevelanders as we celebrate 50 years of exciting, global independent film," the statement continued. "This reinvention is not just for us -- it's for you."
The 2026 Cleveland International Film Festival is scheduled for April 9-18.