Like many of you, I enjoyed the energy and diverse offerings of the recent Cleveland International Film Festival. It was great to see familiar faces throughout the long week and engage in conversation on what we viewed. I was also pleased to see you attending Cinematheque films during that busy time.
If we didn’t have a chance to connect at the festival, I’d still love to hear your takes on the lineup. What films left an impression on you? What resonated with you and why? And importantly, are there any titles that you think we should bring back so that a wider audience can see them? As I was not able to see every title due to scheduling conflicts, your perspectives will help me shape our upcoming programs.
For May and June, I’d like to highlight two special screenings that are happening in partnership with fellow arts organizations that make this time of year a delight for arts and culture fans. On May 17, we’ll be joining The Cleveland Orchestra’s Mandel Opera and Humanities Festival under the theme of “Reconciliation” with a 35mm screening of Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), a film that beautifully explores this concept and serves as a nod to the legacy of the great Gene Hackman. Later, on June 7, in collaboration with ChamberFest Cleveland and under their “Lost & Found” theme, we’ll present Stanley Kramer’s fast and furious Technicolor comedy epic It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), a crazy pursuit of the lost treasure of a suitcase full of stolen cash.
And don’t miss our series, Blueprints for Subversion – a kind of follow up to our Jan-Feb series Iron Shadows – that brings together three landmark films that offer radical visions of resistance against entrenched power structures. Whether by detailing meticulously planned urban insurgency (The Spook Who Sat By The Door), calling for anarchic street-level rebellion (Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets, with a restoration DCP coming all the way from Japan), or imagining collective feminist resistance in post-revolutionary times (Born in Flames – including a post-screening discussion with author and film critic Marya E. Gates, who recently published Cinema Her Way), the series presents a unique, confrontational strategy—a blueprint—for challenging the status quo and daring to imagine revolutionary alternatives born from disillusionment and struggle.
However, as we gear up for more cinematic fun (such as the new 4K restoration screenings of Jaws exclusively for repertory theaters in May for its 50th anniversary), it’s impossible to ignore some concerning developments within the broader film landscape. News recently broke regarding significant shifts in funding priorities at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which has announced the termination of funding for numerous previously approved grants, including those for documentary filmmakers and local arts organizations, citing a “repurposing of its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the president’s agenda.” This follows the National Endowment of Art’s (NEA) cancellation of the 2026 Challenge America grant, which was intended to support historically underserved communities, and further changes to their Grants for Arts Projects criteria, which already had its effects for current grantees. These developments, coupled with the already precarious state of the documentary market and the anticipated cuts to NPR, paint a challenging picture. Brian Newman, a respected industry veteran, recently shared his observations from CPH:DOX, highlighting how films tackling important and potentially controversial subjects, as well as those who take artistic risk, might now only be produced outside the US and may struggle to reach American audiences. The cancellation of NEH grants, a vital source of support for documentary filmmaking and cultural preservation, underscores the serious nature of these shifts.
Despite all, the Cinematheque remains deeply committed to bringing you a diverse and compelling program of films as we are dedicated to our mission of fostering a vibrant cinematic culture in our community. Thank you for your continued support, and see you at the movies.
Bilgesu Sisman, Director of Cinematheque