MXO ‘The Arts Unplugged:’ Submissions Are Open For Next Year’s Inaugural Cleveland Kid’s Film Fest!

CoolCleveland.com, Posted October 22nd 2021

Organizers Eric & Hortencia Swinderman, Andrew Gordon, and Lee McLaughlin have just announced the debut of the Cleveland Kids International Film Festival (to be held February 4-6 next year). It will be held in person, COVID  permitting.

The springboard for the festival is Lakewood’s Young Filmmakers Academy, which Eric founded in 2017, to teach kids filmmaking skills.

“As our organization grows and our kids keep coming back, the films keep getting better,” he says. “They’re getting accepted into multiple film festivals and even winning Best Picture at the 2020 International KidsNFilm Festival. The academy is a place where kids from all walks of life can come together in the spirit of camaraderie and diversity to learn the craft of filmmaking from acclaimed industry professionals.”

The Cleveland International Kids Film Festival will offer an additional opportunity for these young filmmakers, as well as young filmmakers from around the world, to showcase their work to a wider audience. Giselle Eisenberg from ABC’s American Housewife and CBS’ Life in Pieces is this year’s juror. Both adult and kid jurors will rate the finalists with winners announced on the festival’s final day.

Filmmakers ages 7-17 are eligible to submit a film for a fee of $25 for each short and $35 for each feature film. (Filmmakers may submit multiple entries). More detailed submission requirements can be found here.

Submission deadline is December 31, 2021.