At the Movies

If it’s March, it must be time for March Madness, Shamrock Shakes, and the Cleveland International Film Festival. I’m headed up to the Festival today to see a film called Ingredients. But the film one sees is almost irrelevant to the pleasures of the festival, I’ve found. Of course, I’ve seen great films over the years—ones that stick with me that happen to be so obscure I’ve never heard of them again (Lamb) and ones that prove to be enduring experiences that shape my work and my art (the Up series of documentaries that have followed the same protagonists since 1964). But I think what keeps many of the 60,000 people who attend this festival coming back is the “social network” that develops around it. I know I’ve been seeing some of the same people in attendance at this for the 20 years I’ve been going—people I only see once a year. I don’t even know their names, but I recognize them as we reconnect standing in line or fighting over the last t-shirt. Of course, you can now follow CIFF on Facebook and Twitter. And there is a CIFF blog. But I’m hoping to see you there, at the movies.