Cindependent Film Festival

About Cindependent: This is it! You made it! Welcome to the Cindependent Film Festival: Cincinnati’s home for independent film. We’ve got short films, features, live screenplay readings, masterclasses, after-parties, and more at beautiful Memorial Hall! We celebrate stories from around the area, around the country, and around the world. This year’s festival also features a free booth for headshots and a speed networking event. You’ll see movies, meet people, make connections, and have the time of your life!

Admission Options
$29 Day Pass: One day of access to morning Coffee Chat, Screenplay Speakeasy, Masterclasses, and all film screenings*
$44 Fest Pass: Two-day access to morning Coffee Chat, Screenplay Speakeasy, Masterclasses, and all film screenings*
$79 VIP: Official Festival Lanyard and Swag Bag, daily lunch, access to the VIP Filmmaker Lounge, two-day access to morning Coffee Chat, Screenplay Speakeasy, Masterclasses, all film screenings*, and parties/networking events
$100 VIP Box: Private box seating (limited quantity), Official Festival Lanyard and Swag Bag, daily lunch, access to the VIP Filmmaker Lounge, two-day access to morning Coffee Chat, Screenplay Speakeasy, Masterclasses, and all film screenings*, and parties/networking events

*seat selection required

Day 1

Welcome to the start of the 2023 Cindependent Film Festival!

We have a whole day of films, screenplay readings, and more:

Films
10am:   International Block: Join us for this one-of-a-kind selection of films curated by the Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies. To be finalized in mid-September

1pm:     At a Crossroads: Big moments, critical junctures, these stories are about that moment of making a life-changing decision and everything that brings, whether we see them coming or not!
– Dialectical
– Clara
– When the Man Comes Around
– My Youth
– Choices
– Falling Up

3pm:     Where Are We, Who Are We: Eight shorts that offer an unflinching look at conflict, global crises, and social divides
– The Violinist
– O Brave New World
– Hidden
– Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
– Attrition
– Echoing, It Doesn’t Stop
– Any Other Time
– Persons Set Apart

7pm:     Opening Night Shorts: *Formal attire*
Celebrating local talent! Short films from around the Cincinnati Tri-State area and Ohio
– Night Café
– Heroic
– Landline
– Lejania
– Life in Tandem
– We Want A
– Fresh

Screenplay Reads
10am:   Nixin’ Nixon, Medicine Show Blues, The Pickleball Killer, Pop!, Badger, Enter the Genesis

1pm:     Lost Equinox, Room Service, Is This Thing On?, Boneyfiddle, Tony’s Swing

3pm:     Parry, Stranded, Darling It’s Better, The Deal

Day 2

The Cindependent Film Festival rolls on!

More movies, more screenplay reads, more conversations, more connections:

Films
9am:      Golden Lion Film Awards: Celebrating the talent of local student filmmakers! The short films in this block are being determined by Golden Lion adjudicators

1pm:     Growing Together: Charming tales about the joys and surprises in life that the whole family can enjoy all together!
– City Bird
– A Fable for Four Voices
– Believe in Wonder
– In These Times
– Peculiar and Strange
– Suzzanne
– Brown Sugar
– The Orchestra Chuck Built

3pm:     Now’s Your Time to Shine – Feature Film Block: Stories about coming of age and finding oneself all with a performance backdrop, all leading up to our feature comedy “Booked”
– Break
– Showrunner
– Booked – Feature Film

5pm:     The Mysteries of Love: You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love with this block of heartwarming and life-affirming stories of attraction and [sometimes missed] connection
– Summer Eclipse
– Archive & The Storyteller
– I Didn’t Mean to Say I Love You
– Rage Against the Teen
– Aisle 5
– Sheltered

7pm:     In Too Deep – Feature Film Block: Unravel the mystery with this short and feature film about the allure of crime, and the drive to do the right thing
– Curiosity
– Citizen Sleuth – Feature Film

7pm:     Off-Kilter Happy Hour: It’s party time! This collection of shorts shines a light on the wild and fun stories living it up in the back of every filmmaker’s mind. Perfect for a Saturday night!
– Who’s Annie
– Goodbye Tallahssee
– Rentals
– Beat
– Queen of the Night
– Census
– Hunger Pang
– Smoke and Suds
– Resonance

Screenplay Reads
10am:   Fibby, Honed, Rhino Rickey’s Fantastical Bowl-a-Rama, Demon, Heart String Theory, Hazel the Viking

1pm:     Buckhorn Academy, The Roar, An Unwelcome Time, Clowntown, Confidential, People in a Box

3pm:     A Grave Mistake, ReView, La Casita, Abyssus