Problem Solvers: Making An Impact in Greater Cleveland
Members of Design for America have found plenty to improve upon in and around University Circle. They helped the Ronald McDonald House organize its donations using spreadsheets, streamlined the recycling process at a campus café, and developed a pedometer that encourages the elderly to use their walkers.
But as the local studio begins its sixth year, DFA members say they’re ready to make a broader impact in Greater Cleveland. The volunteer group—made up of students from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art-- is extending a wide welcome to its campus showcase December 7. It’s hoping to attract more off-campus community groups and causes in need of change agents.
“We identify problems and try to design solutions,” said Jasmine Lee, the studio lead for the CWRU-CIA chapter of Design for America. “We bring students from diverse backgrounds to every project. We’re donating our time because we want to make an impact.”
The chapter numbers about 50 students from CWRU and CIA. Engineering students make up the largest cohort. But Lee, a senior majoring in biology and psychology, does not feel out of place. Her teammates are aspiring scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, business managers and industrial designers.
They share a belief in innovation and a willingness to help. Sometimes, that’s enough.
The grassroots network began in 2009 at Northwestern University, where students were challenged to use design thinking to solve real-world problems. DFA chapters, or studios, spread to dozens of other campuses and emerged at CWRU in 2012.
Lee was walking through the Spring Student Activity Fair her freshman year, she recalled, when someone from the DFA table called out to her. “What do you think about designing for social good?”
“I was hooked right way,” she said. “I’m a biology major. But I really wanted to be creative and help people. This club is perfect for me.”
On her first project, she and teammates cooked up a meal at the nearby Ronald McDonald House, then helped the non-profit better organize its donations and contributions. They set up an Excel spreadsheet on an iPad and showed staff how to use it.
“Sometimes it’s a simple solution,” Lee said, smiling humbly.
A more recent project tapped both design skill and empathy. A DFA team worked with staff from Medline Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, to address the problem of elderly persons not using their walkers as often as they should.
Working with a local focus group of seniors, the students identified a stigma issue.
“They don’t want to start using it until they see other people using it,” Lee said. “There’s a huge emotional component.”
The solution? The students devised a pedometer for walkers, a device that allows walker-users to count their steps, set goals, and engage in friendly competition.
They called their device the “Geri-active.” Medline has said it is pursuing a patent.
“We start small but think big,” Lee said.
Sunniva Collins, an associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the group’s advisor. She said the students are ready to tackle larger projects farther afield and that an upcoming showcase offers a great opportunity to see what student designers can do.
The Design Spotlight will showcase team projects and personal startups as it celebrates innovation beginning at 5:30 pm. Friday, December 7, at Sears think[box]. DFA is extending an invitation to alumni, student groups, community groups and non-profit organizations—anyone with a worthy cause and a problem to solve.
Learn more about the Design Spotlight, and partnering with DFA, at the event’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/events/247753606092828/
The 2nd Annual InterCLE, Connecting International Young Professionals
On September 8, 2018 Global Cleveland held the 2nd Annual InterCLE event, a grand welcome for international students and young professionals in the region. All in attendance had the opportunity to engage with community organizations and to network with fellow international students. This event was sponsored by WKYC Channel 3, Margaret W. Wong & Associates, Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, Knez Homes, and Buckeye Business Products.
For those who couldn't make it, here's what you missed:
Attendance: 200 plus students
Nations represented: Ghana, Mexico, China, Nigeria, India, France, Somalia, Japan, India, Italy, Venezuela and more!
International Food Samples: Aladdin's Eatery, Nate's Dei, LiWah, Siam Cafe, Crust Pizza and Kan Zaman
Employers and Community Organizations: 18 including Cleveland Recruiting, Cleveland International Fund, The International Youth Leadership Foundation, Destination Cleveland, CAMEO, ICC-WIN, Mexicanos in Cleveland, Besides C Plus Compass, Margaret Wong & Associates, Ariel Ventures, Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Speakers: Guest speaker Margaret W. Wong, born in Hong Kong spoke about her journey to Cleveland and success becoming an award-winning practicing immigration lawyer. Attendees also heard from our panelists of international students, recent graduates and young professionals about "Why I Came to Cleveland and Why I Stayed." Attendees participated in an interactive activity guided by Valdis Krebs "Connect on Your Similarities, Benefit From Your Differences"
To see pictures from the event visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2131389260267580&type=1&l=705d22b4a3
If you would like to participate in 2019, there will be a College Council created early 2019 with representatives from the region to assist in planning. There will also be opportunities for sponsorships and information tables. Universities can hang their banners. Law firms, banks, insurance agencies and civic organizations can display and explain their services to bright young people from around the world. Contact [email protected]
Jose Antonio Vargas joins Cleveland Public Library for Writers & Readers
Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, joins Cleveland Public Library for Writers & Readers on Saturday, Oct 13th. In his recent memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, Vargas personalizes the experiences of life as of an undocumented immigrant in America.
In 2011, Jose Antonio Vargas revealed his life as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in The New York Times Magazine, and he appeared a year later with other undocumented immigrants on the cover of Time Magazine in connection with a follow-up cover story that he wrote. As the political climate continues to fuel the storms around those in the United States without documentation, Vargas sparks conversation about both sides of this contentious issue. He produced and directed the feature film Documented as well as the MTV television special White People, which explored what it means to be young and white in an America of changing demographics. He is the founder and CEO of Define American, the nonprofit organization that uses the power of story to transcend politics and shifts the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America. His memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen (September 2018), promises to advance both his personal story and the larger conversation about American identity.
Register Here: https://cpl.org/eventsclasses/writers-readers/#vargas
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/15/648011874/dear-america-writes-a-pulitzer-winning-journalist-and-undocumented-immigrant
2018 International Life Changers Awards & Fundraising Dinner
Liberia Economic Development Initiative (LEDI) will host the 2018 International Life Changers Awards and Fundraising Dinner on Friday, October 26, 2018, at 5:30 PM at Cleveland State University Glasscock Family Ballroom, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. This celebration includes a dinner, silent auction, awards recognition, giveaways, live entertainment and so much more!
2018 LEDI International Life Changers Award Honorees:
Mrs. Nichelle McCall Browne, CEO, Bold Startups
Mr. Joe Cimperman, President, Global Cleveland
Mr. Kenneth J. Kovach, The Kenneth J. Kovach Company
Dr. Valerie J. McCall, Chief of Government and International Affairs
As LEDI's premiere event, this fundraiser will support the construction of modern public libraries and student scholarships in Liberia. Since 2007, LEDI has remained committed to providing life-changing programs to women and children in Liberia. We invite you to join us on this amazing journey as a supporter and vital partner, as we bring hope and literacy to Liberia – one child at a time, one book at a time, one library at a time!
For more information and tickets visit: https://ledifundraiser.yapsody.com/event/index/120411/2018-international-life-changers
Metrics Matter: Getting Our IQ (Immigrant Quotient) Up!
The New American Economy, an organization with whom Global Cleveland is proud to partner, recently produced a report detailing several measurements of cities across the United States and how well those cities welcome newcomers. A few facts first:
1. Studies like this are precisely essential now with the turmoil in policy due to our national government. While the typical human reaction is to retreat, this is the time when all of us need to do everything we can to convey the truth of newcomers’ power on our economy, communities, and regions.
2. This is the first effort like this and it is our hope that New American Economy builds on this monumental undertaking. Full disclosure, we have been huge fans of New American Economy since we met during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Along with Robert Frost, Chairman of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party and the national leadership from New American Economy (based out of New York City) Global Cleveland held several powerful forums around the vital importance of immigration, immigration reform and its impacts. We continue to work with New American Economy as we share values of inclusion, sound economic policy, community integration, and better legislation to expand the number of immigrants coming to America, and a means to make individuals participating in DACA/DREAMER programs to become permanent and full citizens of the United States.
3. The methodology is key. While I encourage you to look up this report yourself and see how Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Northeast Ohio stack up, there is a real method and metric to the research. It is important to understand all of it if we are to get the most value from the work.
There are a few clear paths to improvement: Policy inclusivity, socioeconomic job opportunities, and socioeconomic civic participation. In each of these categories, we achieved a score of 2 (or less) out of 5. There are 2 paths that show strength and must be reinforced and continued. For policy economic empowerment and socioeconomic livability, we scored the best we could, 5 out of 5. For all other categories we are in mid range. The headlines blared “Cleveland isn’t welcoming” and while I appreciate a juicy soundbite as much as the next reader, the truth is more serious, and the solutions more within our grasp and command, than one may initially surmise.
Needless to say we at Global Cleveland have a plan. We have already begun by deep diving into the report and its helpful ladders to climb. We also know that for what we are doing well we have to double down and not slip. We are in communication with New American Economy and true to our strong relationship they are helping us with best practices from other communities to make this report the map for our improvement that it is intended to be.
We know who we are as a community, and we know how much better we can be. We will be better, and we will need each and every person, we need you, to help us get there. Please read the New American Economy Cities Index and email me/text me/tweet me your thoughts: [email protected] ; 216-215-6765 ; or @joecimperman on Twitter.
Onward onward onward in and for this great place we call home, and a home with more seats around our dining room table for all who would come as we prepare to break bread.
Guest Blog: Windows to the World
Growing up as a Croatian-American, I have had the privilege to have my life enriched with culture in every way it can. However, living in the Cleveland area, it isn’t difficult to get a taste for the world right in our city. Between the hundreds of restaurants represented by a variety of nations, to the cultural gardens, and festivals and fairs year-round, it’s easy to experience different places close to home.
Something that adds a special touch to learning about any culture would definitely be having a working understanding of the language. Being able to speak Croatian shaped my whole life, and has played into all kinds of aspects. For example, my decision to study Spanish in high school and now minor in college and have a major in International Business was rooted in my ability to speak Croatian. The more languages you know, the easier it gets to learn even more. My ability to speak Spanish has led me to start learning Italian, which I have noticed comes much more naturally, being a fourth language. My appreciation of other cultures led to my decision to study abroad. If you’re reading this and you are a college student, I can’t emphasize enough how beneficial studying abroad is. Regardless of what may be holding you back, I guarantee there is a solution to it. There are scholarships offered within universities and through outside programs for those worried about the financial aspects, and there are summer programs for those that are worried about fitting study abroad into a busy class schedule. There is no better way to understand a culture than by completely immersing yourself, living in a foreign country and learning the language by being surrounded by it.
The link below is to an article outlining several different language learning programs, including details such as price (some free or very low cost!) to the number of languages offered. If you have access to a computer, you have the ability to learn another language. It’s no longer a necessity to have a formal experience by sitting in a classroom. In addition to the programs listed in the article, there are other ways to learn new languages for free. Youtube has many multilingual users who post videos, many of which involving language lessons. Watching movies in foreign languages is a way to immerse yourself from the comfort of your own home. Or, challenging yourself to translate and read short stories or children’s books in another language also prompts results. While it takes dedication, the benefits of exposing yourself to new points of view is a life skill, and is guaranteed to enlighten.
“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.”
-Chinese Proverb
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381904,00.asp
By: Zeljana Opacak
How Advocates Can Advance Immigrant Workforce Issues At The State and Local Level
The National Skills Coalition released a new report that gives state and local advocates fresh ideas for advancing policies to improve immigrant access to workforce and adult education services. At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy: A Roadmap to Smart Policies for State and Local Leaders focuses on the fast-growing phenomenon of state Offices of New Americans and city Offices of Immigrant Affairs, and their intersection with public workforce and education agencies.
The report gives advocates practical examples of how state and local officials have invested in immigrant workers’ skills through programs and policies to date, and offers policy recommendations for how advocates can further advance immigrant workforce issues in their own communities. The report is relevant both for states and localities that have immigrant affairs offices, and those that do not.
Six states and 30 cities now have immigrant affairs offices, while more than 90 communities have launched “welcoming” initiatives, some of which are housed within municipal government. Skills issues are a notable and growing focus for many of these offices, both in response to constituent requests (e.g., for more English classes) and as a result of the overall direction and agenda set by the governor or mayor when establishing the office. Similarly, workforce issues are also on the radar screen for many local welcoming initiatives.
At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy includes select examples of policies advanced by immigrant affairs offices to support the education and workforce goals of state residents, and provides recommendations for those offices to further expand their efforts.
The report also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that state policymakers capitalize on immigrant affairs offices’ expertise as they design and meet overall workforce goals, such as the postsecondary attainment goals that 40 states have established. (National Skills Coalition previously published 10 state-specific fact sheets on the importance of investing in immigrant skill-building to meet the demand for middle-skill workers and help states meet their credential attainment goals. Links to each are available on the immigration page of NSC’s website.)
Among the recommendations included in the At the Intersection report:
• For established offices of immigrant affairs: 1) designing formal mechanisms for immigrant-affairs offices to participate in workforce and education policy decision making; 2) exploring how non-skills issues can be a gateway to foster connections with other public agencies; 3) capitalizing on the convening power of public agencies; and more.
• For newly created offices of immigrant affairs: 1) Consider housing the office within a labor, education, or economic development agency; 2) build inclusion of US-born community members in from the beginning; 3) rather than fighting for a programmatic budget, fight for a seat at the table and ability to be a creative policy entrepreneur; and more.
• For workforce and education agencies: 1) “Cross-fertilize” business leaders’ input on immigration and skills policy goals; 2) incorporate an immigrant lens into state and local workforce data policy; 3) ensure that immigrant-owned businesses are specifically included in education and workforce policy efforts; and more.
View the complete recommendations and an array of examples from Maryland to Michigan and beyond in the full At the Intersection of Immigration and Skills Policy report.
By Timothy Walden, Welcoming America
Meet Carl, Our Immigrant Community Organizer
Meet Carl
Carl is a Jesuit Volunteer who will be helping Global Cleveland lead its volunteer opportunity, Community Navigators. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 with a degree in history and a minor in Philosophy. He is a first-generation American and first-generation college student. Both of his parents are immigrants from Jamaica, who decided to make Brooklyn, NY their home. Carl also calls Brooklyn home but finds the small and close-knit community of Cleveland to be comforting and refreshing.
He firmly believes in the Jesuit tenants of Cura Personalis, caring for the whole person, and Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, to the greater glory of God. These two principles, learned at Georgetown University, ultimately led Carl to believe he needed to join the Volunteer Corps to further explore his faith and spirituality, while caring for marginalized individuals.
As a Jesuit Volunteer, Carl has committed to living simply, exploring his own spirituality, living in intentional community, and committing himself to social justice. As a member of our staff and Immigrant Community Organizer, Carl is charged with growing our Community Navigator’s program.
Who are Community Navigators
Community Navigators is a group of energetic community leaders seeking to raise awareness about opportunities for naturalization. This program helps community members understand their rights and pathways to naturalization. For those interested, training workshops are held once a month. Lessons covered in the trainings are, but not limited to, ‘immigration 101’ and ‘naturalization 101.’
Those who are trained, with the assistance of the Immigrant Community Organizer, will go out into their respective communities and hold workshops of their own to encourage eligible immigrants to begin the naturalization process. Community Navigators serves as a beacon of hope and a disseminator of information for immigrant communities. Below you will find the date for all of our trainings; If you would like to sign up please visit us at https://globalcleveland.org/about/volunteering/communitynavigators/
Oct 20
Nov 17
Jan 19
Feb 9
Apr 13
May 18
Jul 13
To Reunion
Reunion is the greatest power and attribute of love. The great Jesuit Pierre Tielhard de Chardin once said, “Everything in the universe everything is programmed and destined to come back to one.”
We have seen this challenged and affirmed in extreme measures these past weeks. The cries of children separated from their families on the border is enough to make even the hardest-hearted feel agony. Knowing that this is a person-made policy is even more confounding. These families seek reunion, and we must be mindful and fight for this raw and human pull. To disrupt this force is to hurt the family but also our nation and ourselves. These families coming over the border are not terrorists, they come in search for a better and safer life, similar to the millions who came over the centuries before us. An interesting occurrence happens again and again in the immigrant life in America. While people are coming here to survive, they end up making a life in which they will ultimately succeed and thrive. Where they work, build and cultivate community, they create a richness and fulfillment in their lives and the people around them. Mayor Jackson always says, “Always bet on the people society discards. In fact, you should double down. These people, these families never disappoint and they always give back twice what was given to them.”
These are people and families and workers who, in addition to reminding us of what our democratic foundation is intended to be, are helping to fill our ever-widening talent gap.
If we cannot open our hearts, can we be so isolationist and committed to our sure destruction to say no to people who make our economy grow? The people I know who work and fight in this space are all first drawn to the human stories, but then many of us continue to understand our national economic and security well-being that absolutely depends on how we invite the international newcomer into our community.
People often tell me, “what an interesting time to work in immigration.” They are not wrong, but the overwhelming conversation on immigrants, refugees, tariffs, talent gaps, solutions for American cities that are dropping in population all include embracing, supporting, welcoming people who were not born here. So, we cannot stop. In spite of the daily increasing height of the hurdle, making it more challenging for an international entrepreneur to call the US home, lessening the number of refugees we welcome to our communities by a 75% plus drop, not constructively and proactively dealing with legislation that could make our DACA/Dreamers nation builders permanent and safe. The harder and higher the hill, Global Cleveland will work that much more to keep doing the good work we do.
We work with advanced manufacturing companies like Buckeye Business Products, who took a chance and hired people who came to the Land as refugees. We work with schools like CWRU and their ever-growing international student community, thanks to David Fleshler and his dedicated team. We work with Nate Ward at CSU’s Global Business Center who speaks honestly about the power of international hiring and personnel investment. Our Cleveland and greater Cleveland communities are rewriting the narrative about how our economy can thrive by opening doors, welcoming immigrants and acknowledging the power behind our ancestral immigrants.
On September 8th, Global Cleveland will host the second annual InterCle to properly welcome and embrace the International Students in Cleveland. Last year we hoped for two-hundred students in our inaugural year and welcomed over five-hundred. Stay tuned for more details. On July 19th, Friends of Global Cleveland will be hosting its annual summer celebration at the Ukrainian Museum Archives. It’s a great celebration of all our international powerhouses in the Cleveland area and all are welcome to this event. We are also in the midst of planning an extraordinary, soon-to-be-announced, International City Connection Program where we will utilize the desire of our City and County to connect with economic development around the globe.
We won’t stop because Governor Kasich recently established the State of Ohio’s first Office of Opportunities for New Americans that understands the power of immigrant entrepreneurship. We won’t stop because the U.S. Citizen Naturalization ceremonies are showing a 20% increase in the number of people becoming registered U.S. citizens here in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. We won’t stop because we recognize the answer to our future’s questions are spoken in Spanish, Urdu, Chinese, Hindi, French, Swahili and hundreds of other languages that do not include English. We won’t stop because the cries of our children must be answered in a way that does not sponsor inhumane policy.
Here’s to reunion.
Joe Cimperman
Putting the “I” in the CIFF
The 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival ran this year from April 4 - 15. During that time, more than 105,000 enthusiastic attendees made their way to Tower City Cinemas to see what the fuss was all about. Here are some stats:
216 feature films
253 short films
72 countries of origin
400 visiting filmmakers
These 400 visiting filmmakers all came to Cleveland to discuss their films with the audience, which is what makes a festival special. Most of our guests are North Americans, particularly from New York, Los Angeles and Toronto, but a number of foreign filmmakers and jurors attend from abroad every year. Many of our guests from near and far have never been to Cleveland before, so the festival serves as an introduction to the many international people and organizations active in Northeast Ohio.
One global award-winner this year was director Tjardus Greidanus for his film BURDEN OF GENIUS, which describes the life and work of organ transplant pioneer Dr. Thomas Starzl. Winner of the Global Health Competition, the Dutch-born, L.A.-based director interviewed three top transplant surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic for his film, while Cleveland-based Lifebanc was the film’s community partner. Community partnerships are a CIFF highlight for both local organizations and visiting filmmakers, since they provide the opportunity for filmmakers and partners to work toward common goals and promote their films in Cleveland – and beyond.
Another big award went to 6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY by Canadian Marvin Blunte. Marvin won the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition for his movie about the remarkable Children’s Village School in rural west Thailand. This progressive democratic school provides a nurturing environment to over 150 children who have been victims of poverty, neglect, or abandonment. Marvin was thrilled to be present at the festival’s Closing Night ceremony to receive his award.
A second beneficiary of the George Gund Foundation was MEN DON’T CRY by director Alen Drljević, who unfortunately couldn’t make it in from Bosnia. This film, winner of the festival’s George Gund III Central and Eastern European Film Competition, was Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this year’s Academy Awards. Co-produced by Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia and Germany, the film tells the story of veterans of the late 1990s Yugoslav Wars who participate in a series of intense sessions aimed at healing and reconciliation.
Pavel Bozhkov’s short film TWEET-TWEET played as part of the Film Slam program, which brings thousands of middle and high school-aged kids from all over Northeast Ohio to morning screenings especially tailored for them. Pavel, a producer who is based in Moscow and Los Angeles, had this to say about his first visit to Cleveland.
From the very first moment in the city I was charmed by it. … when I saw those screenings that were split based on the languages of the movies and all those people in the theaters eager to discover more about the countries of origin of the films - I was incredibly happy. Moreover, people in the streets were really nice, it was obvious they were proud of the event, just like one big family they were happy to see visitors from all around the world. Even though it was cold and windy I felt this unforgettable atmosphere, people around me were open to new emotions and knowledge we brought over with our movies, they were proud of being hosts to an event like that. I would definitely love to come again and spend more time in Cleveland. It will always stay in my heart as a nice and cozy place with sincere and open-minded people whom you rarely meet nowadays.
Director Nick Baker-Monteys was also in town for the festival, with his film THE FINAL JOURNEY. Born in Germany, he studied in Scotland and wrote for London daily papers before returning to Berlin, where he is now based. Set at the beginning of the Ukraine- Russian conflict of 2014, Nick’s film, in Russian and German, stars German actor Jürgen Prochnow of DAS BOOT. Nick had this to say about his stay in Cleveland:
Did want to catch the Cleveland Indians playing between films, but ran out of time unfortunately. What I can say is that (CIFF board member and philanthropist) Char Fowler connected me with the lady who runs the Asian section of the Museum of Art, so I got to see the museum and was very graciously pointed to some of the most important works of art. And I have to say it was one of the most impressive collections I’ve ever seen anywhere! Best regards, Nick
In addition to foreign filmmakers and jurors who attend from abroad every year, the festival’s hard-working seasonal staff comprises several internationals who have chosen to make Northeast Ohio their home.
Festival Guest Relations Ambassador Madoka Ozaki and her family live in the Akron area. Originally from Japan, they have lived in Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, London (Ontario), and Grand Rapids. Northeast Ohio is Madoka’s favorite, since she thinks it offers a perfect combination of all the good in all the places they've lived. She writes:
There are so many reasons why we fell in love with Cleveland. I found many very authentic Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese restaurants or grocery stores. A big plus to know that our fellow Asian immigrants have long been thriving here. Cleveland is old and new; conservative and progressive, traditional and multicultural. Cleveland is deep, curious and magnanimous. We are so happy to call it our new home.
The 42nd CIFF opened on April 4 at the Connor Palace Theatre with the charming Irish film THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER. Director Nick Kelly, producer Kate McColgan, and lead actor Jacob McCarthy came in from Dublin and were blown away by the love Clevelanders showed them everywhere they went. Nick recalls:
Civic pride runs very deep through this town, from the hairdressers at the retro barbershop where our movie’s young star Jacob and I went to get our hair cut, to the hipster host in the pancake store next door who insisted we try the local blackberry jam, to the multitude of friendly and helpful CIFF volunteers I met at every turn in sprawling environs of Tower City, to the excellent Irish traditional combo playing at the post-screening party – who, by spooky coincidence, as I entered were pulling off a note-perfect rendition of the very tune I walked down the aisle to on my wedding day, O’Carolan’s sublime “Sídh Beag, Sídh Mór”. It’s hard not to love somewhere so fiercely loved by its own population.
Our actual screening as the gala opening film of CIFF42 was an astonishing experience. I’d spent an hour in the vast empty theatre with the exceptionally patient and creative production folk perfecting the sound, and couldn’t help but be nervous. Surely there’s no way that all these endless rows of red velvet seats could possibly be occupied for our little unknown Irish movie? But as the hour drew near, the crowds began to swarm in.
As the final credits rolled that huge audience gave us a standing ovation – and another when we went out for our post-show Q&A. As I said from the stage, despite the size of the crowd it felt like we were in a most intimate space, so unified were people in their interest and enthusiasm.
The after-show party was something of a blur. Shepherded by our wise and saintly festival director Marcie (Goodman), it nevertheless took us over an hour to make our way from the entrance hall of another of the Playhouse Square’s beautiful theatres to the cool opened-up stage floor where the party action was actually taking place. So many kind words, hugs, smiles and tears from so many strangers.
The next morning producer Kate and I finally got to visit the Hall of Fame. Having in a previous existence been a not very famous Atlantic Records recording artist, I had actually once met the great Ahmet Ertegun, so I was delighted to see his name over one the museum’s main halls. I also loved all the costumes and the hand-written lyrics. But for me the top exhibit was the battered suitcase in which Howling Wolf collected his money before going onstage – a convention many contemporary musicians probably wish was still in place.
My own stay in Cleveland was very short. But ten days later, while in New York City, I received the perfect parting gift from the city. A message popped into my inbox informing me that we’d been awarded CIFF42’s biggest prize, the Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film. As Spinal Tap’s lead singer David St. Hubins might have said, while triumphantly punching the air:
Thank you, Cleveland!
Brenda Benthien
Guest Relations Director
Cleveland International Film Festival
