The Cinema Columbus Film Festival has announced its lineup for 2024, which showcases a curated selection of independent films from local videographers and directors, as well as films that debuted at some of the biggest events in independent film. Some projects making their Columbus debuts have been featured in other top showcases, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and more.
This year’s film lineup is diverse with more than 40 percent of the artists being filmmakers of color and more than half of the films being directed by women.
Ohio filmmakers to be showcased include Mary Jo Bole (Family White Elephants), Ismail Al-Amin (False Positive), Cole, Eli and Kyle Thiele (Sofa, So Good), Tysen D’Eston (Fields Adrift), as well as others.
This year’s schedule includes 22 screenings held at beloved venues around town. Here are the locations and showtimes:
Southern Theatre:
April 24, 7 p.m. False Positive: The story of Butch Renolds, a world champion athlete who is wrongfully accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.
McConnell Arts Center:
April 25, 7 p.m. Breaking the News: The story of 19th* News and the fight towards equality for women and people of color working in the journalism field.
Drexel Theatre:
April 25, 7 p.m. Local Shorts Block One: seven local short films for a total runtime of one hour and 24 minutes.
April 26, 1 p.m. Coming Around: A queer young Muslim woman must marry a man when living as her authentic self isn’t culturally accepted.
April 26, 4 p.m. Artist Unknown: When two thieves try to swipe a painting owned by Juniper, she starts researching its origins.
April 26, 7 p.m. Fields Adrift: A terminally ill man sets out on a psilocybin-induced spiritual journey.
April 27, 1 p.m. The Legend of MexMan: Germán Alonso struggles to create his sci-fi film due to drama and conflict between him and his crew.
April 27, 4 p.m. The Universal Theory: A quantum mechanical thriller in black and white set in 1962.
Wexner Center for the Arts:
April 25, 7 p.m. Family White Elephants: A film documenting the director’s discoveries when looking through her family history and genealogy.
Gateway Film Center:
April 25, 7 p.m. Lost Soulz: A rap musician drops everything to chase a dream.
April 26, 1 p.m. Shorts Block 1: six short films for a total run time of an hour and 37 minutes.
April 26, 4 p.m. Chasing Chasing Amy: An examination of the film Chasing Amy and how it impacted queer individuals in the 90s.
April 27, 1 p.m. Local Shorts Block 2: six local short films for a total run time of an hour and 19 minutes.
April 27, 4 p.m. Shorts Block 2: six short films for a total run time of an hour and 13 minutes.
April 27, 7 p.m. Awards Presentation: The winners of the Film Festival Awards will be announced.
April 28, 1 p.m. Documentary Feature Award Winner
April 28, 4 p.m. Narrative Feature Award Winner
April 28, 7 p.m. Audience Choice Feature Award Winner
Studio 35 Cinema:
April 26, 7 p.m. Sofa, So Good: Produced in Dayton, a journey of young men moving a couch across town without a car.
April 27, 11 p.m. Late Night Shorts: six short films for a total run time of one hour and 54 minutes.
April 26, 11 p.m. The Judgment: A queer couple returns to their home country of Egypt and experiences homophobia.
Grandview Theatre and Drafthouse:
April 27, 12 p.m. Bad Press: A historic battle for free press within the Muscogee Nation.
April 27, 3 p.m. A Still Small Voice: An aspiring hospital chaplain’s story of spiritual care.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
