5th Annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Kicks Off Today

The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival opens today, Oct. 8 and continues through Oct. 12, 2014 in Chagrin Falls, OH. Selected films represent the work of filmmakers from 20 countries and focus on a wide range of thought-provoking topics. Tickets go on sale Sept. 1 at www.chagrinfilmfest.org.

Following is the official lineup of films for the Fifth Annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival:

Environmental Documentaries: North into the Mist - Directed by Neil Weisbrod (Israel, Norway), Of Land and Water - Directed by Henry Brown and Jose De Leon (USA), Raising Shrimp - Directed by Joe Cunningham (USA), SlingShot - Directed by Paul Lazarus (Ghana, Paraguay, USA), The Wisdom to Survive: Climate Change, Capitalism & Community - Directed by Anne Macksoud (USA), Urban Fruit - Directed by Roman Zenz (USA), Walking in Two Worlds - Directed by Bo Boudart (USA)

Human Spirit Documentaries: Alive Inside - Directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett (USA), Do You Believe in Love? - Directed by Dan Wasserman (Israel), Perfect Strangers - Directed by Jan Krawitz (USA), Project: Shattered Silence - Directed by Colleen Hamilton (USA), Raising Matty Christian - Directed by Christian de Rezendes (USA), Tapia - Directed by Eddie Alcanzar (USA), The Forgotten Soldier - Directed by Balazs Ravasz (Germany, Hungary), Zemene - Directed by Melissa Donovan (Ethiopia, USA)

Local Interest Documentaries: A Whole Lott More - Directed by Victor Buhler (USA, United Kingdom), An Adoptee Roared in Ohio - Directed by Jean Strauss (USA), Facing Forward: A Student's Story - Directed by Laura Paglin (USA), Mentor - Directed by Alix Lambert (USA), Perseverance: The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor - Directed by Dan Chace (USA), The Steel Fired Story of Chef Nowak - Directed by David Purpera (USA), The Sax Man - Directed by Joe Siebert (USA), What's a Checker? - Directed by Benjamin Merkel (USA)

Social Awareness Documentaries: A Simple Piece of Paper - Directed by Jean Strauss (USA), Before the Revolution - Directed by Dan Shadur (Israel), Hotline - Directed by Tony Shaff (USA), In The Shadow of the Sun - Directed by Harry Freeland (United Kingdom), Poverty, Inc. - Directed by Michael Matheson Miller (USA), Private Violence - Directed by Cynthia Hill (USA), Return to Homs - Directed by Talal Derki (Syria, Germany), Rhythms of Resistance - Directed by Jason O'Hara (Brazil, Canada), Shell Shocked - Directed by John Richie (USA), Tears & Blood Behind Made in China - Directed by Xiaomu Qiao (Belgium, China, Swaziland, USA), The Lives of LaMott Atkins - Directed by Robert Philipson (USA), Unconditional - Directed by Kelly McKenna (USA)

On The Lighter Side Documentaries: Dizzy Fingers: The Life of Joe Soprani - Directed by Dom Hilton (USA), GreasePaint - Directed by Daniel Espeut (USA), Hava Nagila (The Movie) - Directed by Roberta Grossman (USA), Lunch - Directed by Donna Kanter (USA), Straight Up: Tennessee Whiskey - Directed by Eric Byford (USA), The Last Kamikazis of Heavy Metal - Directed by Marina Grozdanova, Biliana Grozdanova (USA), Todd Who? - Directed by Ian Abercromby, Gavin Bond (Australia), Tom Rush: No Regrets - Directed by Todd Kwait (USA)

Short Documentaries: A Tribute to the Fallen - Directed by Michael Suglio (USA), Animating the Void: Erasing Michelle from 'Full House' - Directed by Andrew Austin (USA), Dan Behind his Eyes - Directed by Sheri Kebbel, Duk County - Directed by Jordan Campbell (Sudan, USA), Final Flight - Directed by David Jorgensen (USA), Finding Home - Directed by Samantha Andre (USA), From Farm to Food Pantry - Directed by Alex Kolotos (USA), Godka Cirka (A Hole in the Sky) - Directed by Alex Lora, Antonio Tibaldi (Spain, USA), Homeless in Chicago - Directed by Brian Urbanek (USA), Nasza Klatwa (Our Curse) - Directed by Tomasz Sliwinski (Poland), Part-Time Joe - Directed by Chris Brands (USA), Pink Helmet Posse - Directed by Kristelle Laroche (USA), Pit Trading 101 - Directed by Jonathan Hoenig (USA), Reflect, Reclaim, Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music - Directed by Henri Giles (USA), Re[FRESH] - it Takes a Village - Directed by Travis Pollert (USA), Stella Walsh - Directed by Rob Lucas (USA), Strike: The Greatest Bowling Story Ever Told - Directed by Joey Daoud (USA), The Apothecary - Directed by Helen Hood Scheer (USA), The Covenant with America's Wounded Warriors: John Mateczun and the New Walter Reed National Military Medical Center - Directed by Franco Sacchi and Charles Mann (USA), The Curse and the Symphony - Directed by David Schulte (USA), The Noble Spirit - Directed by Robert Holmes (USA), Under the Mango Tree - Directed by Ashley Moradipour (Uganda), We are the Land - Directed by Lauren Lindberg (USA)

Additional films presented for screening, not in Festival competition, include The Lost Sparrows of Roodepoort - Directed by Brock Carter and David Ponce, and One Mission: Chagrin Falls - Directed by Todd Lyle.

About the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival is a program of Fevered Dreams Productions, a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to empowering filmmakers to tell their stories. The Festival was named to MovieMaker Magazine's "Top 50 Film Fests Worth the Entry Fee" list in both 2013 and 2014. To learn more, visit http://www.chagrinfilmfest.org.

The Festival is made possible by grants from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the Ohio Arts Council. Generous support is received from the Chagrin Valley Times, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Penske Automotive Cleveland, South Franklin Circle, Wells Fargo Advisors, Cleveland Magazine, The Adcom Group, Automated Packaging Systems, DDR Corporation, Digital Alchemy, Black Box Venues, Gamekeepers Taverne, Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop, Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce, Chagrin Valley Jaycees, Cleveland State University, Hamlet Village Retirement Community, Hilton Homewood Suites, Cleveland Jewish Federation, Maltz Museum of Jewish History, Rotary of the Chagrin Valley and Ursuline College.

To become a Festival sponsor, advertise, volunteer, or learn more about the Film Festival's schedule and activities, visit http://www.chagrinfilmfest.org.

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