The festival features films with Ohio ties

The 42nd annual Cleveland International Film Festival boasts 216 feature films and 253 shorts. While there are plenty of titles for all different tastes, Cleveland International Film Festival Associate Director Patrick Shepherd noted various screenings with ties to Northeast Ohio. Here’s a quick list:

‘Manry at Sea — In the Wake of a Dream’

6:15 p.m. April 5, 1:50 p.m. April 6 and 9:35 a.m. April 7 at Tower City Cinemas

“I think one of greatest interest for local folks is ‘Manry at Sea,’ which has a journalism component,” Shepherd said. “It’s a documentary about Robert Manry, who was from Willowick and worked as a copy editor at The Plain Dealer. In 1965, he sailed across the Atlantic in a 13.5foot boat. As he was crossing the ocean, he became an international sensation.

“WEWS-Channel 5 actually sent a crew of reporters over to find him. He was going from Massachusetts to England. And after a couple of attempts, the Channel 5 crew did find him hundreds of miles off the coast of England. It’s a very interesting local story that everybody was talking about in 1965.”

‘Kusama — Infinity’

1:50 p.m. April 11 and 7:40 p.m. April 13 at Tower City Cinemas

“Another interesting film is ‘Kusama — Infinity,’” Shepherd said. “The director (Heather Lenz) is originally from the Akron area, but the Cleveland Museum of Art is going to have a significant exhibition of this artist’s work this summer. So we’re very fortunate that it’s aligning.”

‘The Assassin’s Code’

8:30 p.m. April 12 at Capitol Theatre and 2:50 p.m. April 14 at Tower City Cinemas

“This local film is a narrative that not only takes place in Cleveland, but was filmed in Cleveland,” Shepherd said. “It’s the story of a rookie detective for the Cleveland Police Department trying to escape from the shadow of his father, a disgraced cop who was killed in the line of duty.”

‘A Murder in Mansfield’

7:10 p.m. April 12, 12:20 p.m. April 13 and 2:10 p.m. April 14 at Tower City Cinemas

“‘A Murder in Mansfield’ is directed by Barbara Koppel, a pretty renowned documentary filmmaker,” Shepherd said. “It explores the story of a 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield.

“During the trial, her 12-year-old son gave testimony that ultimately put his father behind bars. Now, the son — years later — returns to retrace his past and confront his father. That’s going to be quite a film. We think there should be guests coming with that film, too.”

For more information, visit clevelandfilm.org.

COURTESY OF CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL “Manry at Sea — In the Wake of a Dream” is a 2017 documentary about the late Robert Manry of Willowick, who in 1965 set out to accomplish his dream of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. The film screens April 5 through 7 during the Cleveland...