Dubbed “Hannah and her Predecessors,” the Cleveland Institute
of Art Cinematheque’s Woody Allen film festival continues this week
with screenings of Allen’s 1983 film Zelig. The
film, which shows in a new 35mm print, features Mia Farrow and Allen,
who plays Leonard Zelig, a chameleon-like character who turns up in all
sorts of archival footage from the ’20s and ’30s. Using a blue-screen
technique long before everyone was doing it, Allen manipulated old
newsreels and photos to insert photos of Zelig and make it look
like he was at significant social events. A classic mockumentary, the
film screens at 9:35 p.m. Saturday, October 17, and 6:30 p.m. Sunday,
October 18, at the Cinematheque (11141 East Blvd., 216.421.7450,
cia.edu/cinematheque).
Tickets: $8.

And speaking of Woody Allen, the Lakewood Public Library (15425
Detroit Ave., 216.226.8275, lkwdpl.org) screens his 1994 film
Bullets Over Broadway as part of its “Five-Star
Films” series. The movie, which was nominated for seven Academy
Awards (including Allen for director and co-writer Douglas McGrath for
original screenplay), stars Jennifer Tilly, Chazz Paminteri and Dianne
Wiest, all of whom were also nominated for Oscars (Wiest was the only
winner). One of Allen’s funnier comedies, it’s about a mediocre
playwright who has to cast mobsters in his play to get it financed. The
screening is at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 17, in the library’s main
auditorium. Admission is free.

The Cleveland International Film Festival’s Film Feasts fundraising series began earlier this month with a tour of the North
Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square. It offers two events this week.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, Lauren Rich Fine and Gary Giller
host a panel discussion with Plain Dealer editor Susan Goldberg,
WMJI radio personality Jimmy Malone and TV personality Tim White.
They’ll talk about the state of media in an informal discussion at the
east-side home of Fine, a former Wall Street media analyst. Then, at 10
a.m. Saturday, October 17, councilman Matt Zone will lead a tour of the
newly renovated Capitol Theatre and the rejuvenated Gordon Square Arts
District. The tour starts at 10 a.m. and concludes with lunch at Luxe.
Tickets to each event are $50. Proceeds benefit the Cleveland
International Film Festival, which returns to Tower City Cinemas March
18-28. Get more information and make reservations at clevelandfilm.org.

jniesel@clevescene.com

This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2009.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.