Our History

From Local Beginnings to Global Screens

Cindependent Film Festival:
A Bold Celebration of Indie Film

CFF-2018-WoodwardTheater-Poster_thumbnail

  • The inaugural festival in 2018 set the tone, with over 160 artists and 200 films and screenplays showcased at The Woodward Theater and Mini MicroCinema. Partnering with 21c Museum Hotel, Cindependent went beyond screenings—hosting city-wide filmmaker tours, four educational masterclasses, and a vibrant networking scene. With over 2,000 attendees and international submissions, the festival made an immediate impact.

  • A celebration of storytelling took over Main Street in OTR for three days, from August 23 to 25. Filmmakers from around the world gathered to see what an independent festival in southwest Ohio was cooking up.

  • Cindependent Film Festival (created in 2017) has evolved into a powerhouse of creativity, community, and cinematic innovation. More than just a festival, CCF is a movement, fueling independent storytelling, fostering artistic careers, and transforming Cincinnati into a hub for global cinema.

Rising Momentum & Industry Recognition

Cindependent-2019FilmPoster_OurHistory

  • Expanding to four venues—including The Woodward Theater, Mini MicroCinema, Graydon on Main, and Know Theatre—Cindependent welcomed 220+ filmmakers from around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Russia, and India.

  • With multiple sold-out screenings and attendance surpassing 2,500, the festival was cemented as a must-attend event for indie filmmakers.

  • Recognized for its filmmaker-first approach, the inaugural Cindependent Film Festival was awarded a ‘Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festival’ recognition from FilmFreeway. This honor stands consistently to this day.

Adapting & Innovating

An animated poster for the 'Reels on Wheels' mobile cinema event, with a vintage style orange and red color scheme, featuring a film reel with wheels, colorful striped sunburst background, and the text 'Coming soon to a neighborhood near you! 2020'.
A promotional poster for the CINDPENDENT Film Festival 2021 featuring the slogan "Let's Chill" on a vintage television set with a red frame. The background has beige color with red wavy lines, and the text invites viewers to join online.
Illustration featuring a person with a camera for a head, a woman with green hair and wide eyes, a knight with a sword, and a muscular woman, with a starry background and text promoting Cincinnati's home for indie filmmaking and the Cindependent film festival.

  • Cindependent didn’t stop; it reinvented.

  • A mobile cinema created by Allyson West and funded by ArtsWave and the Ohio Arts Council brought films directly to neighborhoods across Cincinnati, screening 25+ times in its first year.

    This program expanded in 2024, even earning a spot in BLINK, Cincinnati’s legendary street and light installation.

  • The festival launched Cindependent & Chill, a virtual subscription program that kept artists employed and audiences engaged with 11 months of curated indie film content. Screenwriters were also in the spotlight, with live virtual screenplay readings bringing scripts to life with professional performers.

The Festival Returns, Bigger Than Ever

Event poster for the Cindependent Film Festival, taking place from September 19 to 21, 2024, at Memorial Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring Black Cincinnati Cinema Collective, OutReels Cincinnati, and Women in Film Cincinnati, with a graphic of a hand with orange and yellow highlights set against a black background.
Red stage curtain partially opened revealing star-like lights behind it, with event details and website at the bottom, promoting the Cindependent Film Festival, September 29-30, 2023, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

  • In 2023, Cindependent was back in full force at Memorial Hall, proving once again why it’s a trailblazer in the indie film scene.

    View 2023 Program

    View 2024 Program

  • Continuing to break boundaries, Reels on Wheels became a featured exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati in 2024 - a testament to Cindependent’s creative impact beyond the festival.

Reel Moments, Real Impact

Poster for the Cindependent Film Festival featuring a large red and orange background with a pattern of yellow eyes with black pupils. The event details include dates September 18-20, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and mention of Black Cincinnati Cinema Collective, Outreach Cincinnati, and Women in Film Cincinnati.

  • Cindependent returned to Cincinnati September 18–20, 2025, transforming Memorial Hall into a vibrant hub for independent film and creative collaboration.

  • The festival’s programming reached new heights, offering bigger, bolder, and more groundbreaking selections than ever before. Audiences experienced a lineup that challenged convention and celebrated innovation in storytelling.

  • From emerging filmmakers to passionate cinephiles and industry trailblazers, Cindependent continues to be the place where indie film thrives, evolves, and inspires.

Awards & Recognitions

  • Past Winners:

    Le Charade (2024)

    Embodied (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    The Liberty (2018)

    Treacle (2019)

    The Violinist (2023)

    Gone Before Your Eyes (2024)

    The Singers (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    We Want A (2023)

    SPLAT (2024)

    Desired (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Ainhoa (2018)

    Aapke Aa Jane Se (2019)

    Echoing, It Doesn't Stop (2023)

    Sister Wives (2024)

    Let's Wait a Little Longer (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Margaret and the Moon (2018)

    The Spirit Seam (2019)

    City Bird (2023)

    The Great Davini (2024)

    Down Safe (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Wink (2018)

    White Guys Solve Sexism (2019)

    Falling Up (2023)

    Rerun (2024)

    Ring Ring (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Summer (2018)

    Write Me (2019)

    BREAK (2023)

    You Can Go Home Whenever You Want (2024)

    Belief (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Essentially Alys (2018)

    The Orchestra (2019)

    Who's Annie (2023)

    Hand Job (2024)

    We Are Always Hiding (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Good White People (2018)

    The Other Border (2019)

    Life in Tandem (2023)

    Dear Watsonville (2024)

    A Girl Takes a Walk in the Forest (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Among Other Things (2018)

    The German King (2019)

    Sheltered (2023)

    Devouring Stones Up Close (2024)

    Be Home Before the Streetlights (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    The Enlightenment (2024)

    lo que queda (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Shane Dean Any Wednesday (2018)

    Dharon Jones Champions (2019)

    Dante Donaldson Attrition (2023)

    Matt Foss Lone Wolves (2024)

    Denzel Whitaker Brand New (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Margarita Levieva Julianne (2018)

    Elisa Croft Suncatcher (2019)

    Janice Theard Archive & the Storyteller (2023)

    Samantha Sloyan Good Daughter (2024)

    Jenifer Lewis ADO (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Zach Bandler The Lightkeeper (2018)

    Trevor Morgan Ten Hours (2019)

    Josh Nowak Night Cafe (2023)

    Caroline Creaghead Relationship to Patient (2024)

    Sam Davis The Singers (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    No Running in the Halls (2024)

    Hand on Camera (2025)

  • Past Winners:

    Brown Boy (2024)

    Neches (2025)

A man with curly red hair and a beard wearing sunglasses and a light gray suit is being interviewed by a person holding a microphone. There are several women in the background at what appears to be a formal or social event with red and pink decor.

Jack Crumley Board President/Press Director

“Indie films are the real deal.They come from sheer willpower and problem solving. They’re made by people with a dream and a drive to tell a story. “