the CIFF (Cleveland International Film Festival) was founded in 1977 and has grown to attract more than 52,000 people. In december 2008, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® has named the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) as a qualifying festival in the category of Short Films. Winners of the CIFF Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film awards may qualify to enter the Short Films category of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season.