Art and film in Rotterdam, Netherlands

This winter, art and film take over Rotterdam in the Netherlands with two events you will not want to miss. Watch films by independent filmmakers, listen to enlightening debates, take in modern art, and drink up at fun after parties.

International Film Festival Rotterdam
January 25-February 5, 2012

The 41st International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will be offering twelve days of films, exhibitions, debates, and parties. Along with showcasing talented and enjoyable works, IFFR also aims to help support independent filmmaking from around the world as well discover new talent. Interested in submitting a film? Click here. To learn more about attending and buying tickets, click here.

Art Rotterdam
February 9-12, 2012

Art Rotterdam is an international art fair for contemporary modern art. This lively event holds high standards for their artists, and the attendance of many of the top art galleries in the world has ensured its success. Attend events, peruse exhibits, and attend after parties. To learn more about tickets and events, click here.

Cleveland International Film Festival

When snow dumps in massive amounts, one wonders about the events that happen once a year that require people to attend for a success to happen. Our friends moving back to Japan had two people show up for their moving sale. We managed to slide down their street to pick up a dresser we bought from them.

This past week a mega event started in Cleveland. We won tickets but weren’t able to head north since even heading down our street was questionable. Since this event is continuing through this week and next weekend, here’s a heads up. The Cleveland International Film Festival is a chance to see films that often don’t get noticed and a chance to see creativity at work when the dollar a movie can make is not necessarily the reason to make it. Each day offers a wide variety of choices.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Cleveland, going to this festival could not be more convenient. It’s being held at Tower City, a shopping mall with various eateries that is connected to Terminal Tower. If you park in the garage, you don’t have to step outside once. Although, I do recommend heading over through the mall to Terminal Tower which was once the second tallest building in the world in the early 1960s. The architecture is gorgeous. If you go out onto Euclid Avenue, you’ll see the Soliders and Sailors Monument in Public Square a few steps away. Parking for the film festival is free.