“Best of” The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival April 27-29 at the Solon Center for the Arts

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.

The Cleveland area’s only film festival uniquely devoted to nonfiction features and shorts, the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, normally takes place in Chagrin Falls in October. But as we know, the Mayans predicted the world ending sometime in late 2012. Not wanting to be caught unawares by such an apocalypse, the CDFF is having a “best of” retrospective this weekend at the Solon Center for the Arts (formerly the Solon City Hall, at 6315 SOM Center Roadin the heart of Solon).Yes, as doom (perhaps brought by UFOs or the wrathful flying-serpent god Qetzeqotl or someone) settles on the world later this year, you’ll be glad you relived the past two years of the CDFF in relative comfort and safety in the springtime.

On Friday, April 27 beginning at 6:30 p.m. a “Best of the Fest Celebration” brings a wine-and-cheese reception, local dignitaries including the mayors of both Chagrin Falls and Solon, and the film BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS, Heather Taylor’s chronicle of pioneering women aviators, screening at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15. On Saturday, April 28, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be two feature-length blocks of top documentary shorts from the CDFF, covering topics ranging from Ohioans involved in relief work in Haiti to the memoirs of D-Day veterans. Admission to all four hours is $15, or $10 for each individual program. Finally, on Sunday, April 29, at 5 p.m., in partnership with Reel Israel, the CDFF presents a FREE screening (but reservations are requested) of FLUCHKES, a nonfiction short feature from Israel that might evoke memories of the stage hit “Stepping Out,” as it follows a set of ladies age 72 to 82 as they gamely tackle the unfamiliar rigors of modern dance.

For updates and tickets go to the website

www.chagrindocumentaryfilmfestival.org.