"A Great Day in Cleveland" added to Cinematheque's JazzFilmFest

“A Great Day in Cleveland: Behind the Scenes," a new ten-minute documentary that captures the shooting of a once-in-a-lifetime photograph at Playhouse Square, will show on May 17 and 18 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, 11141 East Boulevard in University Circle. The photograph, entitled “A Great Day in Cleveland," captures 143 local jazz musicians, writers, supporters, and enthusiasts as they stood on the grand staircase in the lobby of the Palace Theatre on April 9. The photograph was inspired by Art Kane’s iconic 1958 photo (originally published in Esquire) “A Great Day in Harlem,” which pictures 57 prominent jazz musicians posing before a Harlem brownstone. The Cleveland photo and the “making of” documentary (directed by Miriam Bennett) were both created by Cuyahoga Community College to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Tri-C JazzFest, June 26-28 at Playhouse Square.

The Cinematheque will screen “A Great Day in Cleveland: Behind the Scenes” before Jean Bach’s Oscar-nominated 1994 documentary feature A Great Day in Harlem (about the Kane photograph), on Saturday, May 17 at 5:15pm and Sunday, May 18 at 4:30pm. Tickets (at the door only) cost $9; Cinematheque members $7; age 25 & under $6.

This event is part of the Cinematheque’s “Double-C (for Cleveland Cinematheque) JazzFilmFest,” which presents 10 jazz-related films between May 10 and June 21 at the Cleveland Institute of Art. The series opens Saturday at 6:50 pm with a screening of a restored 35mm archive print of Otto Preminger’s 1955 The Man with the Golden Arm, which stars Frank Sinatra as a drug-addicted jazz drummer. This film will be preceded by a “garden party” in the Institute’s outside courtyard from 5:30pm to 6:45pm. The party, which includes refreshments and live jazz, is open to all ticket buyers. (Same admission prices apply.) The musicians appear courtesy of the Tri-C JazzFest.

For further information, call John Ewing or Tim Harry at 216.421.7450, send an email to cinema@cia.edu, or visit www.cia.edu/cinematheque.