Doug Atchison's spelling bee drama Akeelah And The Bee and Ali Selim's Minnesota-set romance SweetLand bookend the 30thCleveland International Film Festival, which runs from Mar 16-26.

Alongside the Eastern European Film Competition and the Nesnadny +Schwartz Documentary Film Competition, the inaugural Greg Gund MemorialStanding Up Film Competition will celebrate films about social justice andactivism.

Freida Lee Mock is the focus of Director's Spotlight while thework of Kurdish filmmaker Hiner Saleem and Canada's Ann Marie Fleming are highlightedin the Someone To Watch event.

Saleem's Vodka Lemon and Kilometre Zero and Fleming's The Magical Life Of Long Tack Sam and her latest picture,The French Guy, will screen.

Frameline will receive the Service to the Field Award in honour ofits mission to strengthen the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communityby supporting broad expression in the visual arts.

For moreinformation visit the official website at www.clevelandfilm.org.