by Jeff Niesel September 18, 2025
A terrific annual event that takes place each fall in downtown Chagrin Falls, this year’s Chagrin Documentary Film Festival will feature 74 documentaries selected from more than 500 submissions from 32 countries. The programming includes 10 world premieres and 23 U.S, Midwest, or Ohio debuts, cementing CDFF’s reputation as a premier destination for documentary discovery.
“The caliber of submissions continues to exceed our expectations year after year. Our program director, along with our selection committee has assembled an extraordinary collection that represents the very best in documentary filmmaking,” says Morgan Crawford.
CDFF opens on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Chagrin Falls Intermediate School Theater with the premiere of John Candy: I Like Me from Amazon MGM Studios. The evening begins with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m.
Another highlight, local director Laura Paglin’s This Is Pike County, centers on a rural part of southern Ohio facing “generational pressures.” It screens at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Federated Church and then again at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 10, at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.