Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP is pleased to announce that partner Christopher S.W. Blake has been elected as President of the Board of Directors for the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF). Blake’s term began on June 27.
The CIFF promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community.
Blake has a long history of involvement with the CIFF and shares the organization’s vision to collaboratively provide access to quality film arts. Blake had previously served as President-Elect of the CIFF’s Board of Directors since June 2018. He has also served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Co-Chair of its Strategic Planning Committee since 2008. Additionally, Blake has been a member of the CIFF’s Finance Committee since 2005.
“The CIFF is a treasure of Cleveland’s vibrant arts community,” said Blake. “I am honored to work alongside my fellow board members and the amazing staff at CIFF to bring the highest quality films from around the world to Cleveland for CIFF44, which will be held March 25 – April 5, 2020 at Tower City Cinemas.”
At Hahn Loeser, Blake focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and financings for a wide range of industries and sectors, including food and beverage, gaming, and real estate. As co-chair of Hahn Loeser’s International Practice Group and Corporate Transactions Group, Blake’s practice spans domestic and international matters. He regularly uses his in-depth understanding of the complexities of joint ventures, distributorships and sales agreements to counsel public and private companies through determining the best approach to enter a new market.
As one of the leading film festivals in the country, the CIFF presents the newest and best films from around the world to educate audiences about other cultures and the human experience. In 2019, the CIFF welcomed more than 105,000 attendees to over 213 feature films and more than 237 short films from 71 countries.
