ORIGINS: SHORTS OF OHIO to Open Cinema Columbus Film Festival
Three documentaries and one narrative short from Ohio directors will screen at the Gateway Film Center.
Cinema Columbus Film Festival has announced that its opening night program will feature ORIGINS: SHORTS OF OHIO, a block of four short films by Ohio filmmakers, set to screen at the Gateway Film Center on North High Street. The lineup includes three documentaries and one narrative short, with tickets priced at $11.57 and available for purchase online, with additional tickets to be sold at the door if inventory allows.
Cinema Columbus Film Festival today announced it will screen four short films that get to the heart of what the festival represents as its 2026 opening night on September 10.
ORIGINS: SHORTS OF OHIO will screen at 7 pm Thursday, September 10, at the Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St.
Presented by CAPA and marking its fifth anniversary, Cinema Columbus champions works from across the globe but celebrates film from within Ohio's state lines. The festival's opening night shorts block features all Ohio filmmakers, telling stories of themselves, of each other, of the world around them, made by Ohio voices with global perspectives.
Tickets are $11.57 and can be purchased online at www.CinemaColumbus.com. Pre-purchasing is recommended, but if inventory allows, tickets may also be purchased at the door.
The slate of three documentary and one narrative shorts includes:
ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE (dir. Payton Burkhammer)
Inspired after reading Romeo and Juliet, a shy teenage girl stakes out her crush's neighborhood, hoping to feel closer to him. A modern, Shakespearean inspired story that celebrates the exploration of girlhood, confidence, and self-worth.
AT THE STAGE WHEN (CI SHI CI KE) (dir. Hao Zhou)
A young married couple in a Chinese megalopolis navigates the tricky waters of the traditional expectations that surface in their most intimate exchanges.
THIS IS THE HOUSE: IF I DON'T SEE YOU, I LOVE YOU (dir. Claudia Owusu)
A Ghanaian-American father and daughter duo work through their crowded basement, uncovering family archives and the fragments caused by immigration, divorce, and loss.
LA ESPERANZA (dir. Javier Cruz-Ginez)
Told through archival footage and candid conversations, a Mexican immigrant family reflects on the border that has kept them apart for 25 years, revealing the enduring impact of separation and the hope for a reunion.
Guests are invited to stay after the screening for a Q&A with filmmakers.
'Even as the broader film industry evolves, the filmmakers voice remains constant. Artists will always create from their distinct points of view — a truth that guided both our evolution as a festival and the section of our opening night programming,' said Cinema Columbus Festival Director Brett Reiter.
The full schedule for the 2026 Cinema Columbus Film Festival will be announced soon. The festival will present more than 20 screenings involving approximately 75 short and feature films at four locations, including the Drexel Theatre, Gateway Film Center, Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
About CAPA
Owner/operator of downtown Columbus' historic theatres (Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre) and manager of the Riffe Center Theatre Complex, Lincoln Theatre, Drexel Theatre, Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts (New Albany, OH), and the Shubert Theatre (New Haven, CT), CAPA is a non-profit, award-winning presenter of national and international performing arts and entertainment. For more information, visit www.capa.com.
CAPA's 2026-27 season is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. CAPA also appreciates the generous support of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, City of Columbus, Franklin County, and The Columbus Foundation's The Jane H. Zimmerman Arts Fund and the Joe and Mary Hoffer funds.
The shorts block includes ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE, directed by PAYTON BURKHAMMER; AT THE STAGE WHEN (CI SHI CI KE), directed by HAO ZHOU; THIS IS THE HOUSE: IF I DON'T SEE YOU, I LOVE YOU, directed by CLAUDIA OWUSU; and LA ESPERANZA, directed by JAVIER CRUZ-GINEZ. Guests are invited to remain after the screening for a Q&A with the filmmakers. Presented by CAPA and marking its fifth anniversary, Cinema Columbus is expected to announce its full 2026 schedule at a later date, with more than 20 screenings planned across four Columbus venues, including the Drexel Theatre, Gateway Film Center, Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
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