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"Believeland" is a documentary about Cleveland sports made for the ESPN "30 for 30" series.

(Courtesy of Andy Billman)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An ESPN sports documentary on Cleveland called "Believeland" will headline the Cleveland International Film Festival's "40th Anniversary Signature Event" with a world-premiere screening at at Playhouse Square, the festival announced Thursday.

The fest will open at Tower City Cinemas on Wednesday, March 30, with a 7 p.m. screening of an immigrant story set in the 1970s, "Good Ol' Boy," directed by Frank Lotito. The screening will be followed by an opening-night gala and a reception at Tower City Center that will feature Lotito and actors from the film.

The festival will close on Sunday, April 10, with a coming-of-age drama called "Hunt for the Wilderpeople." The 7 p.m. screening, also at Tower City Cinemas, will be followed by a dessert reception and an awards presentation program.

The festival's signature event on Thursday, March 31, will be a 7 p.m. screening of "Believeland" at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace. The documentary, directed by Ohio native and University of Toledo graduate Andy Billman, covers the travails of Cleveland sports teams and fans as they endure debacles such as The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot and The Decision.

Nearly every big sports name in the city's history is featured, from Jim Brown to Jim Thome, Tom Hamilton to Jim Donovan. "Believeland" is part of ESPN's "30 for 30" series.

Opening-night tickets are $200 ($175 for CIFF members). Closing-night tickets are $16 ($14 for CIFF members). Tickets for "Believeland" are $16 ($14 for CIFF members.) For more information, go to www.clevelandfilm.org or call 1-877-304-FILM. Tickets go on sale to festival members at 11 a.m. Friday, March 11; to the general public at 11 a.m. Friday, March 18.