CLEVELAND — As tens of thousands of people get set to converge on Cleveland for the total solar eclipse in a few weeks, the outdoor attraction is not the only one in northeast Ohio during the first week of April. Another will have visitors headed indoors to admire work on the silver screen.

The 48th Cleveland International Film Festival is set to kick off on April 3, bringing thousands more people to the region.

“There will be 263 screenings of films from 60 different countries,” said Patrick Shepherd, Associate Director of the Cleveland International Film Festival.

This year’s theme is “In the Glow,” paying tribute to the total solar eclipse that will encompass much of the Buckeye State halfway through the ten-day festival.

“If you look at the cover of our film guide and you look at our image campaign, you’ll often see an homage to an eclipse, so the sun and the glowing it’s all connected,” Shepherd said.

Associate Director Patrick Shepherd said this year’s festival will glow on devices across the world.

Besides the thousands who are expected to tend in person, those who cannot make it to Cleveland can stream the festival from home. 

There will be several local films including American Delivery, which Shepherd said is a documentary about maternal mortality featuring MetroHealth. 

Another local film featured in the festival is called What’s Next?

“It’s about the Cleveland area doctor. His name is Howard Tucker and he actually has the Guinness World Record for being the oldest practicing physician. He is, I believe, 101 years old now and we hope to have him at the festival,” Shepherd said.  

There are two ways films are selected for the program.

There is an artistic director who seeks films from around the world.

If a film is not chosen that way, filmmakers can pay to have their films considered.

“We had actually over 4,000 submissions this year so it’s a very highly competitive process and that all culminates into 138 feature films and 225 short films that are curated for this festival,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd said this has always been one of the largest festivals in terms of attendance across the United States. 

“We are just so fortunate as Clevelanders to have such an incredible arts and cultural scene here in Cleveland and to have Playhouse Square, which is one of the largest performing arts centers,” Shepherd said.

The films come from more than 60 different countries .

Tickets go on sale on March 22.