The Cleveland Silent Film Festival and Colloquium (CSFF) launched its fall series of five silent films last weekend, with the screening of the 1925 “Phantom of the Opera” in the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) Gartner Auditorium. The film stars Lon Chaney and American Musical Productions’ 18-piece orchestra playing the film’s original orchestral score under the baton of conductor Joseph Rubin.

An opening night party followed at the Heights Theater, where fundraiser included a silent auction and a costume contest. An additional silent short was shown with live piano music by David Blazer.

All of the silent films featured in the 2025 CSFF are accompanied by various forms of music—an addition that brings a new dynamic to the 1920s silent classics.

“Silent films, when paired with live music can be an utterly engrossing experience,” observes CSFF founder and executive director Emily Laurance. “Cinema that limits words in favor of gesture and expression can tap into deep emotional undercurrents in the story. At the same time, music can have the same properties, thus intensifying the experience.”

A quiet weekend
CSFF picks up again this Friday, Sept. 19, with a weekend of three silent screenings. First, step into a world of high society and hidden secrets in the Gartner Auditorium on Friday at 7:30 for Ernst Lubitsch’s 1925 “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” adapted from the 1892 play by Oscar Wilde and considered one of Lubitsch’s most sophisticated silent comedies.

“In a film like ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan,’ music conveys important emotional information about the characters’ relationships that are masked by their surface interactions,” notes Laurance.

The silent-era gem is accompanied by a chamber quintet performing live, bringing the film to life with a rich, evocative original compilation score drawn from authentic historic photoplay music. It’s an evening where elegance, irony, and artistry take center stage.

“Don’t miss this rare chance to experience one of silent cinema’s most sophisticated comedies as it was meant to be seen and heard,” says Laurance, “On the big screen, with live music and all the charm of a bygone era.”

A double bill is on the schedule for Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. with René Clair’s surreal comedies, the 1924/1925 “Paris Qui Dort” (“Paris Asleep”) and the 1924 Entr’acte. The films will be screened with a compilation score using French music from the 1920s.

René Clair’s Paris Qui DortArt Deco celebrated
While Laurance says most of the films in the fall series are celebrating their centennials, in that they were made in 1925, The date of “Paris Qui Dort” often gets dated as 1924, and the dates of these 1920s silents “are kind of shifty,” she says.

Additionally, Saturday’s two films celebrate the centennial of the Art Deco movement, Laurance notes.

“The Art Deco movement is named after the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts), which opened in Paris in 1925,” Laurance explains. “And, CMA currently has an exhibit also celebrating the centennial of Art Deco—"Rose Iron Works and Art Deco”—and the films are a tie-in with that exhibit.”

Gabe Pollack, CMA director of performing arts, says the partnership between CMA and CSFF was so successful that museum officials are excited to be hosting three CSFF films this year. Additionally, Pollack says the timeliness of the Art Deco movement subject is perfect timing.

“We know folks love to see films being presented at the museum and the fact that the Cleveland Silent Film Festival is showing films from the same era as the metalwork on view in the “Rose Iron Works and Art Deco” exhibit allows visitors to really immerse themselves in art and culture from the 1920s.”

Before Saturday’s screenings, a panel discussion on silent film music will be held at 1:30 p.m. The discussion will be moderated by Cleveland pianist Eric Charnofsky and the panelists include some of the best local and regional practitioners of the art: leading film accompanist Philip Carli from Rochester, New York; Louisville, Colorado composer and director of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra; Rodney Sauer, Cleveland pianist; David Blazer; and Ravenna organist Donnie Rankin.

On Sunday, Sept 21 in the Gartner Auditorium, Buster Keaton stars in the 1925 “Go West”—presented with a compilation score, with sound effects by Radio on the Lake Theatre (ROLT). The professional theater company specializing in audio arts previously provided sound effects for the 2024 CSFF screening of the 1930 “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

ROLT creates opportunities for a new generation through script development, voice acting and sound effects instruction, educational initiatives and outreach to underserved communities, including low- and no-vision children and adults.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, the CSFF fall series comes to a close with a 9 p.m. screening of “Faust,” at the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Cinematheque. The film will be accompanied live by The Silent Light, a Los Angeles-based metal band that specializes in playing for silent films.

“I'm excited to host the Silent Light at the Cinematheque,” says Cinematheque director Bilgesu Sisman. “Musical scores have a tremendous impact on how movies are enjoyed. Modern approaches to silent film accompaniment like the Silent Light's metal offerings turn classics like ‘Faust’ into novel experiences for those who already love the film and invite new audiences to see and appreciate silent films.”

Laurance promises the experience of watching these 1925 silent films and celebrating their centennial anniversaries, as well as the world events of the era, is an inspiring experience—especially when music is added.

“One of the things that strikes me about our programming is the sense of discovery I feel from the audience, many of whom have never experienced silent cinema with live music,” she says. “It’s this sense of discovery and universal connection I strive to bring to Northeast Ohio audiences.”