Day 1 of the Cleveland International Film Festival

And so the madness begins...

The 37th Cleveland International Film Festival kicked off last night with the Opening Night premiere of The Kings of Summer. Filmed in Cleveland last year, the film chronicles the lives of three teenagers who attempt to spend their summer in the woods in a house they have built all their own. The boys soon realize that independence comes at its own price and their new born freedom is not all its cracked up to be.

The result is a heartwarming and humorous indie gem that I can clearly say may be the best opening film the festival has had in the last decade.

The film garnered rave reviews just a few short months ago when it made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival and seemed to honestly please the record-breaking 1,800 attendees on Wednesday night.

While the teenagers in the film seemed cast quite well, especially the role of Biaggio played with utter brilliance by newcomer Moises Arias, it is the appearance of several comedic veterans - including Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and Alison Brie - which brought most of the laughs from the coming-of-age comedy. Screenwriter Chris Galletta pefectly balances emotional importance with laugh-out-loud moments that will have you quoting the film long after you leave the theater.

In case you missed the film, fear not, The Kings of Summer will hit Cleveland this June.

The festival continues today and runs through til Sunday, April 14. Stay tuned for more reviews and reactions from the festival as we make our way among the always riveting exploration of the world through the keen eye of film.