Polka! The Movie traces how Slovenian-style polka music, also known as the Cleveland Style, became a national sensation and is still enjoyed today across the country.  Joe Valencic, a founder of the Polka Hall of Fame, wrote and narrated the film for TV Slovenia. He will share behind-the-scene stories on the making of the documentary, and took you through the Slovenian neighborhoods where the unique polka sound was born a century ago.  The music got Americans dancing after World War II when Polka King Frank Yankovic scored million-selling hits. Vintage film clips and photos bring the polka past to life.

Polka! The Movie features performances and interviews ranging from legends like Joey Miskulin (Riders in the Sky), Walter Ostanek (Canada's Polka King), Richie Vadnal and Cecilia Dolgan, to fourth-generation musicians such as Kim Rodick and Joey Tomsick. 

The Cleveland Plain Dealer calls Polka! The Movie, “a film that will have you craving smoked sausage and stomping in the aisles.”  The Cleveland International Film Festival describes it as "a valentine to polka. Don't miss a beat; Polka! The Movie's a treat."  The 90-minute documentary is presented in Slovenian and English with subtitles in both languages.  The film was directed by Dušan Moravec for Slovenian television.

This is a FREE event.