Lost & Found in Cleveland Brings the Heart of Collecting to the Big Screen

What happens when Antiques Roadshow meets The Wizard of Oz? The result is Lost & Found in Cleveland, a heartfelt new comedy about self-worth, connection, and the everyday treasures that tell our stories.

Following a string of sold-out premieres across the country, the film will open in more than 500 theaters nationwide starting November 7.

From Cleveland to the Silver Screen

Lost & Found in Cleveland made waves at its World Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival and its Midwest Premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival, where it shattered two 50-year attendance records with a staggering 2,700 people at a single screening. Its East Coast Premiere at the Nantucket Film Festival also sold out, continuing its remarkable momentum.

The film follows five very different people whose lives intersect when America’s favorite televised antiques appraisal show comes to Cleveland. Within just 24 hours, they discover that the true value of what we hold on to, and what we let go of, runs deeper than any price tag.

“Best in Show meets The Wizard of Oz,” describe filmmakers Keith Gerchak and Marquette Guterman, who spent twelve years bringing the project to life.

A Story Rooted in the American Dream

The filmmakers discovered inspiration for the film’s deeper themes while visiting the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, where they explored how The Wizard of Oz functions as an allegory for the American Dream. “If Scarecrow represents the farmers and Tin Man the factory workers,” they explain, “then each of our characters represents a slice through modern America. Rather than a heart or a brain, our heroes bring their objects to our Wizards, the appraisers, only to discover that the answer to self-worth lies within.”

A Star-Studded Cast and a Nostalgic Spirit

The film boasts an award-winning ensemble including Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Martin Sheen, Stacy Keach, Liza Weil, Santino Fontana, Esther Povitsky, Loretta Devine, Jon Lovitz, Jeff Hiller, Rory O'Malley, Dot-Marie Jones, Yvette Yates Redick, Benjamin Steinhauser, and Mark L. Walberg, the host of Antiques Roadshow.

With its blend of heart, humor, and nostalgia, Lost & Found in Cleveland has been hailed as “the kind of comedy with heart that Hollywood doesn’t make anymore.” The film’s underlying theme is hope, something that resonates deeply with audiences who find meaning in the objects and memories that shape their lives.

A Film for Collectors, Backed by Collectors

With over 20 corporate partners, including AARP, Libby, and Sherwin-Williams, Lost & Found in Cleveland has built unprecedented promotional momentum for an independent film. Key among these partnerships is WorthPoint, which is sponsoring a nationwide Pop-Up Valuation Tour that takes the film’s fictional “Lost & Found” show on the road to 11 cities, complete with a sweepstakes for VIP premiere tickets at Cleveland’s iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The filmmakers spoke with our own Cleveland-native Terry Kovel, co-founder of Kovels and a lifelong champion of collectors, who was consulted early in the project’s development. They also spoke of the connectivity to the collectibles community, telling me, “We’ve always respected Antique Trader and think this love letter to the world of antiques and collecting, and its all-star cast, will appeal to your readers."

Coming Soon to Theaters Nationwide

“With an all-star ensemble cast and a story with universal appeal, the film is the kind of comedy with heart that Hollywood doesn't make any more,” said Gerchak and Guterman. “We’ve sold out film festivals from Newport Beach to Nantucket, shattering two 50-year records at the Midwest Premiere with 2,700 in attendance at a single screening. Audiences across the country are craving a film like this, and soon through distributor The Fithian Group, they’ll have an opportunity to see it exclusively in theaters nationwide.”