At Radio Milwaukee, we don’t exactly hide our affection for independent artists. Individuals doing something remarkable with limited (or nonexistent) resources is always something to be lauded. That’s as true in the movie world as it is for music, which is why we’re excited about the series being rolled out by Milwaukee Film throughout the month of January.
Indie Breakouts is an appetizer of sorts for the indie-palooza that is the Sundance Film Festival. While the annual event that brings the cinematic universe to Utah doesn’t get going until Jan. 23, you can check out some of the biggest indie films from recent years starting today (Jan. 3) and running all the way through the first day of February.
There’s something for a variety of film tastes packed into those days — the horror of Hereditary and The Witch, the exuberant joy of Paris Is Burning, and the sheer WTF-ness of Donnie Darko. Here’s the full lineup and schedule (all movies at the Oriental Theatre):
- Donnie Darko — Jan. 3 (10 p.m.), Jan. 4 (9 p.m.)
- Hereditary — Jan. 9-10 (9:30 p.m.), Jan. 11 (9:45 p.m.)
- To Sleep With Anger — Jan. 11-12 (4 p.m.)
- Whiplash — Jan. 16 (7 p.m.)
- The Witch — Jan. 16-18 (9:30 p.m.)
- Paris Is Burning — Jan. 18-19 (3 p.m.)
- American Movie — Jan. 23 (7 p.m.)
- We’re All Going to the World’s Fair — Jan. 23-24 (9:30 p.m.), Jan. 25 (9:45 p.m.)
- Hoop Dreams — Jan. 25-26 (3 p.m.)
- Dinner in America — Jan. 30-31, Feb. 1 (9 p.m.)
- Embrace of the Serpent — Feb. 1 (3 p.m.)
That’s not the only thing Milwaukee Film has planned for January — and beyond. Also starting this month is a series called Let’s Dig In, which puts planet Earth front and center via films dealing with everything from what we eat (Food, Inc. 2) to the supposedly recyclable stuff that’s piling up in our landfills and oceans (The Story of Plastic).
Putting aside the current temperature in our area, the world’s on fire, so take these 12 opportunities to learn a little bit about what’s happening and what you might be able to do about it (all movies start at noon at the Oriental Theatre):
- The Need to Grow — Jan. 4
- Kiss the Ground — Jan. 18
- The Garden — Feb. 1
- Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution — Feb. 15
- The Biggest Little Farm — March 1
- The Grab — March 15
- The Story of Plastic — March 29
- Common Ground — April 12
- Food, Inc. 2 — May 10
- Lakota Nation vs. United States — May 24
- 32 Sounds — June 7
- The Seeds of Vandana Shiva — June 21
