Every week on Cinebuds sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Doors, Kristopher Pollard from Milwaukee Film and Radio Milwaukee’s Dori Zori review movies, tell you which ones are showing in our city and talk with the people who help bring them to the big screen.
Strange but true. Funny but true. Deeply emotionally moving … but true.
Those feelings — and many others — are the foundation for Milwaukee Film’s Dialogues Documentary Film Festival, which returns to the Oriental and Downer Theatres from Sept. 24-27.
The key aspect of the event, however, is truth. The features screening across the four days are the real experiences of real people, from community activists right here in Milwaukee to cowgirls defying gender roles in Wyoming to astronauts leaving the confines of our atmosphere.
The festival is a favorite around the Radio Milwaukee offices, and Dori and Kpolly are more than happy to serve as our proxies as they discuss eight highlights with two very knowledgeable guests: Milwaukee Film artistic director Cara Ogburn and programmer Abbie Esterline. They talk about what audiences can look forward to, how they build the festival lineup and how important the “dialogues” part of the title is.
Festival picks
Amazing Live Sea Monkeys
Sept. 27 | 7 p.m.
Downer Theatre
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut wages a David-and-Goliath battle to reclaim her late husband's iconic toy — Amazing Live Sea Monkeys! — from the corporate forces who stole the rights from her. Whether you raised Sea Monkeys, begged your parents to order them from a magazine or love stories about mad genius entrepreneurs, this film will hook you with the toy’s surprising origins, enduring legacy and the mysterious story behind its invention.
Cheyenne
Sept. 26 | 2:30 p.m.
Oriental Theatre
Cheyenne follows four fearless cowgirls competing in bronc riding on the rodeo circuit. After nearly a century of male-exclusivity, the women's circuit is back to prove their perseverance, talent and grit. In a sport that teaches you how to take a hard fall and get back up again, each of these women enters the arena for different reasons, pushing their physical and mental limits to win a coveted spot at the showdown known as the Daddy of ’em All: Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Earth to Michael
Sept. 25 | 2 p.m.
Downer Theatre
Co-director Nico López-Alegría turns the camera on his dad, Michael, a NASA astronaut who became legendary for his lengthy missions to outer space. During his time in orbit, the family broke apart. Although Michael returned to Earth, he never came home. Equal parts interstellar and intimate, this coming-of-age story confronts two men of different generations and sexualities, asking us what sacrifices we’ll make for our loved ones to achieve their dreams.
Heavy Is the Crown
Sept. 27 | 4:30 p.m.
Oriental Theatre
Heavy Is the Crown follows charismatic Milwaukee community activist Vaun Mayes as he works alongside those most affected by cycles of violence, systemic neglect and polarizing policing. Mayes reveals the resilience and care that sustain a community from within, empowering everyday community members to build programs and practices that nurture positivity in our city. The feature will be preceded by Dear Milwaukee, a short film made by youth at Arts@Large exploring similar themes and ideas.
Kids Like Me
Sept. 26 | 11 a.m.
Downer Theatre
Meet Oliver, a 12-year-old murder-mystery enthusiast with a vivid imagination and a rare genetic condition. Inspired by his love of the genre, he sets out to bring his own mystery to the screen — with a little help from his friends. Offering an intimate window into growing up with disability and the power of community, Kids Like Me celebrates the pursuit of creative dreams and what becomes possible through collective care.
Odyssey
Sept. 27 | 1:45 p.m.
Oriental Theatre
This remarkable archival documentary captures America's greatest adventures in space — from the rise of NASA to the gripping rescue mission of Apollo 13 — told entirely through over 2,500 hours of rare material, including much never before available to the public. Audiences are brought to the center of the mission by focusing on astronaut and pilot Jim Lovell, using his personal experience with space flight as a framework to understand the effort and sacrifice required for the Apollo missions.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Sept. 25 | 8:15 p.m.
Oriental Theatre
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves delivers a final surprise with Once Upon a Time in Harlem. Drawn from a 1972 gathering, the film unites surviving luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance — like Arna Bontemps, Noble Sissle and James Ven Der Zee — in electric conversations about art and legacy. Hailed as a "triumph" by the Hollywood Reporter and poised for awards season, this treasure offers a vivid, firsthand encounter with a movement that reshaped American history.
Sara Bareilles: Good Grief
Sept. 27 | 8 p.m.
Oriental Theatre
For the first time in seven years, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles returns to the studio with close friends to begin recording her most intimate album yet, born of profound personal loss and grief. This cinematic portrait observes the most private corners of Sara’s creative process, as well as her personal life. What unfolds in front of the camera is the incredibly raw experience of mining one’s own pain to create art and the hope that carries an artist forward.
