My favorite parts of the Milwaukee Film Festival are the little parts. It's a big event with a lot of big moments, but the little tiny ones are my favorite so I jotted them down through out the festival this year. It's written but there is also an audio player under this ad block where I have recorded what is written. I worked hard on reading it in the way that reflects what is written and I think it’s the best way to take in this little poem so that might be a nice way to experience this piece. Okay here we go.
This is the magic of the Film Festival
The director of the opening night film
unveiling a picture of his wife
who he met
at the 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival
and a picture of the child they now have together
Chris Abele going on for far too long
explaining a Spinal Tap reference
that the audience clearly knew
A packed theater
seeing a black and white movie from 1928
about a woman’s resistance
to a group of powerful men
A real Delorean parked in front of the Oriental Theatre
before the screening of Framing John DeLorean
Audiences uncontrollably clapping for short films that they love
and no one having the courage to start a courtesy round of applause
for ones with sad endings
Jeff Goldblum as the world’s most charming lobotomist
Making time to see something
that is beautiful
and slow
and for the sake of seeing art that is beautiful and slow
15 seconds of sustained applause
for Milwaukee rapper Twan Mac’s hair
at the Milwaukee Muisc Video Showcase
The producer of The Apollo
telling a story
of how she loves Milwaukee
because it’s the first place that he ever had
a tuna melt
Mark Borchardt telling the crowd that it’s raining and if they want to go home
but they want something signed
they should bring it up to him as he’s doing the Q&A
and an audience member named Trevor taking him up on it
A man
looking out at the line around the block before Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
with his hands in his front pockets
bouncing from the balls of his feet onto his heels
and musing to himself out loud
Milwaukee is booming