Get your highlighters out, the Milwaukee Film Festival guide has officially released!
Quick guide
- Dates: Thursday, April 21 - Thursday May 5
- Locations: The Oriental Theater / The Avalon Theater / Times Cinema
- Style: In person and Virtual
- Here's the complete guide with all films and showtimes
- Tickets will be available on April 11 for members and April 13 for non-members.
Highlights
- This year's fest will screen 284 films. With 134 feature length films and 150 shorts.
- Opening Night Film: The Pez Outlaw on Thursday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Oriental Theater
- Centerpiece Film: Navalny on Friday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Oriental Theater
- Closing Film: Petite Maman on Thursday, May 5 at 8 p.m. at the Oriental Theater
Choice Selections
Cinebuds LIVE: "The Thing." The Oriental will be screening the 40th Anniversary of John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Cinebuds will be doing a live podcast on the film after the screening. Playing Thursday, April 28.
" Anonymous Club." This is a documentary about 88Nine favorite, Courtney Barnett. Described as "the antithesis of a rock biography" it uses a blend of traditional footage and self-recorded audio diaries to show all sides of Barnett's internal struggles, her self-perception, the pressure of fame and everything that it means to be an artist. Playing Friday, April 29 and Sunday, May 1.
" Memoria." This one stars Tila Swinton as a Scottish woman who hears a loud bang at daybreak and begins experiencing a mysterious sensory syndrome while moving through the jungles of Colombia. Playing once, at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
" The Cathedral." Executive produced by Milwaukee native David Lowery (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story) "The Cathedral" is a meditative, impressionistic account of an American family's rise and fall over two decades. It's a period piece told in segments punctuated by archival footage from real life current events. Playing Wednesday, April 27 and Tuesday, May 3.
" David Byrne's American Utopia." Unfortunately, the film fest will not be showing "Stop Making Sense." But it's not without trying. The film is being restored for an upcoming anniversary or re-release, and the owners are not allowing anyone to show it. In its place, the film festival is showing "David Byrne's American Utopia," Byrne's critically acclaimed Broadway show, which was directed by Spike Lee and stars Milwaukee native, Angie Swan. Dance, we shall. Playing Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Oriental.
" We Feed People." Renowned chef Jose Andres' nonprofit World Central Kitchen has a mission to provide food to those in the wake of disaster. As a fellow mission based non-profit, we can't pass on this one. Playing Tuesday, April 26, Wednesday, April 27 and Wednesday May 4.
These suggestions just scratch the surface of the films at this year's festival. Personally, my favorite part of the festival is going out into the unknown. See something on a whim. Go in blind. Cause just showing up and being there is part of the fun. It's always the unplanned moments of the festival that are the most memorable.