Milwaukee Film Festival

The 7th annual Milwaukee Film Festival will take place from September 24 to October 8, 2015.

The 15-day festival includes feature films, shorts programs, education screenings, post-film conversations, and panel discussions.

Bud and Sue Selig have renewed their support of the Milwaukee Film Festival for another three consecutive years, pledging $150,000 annually for 2015, 2016, and 2017. The Selig family was one of the first major supporters when the festival began in 2009, committing $100,000 for each of the 2009, 2010, and 2011 festivals. They continued their generous support in 2012, 2013, and 2014 with an increased gift of $150,000 per year.

“Sue and I are thrilled to continue our support of the Milwaukee Film Festival. In six short years, Milwaukee Film has grown to become a vital cultural institution for Milwaukee, bringing a dynamic energy to our beloved city” says Bud Selig. “We can’t wait for this fall to celebrate its 7th year.”

Jonathan Jackson, Artistic and Executive Director for Milwaukee Film, adds: “We are humbled by the philanthropic leadership of Bud and Sue. They had the vision to take a chance on a fledgling non-profit in 2009 during the financial crisis. Their continued generosity–$1,200,000 in support to date–inspires our staff and board to produce a better festival every single year.”

In recognition of the Selig family’s charitable contribution, The Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Award for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film are presented each year to the overall audience favorites in both the feature film and short film categories. The 2014 winners included Alive Inside (feature; director Michael Rossato-Bennett) and The Numberlys (short; directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg).*

Last year’s festival presented 275 films from 63 countries at four venues and on five screens. With the support of 82 Sponsors and 262 Community Partners, the festival saw continued growth in overall event attendance–64,187 in 2014, compared to 55,194 in 2013. In addition, the 2014 festival boasted 72 sold-out screenings (compared to 64 in 2013). A record 108 visiting guests participated in more than 431 individual festival events over the course of 15 days.

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The Tribe 

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, announced its 2014 Jury Award Winners on Sunday. The Tribe directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky won the Herzfeld Competition Award along with $10,000 cash, and New Planet directed by James Tindell won the Cream City Cinema: Filmmaker-in-Residence along with $5,000 cash and $20,000 production package.

Described as “An unforgettably daring cinematic act, ‘The Tribe’ immerses you in the world of a Ukrainian school for the deaf, creating a spellbinding effect unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. When Sergey arrives at school, he is immediately thrust into a teenaged cyclone of gang violence and prostitution where the only way to fit in is to become part of this debauched hierarchy. Told only through unsubtitled Ukrainian sign language, this audacious film has absolutely dazzled the festival circuit with its unsparing style and challenging subject matter, making it sure to be one of the most talked-about films of this year’s MFF.”

http://youtu.be/ZeYO_EoHP0k

 

In New Planet, two alien pilots attempt to reconnect after a crash landing on planet Earth.

“The quality of the films presented at this year’s festival was the strongest ever,” shared Artistic and Executive Director Jonathan Jackson. “Our juries faced some incredibly tough choices and ultimately recognized additional films beyond the four official awards.”

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS

Abele Catalyst Award
Marianne Lubar 

Herzfeld Competition Award ($10,000 cash)
The Tribe (dir. Miroslav Slaboshpitsky)

Cream City Cinema: Filmmaker-in-Residence ($5,000 cash and $20,000 production package)
New Planet (dir. James Tindell)

Cream City Cinema Special Jury Prize
An Evening at Angelo’s (dir. Kara Mulrooney) 

Shorter Is Better Award ($1,000 cash)
Love. Love. Love. (dir. Sandhya Daisy Sundaram)

Shorter Is Better Special Jury Prizes
Through the Hawthorne (dirs. Anna Benner, Pia Borg, Gemma Burditt)
​The Last Days of Peter Bergmann (dir. Ciaran Cassid)

Kids Choice Short Film Award
Sweet Love (dir. Albert Jan van Rees)

Kids Choice Special Jury Awards
Wombo (dir. Daniel Acht)
The Numberlys (dirs. William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg)

Pitch Us Your Doc! Contest Winner
King of Strings (dir. Joel Van Haren)

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY MEMBERS

Herzfeld Competition Jury
David Fear, Rolling Stone
Theresa Scandiffio, Toronto International Film Festival
Mike Maggiore, Film Forum

Cream City Cinema Jury
Sam Adams, IndieWire
Justine Nagan, Kartemquin Films
Jim Brunzell III, Twin Cities Daily Planet

Shorter Is Better Jury
Dan Doody, Seattle International Film Festival
Jessica Farrell, Filmmaker
Spencer Gillis, Filmmaker

Rated K: For Kids Jury
Octavia Grimes
Piper Grimes
Quinn Hammerlund
Julian Singh
Tommy Stehr
Anna Weiss

Pitch Us Your Doc! Contest Judges
Kim Nguyen, War Witch
Michael Raisler, Cinereach, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Laurie Scheer, The Writer’s Advantage: A Toolkit for Mastering Your Genre

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Finding Fela

The music documentary program, Sound Vision. returns for the third year, to the 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival, and will feature a lineup of eight outstanding and wide-ranging music documentaries complimented by Soundtrack, a live music series that takes place throughout the Festival at The Hotel Foster.  

Blyth Meier, Marketing Director for Milwaukee Film and programmer for Sound Vision is ecstatic about this year’s riveting lineup: “20,000 Days on Earth–about the enigmatic musician, writer and poet Nick Cave­–is one I’m incredibly excited to bring to Milwaukee. The timing on this is fantastic as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds recently performed here and left us all in awe. What makes it even more special to me on a personal level is that the first time I watched 20,000 Days was at Sundance, sitting across from Cave himself. It was surreal,” shares Blyth. On why she programmed The Talking Heads documentary for the second year in a row, Blyth explains, “Last year’s screening of Stop Making Sensebecame a gigantic dance party–how could we not show it again this year for its 30th anniversary?”

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

SOUND VISION 

My Prairie Home
(Canada / 2013 / Director: Chelsea McMullan)

http://youtu.be/zWTNcp8GHJo

Simultaneously a look into the life of transgender singer-songwriter Rae Spoon (who uses the gender-neutral pronoun “they”) as well as a celebration of the categorization-defying music they create (fusing folk, country, indie rock, and electronica), My Prairie Home is a truly original portrait of a true original. We follow Rae as they travel across Canada on tour, revealing the evangelical upbringing and forbidden first love that marked their early life intermingled with playfully surreal music videos set at prom or among the dinosaurs in a natural history museum. This documentary is as unique and untraditional as the performer it aims to capture.

Finding Fela
(USA / 2014 / Director: Alex Gibney)

http://youtu.be/937SQ8-6RV4 

Fela Kuti: musical pioneer, postcolonial activist, polyrhythmic innovator. Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Audience award-winner Mea Maxima Culpa, MFF 2012) sifts through the contradictions and presents a complex portrait of a man whose artistic legacy is nearly matched by his political activism. Alongside a backstage portrait of “Fela!,” an energetic Broadway show with Bill T. Jones devoted to exploring the life of this Afrobeat pioneer, we discover a man who realized the revolutionary potential that music offered through mesmerizing performance footage and revealing archival interviews. We see Fela warts and all, a man whose work in all aspects of life endures.

20,000 Days on Earth
(United Kingdom / 2014 / Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard)

http://youtu.be/WDlmnXBUoH0

Poet/musician/general enigma Nick Cave aims to lay his creative process bare with this stick of cinematic dynamite blowing up any and all rockumentary conventions. 20,000 Days on Earth takes the form of a loosely staged single day in the life of this cult musician. This hallucinatory blend of documentary and fiction features a therapy session and sudden reappearances of friends from his past (Ray Winstone, Kylie Minogue) alongside a primordial, blistering live performance. For neophytes and diehards alike, this exploration of Cave’s life and music is every bit up to the task of providing a portrait as dynamic and engaging as its subject matter.

This May Be the Last Time
(USA / 2014 / Director: Sterlin Harjo)

http://youtu.be/8uQKOYDH8Qw

A probing examination of a personal history as well as an expansive portrait of cultural expression, This May Be the Last Time lifts the veil on the power of song and storytelling among an American-Indian tribe through the prism of a mysterious disappearance that took place some 60 years prior. Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo re-examines his grandfather’s disappearance while focusing on the tribal hymns sung by the search parties that looked for him, beautiful music filled with hope and forgiveness born out of past tumult. Harjo traces these ancient songs back through time, illuminating a surprising genealogy of cultural influence whose borders expand far beyond that of his southeastern tribe.

The Ballad of Shovels and Rope
(USA / 2014 / Director: Jace Freeman)

http://youtu.be/_rbWbaXv1oo

This foot-stomping, heartwarming journey follows Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, the husband-and-wife folk duo known as Shovels and Rope, as they pack their belongings (along with their beloved dog Townes Van Zandt) into their van and begin a relentless tour in support of their dreams. The Ballad of Shovels and Rope tracks the creation of their critically acclaimed album “O’ Be Joyful,” following this loving couple’s journey from waitress and studio artist to award-winning musical artists, stopping at all of the dive bars and nightclubs along the way and showing the hard work, creativity, and ingenuity that will make you fall in love with this amazing duo.

Revenge of The Mekons
(USA / 2013 / Director: Joe Angio)

http://youtu.be/_Hk_c6e7gv0

Once described by Lester Bangs as “the most revolutionary group in the history of rock ’n’ roll,” genre-bending British outfit The Mekons are now four decades into an ever-evolving career that has netted them endless critical acclaim despite their pursuit of commercial success—success that has constantly eluded them, though this rollicking documentary portrait aims to correct that cultural wrong. With the aid of effusive supporters (Jonathan Franzen, Fred Armisen, Luc Sante), we examine this group as they traverse from their punk rock origins in Thatcher-era England to their current middle age in the vanguard of what is now known as alt-country without ever losing sight of their status as political provocateurs.

Take Me to the River
(USA / 2014 / Director: Martin Shore)

Take Me to the River

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/79138363

An ode to an unprecedented era of creativity, Take Me to the River is a soul-stirring examination of the influence that Memphis and Stax Records held over the music world, a must-see for fans of Muscle Shoals and the Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom. In this film, produced by Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison, we’re granted access to the creative process behind a new album (featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg and Mavis Staples) looking to continue the proud intergenerational and interracial influence of the Memphis music scene, an exuberant celebration of the grooves that stand in defiance of segregation and show the power of creative collaboration toward realizing this utopian ideal.

Stop Making Sense
(USA / 1984 / Director: Jonathan Demme)

Stop Making Sense

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/5804404

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Jonathan Demme’s essential concert film returns to the festival after a run last year that had our audience literally dancing in the aisles. Filmed over the course of two performances, this epic documentary of The Talking Heads, their live-wire frontman David Byrne, and Milwaukee’s own Jerry Harrison is as exuberant a portrait of the live concert experience as we’re ever likely to have on the big screen. Gaining momentum as though the performance is rocketing downhill, this film will be once again the can’t-miss experience of the festival.

 

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 Wetlands

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, announced its lineup for Cinema Hooligante. Now in its third year, the popular late-night film program expands to include more science fiction, fantasy, and comedy, alongside its traditional repertoire of horror, gore, and cult films. Embracing the mantra “where grown-ups come out to play,” Milwaukee Film adds variety to the mix through a more balanced offering of genres. 

Also in the lineup this year are two classic films screening in 35mm. John Axford presents Stanley Kubrick’s satirical comedy, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in celebration of its 50th anniversary, (Axford presented Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey at MFF 2013). Rob Reiner’s acclaimed rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, will also screen in celebration of its 30th anniversary. 

For those Hooligante fans still recovering from the previous night’s midnight screening, the Milwaukee Film Festival and Milwaukee Record present Bloody Sunday at The Hotel Foster–a hangover party filled with specials on Bloody Marys, free cold pizza, and non-stop horror films onSunday, September 28 from 11am to 3pm.

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

CINEMA HOOLIGANTE
Each of these films will push the boundaries of reality, playing with the rules on fantasy, horror, science fiction, comedy, and the very best of cult cinema. Cinema Hooligante is where the grown-ups come out to play.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
(USA, United Kingdom / 1964 / Director: Stanley Kubrick)

http://youtu.be/1gXY3kuDvSU

Not just a great black comedy, but one of the greatest films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is vicious and hilarious, a political satire that feels no less fresh and relevant now than it did upon its release 50 years ago. With the Soviet Union and U.S. on the verge of nuclear war, it only takes one loony general (Sterling Hayden) who believes that the Commies seek to destroy our “precious bodily fluids,” a Pentagon war room populated by maniacs (including an unhinged George C. Scott, with Peter Sellers playing both the president and a Nazi scientist), and a patriotic B-52 bomber pilot carrying an atomic payload (the iconic Slim Pickens) to assure our mutual destruction.

 

Mood Indigo (L’ecume des Jours)
(France / 2013 / Director: Michel Gondry)

http://youtu.be/dh3V-dFlmyk 

Visionary director Michel Gondry returns to the visually spectacular surrealistic love story setting wherein he’s found his greatest success (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) with Mood Indigo. Colin (Romain Duris) engages in a whirlwind love affair with the beautiful Chloe (Audrey Tautou) only to find Chloe afflicted with a strange malady—a water lily growing in her lungs—that challenges both her health and their relationship. No director is capable of marrying the visually poetic with melancholy as effectively as Gondry, who captures the ecstatic highs and manic lows of love through a series of boundlessly creative sequences.

 

Patema Inverted (Sakasama No Patema)
(Japan / 2013 / Director: Yasuhiro Yoshiura)

http://youtu.be/RQZAXLAV63s

This stunning anime revolves around a botched scientific experiment that has led to two dramatically different societies: the inverts who have lost their gravity and must live deep underground so as not to fall into the sky, and those who live above and are forbidden to look up for fear of these inverts. Underground princess Patema and rebellious surface-dweller Age refuse to believe in the totalitarian government’s status quo and find one another in this dynamic and intelligent sci-fi allegory. Intelligently exploring ideas about fear of the unknown and prejudice, the film follows Patema and Age as they look to bridge these upside-down worlds and discover the beautiful equilibrium that can come from coexistence.

 

The Raid 2
(Indonesia / 2013 / Director: Gareth Evans)

http://youtu.be/MG9uFX3uYq4 

An unrelenting exercise in bone-crunching action, The Raid 2 is manna from action-lovers heaven. Undercover cop Rama infiltrates a burgeoning gang war between Arab and Japanese crime syndicates by befriending the son of crime boss Bangun while in prison, insinuating himself into an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse. The perfect antidote for anyone who thought The Departed could’ve done with more face-kicking, director Gareth Evans’ crime epic is packed with action sequences of exquisite intensity. The symphony of mayhem culminates with a nearly 30-minute finale that is among the best ever filmed—it practically demands to be seen on the big screen.

 

This Is Spinal Tap
(USA / 1984 / Director: Rob Reiner)

http://youtu.be/N63XSUpe-0o

Turn it up to 11 at this year’s MFF with Rob Reiner’s all-time great rockumentary following the exploits of David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and an endless succession of deceased percussionists that form Spinal Tap. With the assistance of eerily accurate details supplied by real-life metal bands, we watch the hilarious exploits of this group on the wane as their misfortune begets smaller and smaller venues (including Milwaukee’s then-fictitious Shank Hall) and larger and funnier insults. An inspiration to every comedic mockumentary that has followed in its footsteps, This Is Spinal Tap hasn’t lost an iota of its verve and energy in the 30 years since its release.

 

Time Lapse
(USA / 2014 / Director: Bradley King)

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/88809713

Three friends (including MFF 2011 alum Matt O’Leary, Natural Selection) discover a remarkable machine that photographs events exactly 24 hours into the future in this twisting science-fiction action thriller. Found inside an abandoned neighboring apartment, this machine opens up a world of possibilities for the trio to cash in on, but their friendship is tested by an unstable criminal looking to exploit the machine for his own gains. In the proud tradition of past (or is it future?) time-traveling indies such as Timecrimes and Primer, Time Lapse is a film as much about ideas as thrills, combining action, humor, and philosophy with aplomb.

 

Wetlands (Feuchtgebiete)
(Germany / 2013 / Director: David Wnendt)

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/72133858

A film as unapologetic as the main character it portrays, Wetlands is the adaptation of a novel once thought unfilmable. We follow the explicit exploits of Helen, our skateboarding 18-year-old protagonist whose brazen interest in bodily fluids and female sexuality finds her sharing used tampons, masturbating with vegetables, and exploring all other manner of debauchery. An unfortunate shaving mishap lands her in the hospital with an anal fissure, so she whiles away the hours by scheming to reunite her divorced parents and engaging in ribald flirtation with her handsome male nurse. Unashamed and uncompromising, but filled with infectious energy and a showstopping lead performance, Wetlands is an unforgettable film experience.

Witching and Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi)
(Spain, France / 2013 / Director: Álex de la Iglesia)

http://youtu.be/ISqG3zjZZVk

Alex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus, MFF 2011) is back with his latest go-for-broke genre mash-up, following a group of robbers who hide out in the Basque countryside in the aftermath of an audacious daytime robbery. Little do they know they’ve happened upon the infamous village of Zugarramurdi, home to a coven of vengeful witches—and the robbers happen to be just in time for an ancient ceremony that requires the ultimate sacrifice from its unwilling male participants. Iglesia fills his madcap supernatural spectacle with copious amounts of sex, gore, and comedy, living up to his reputation as Spain’s preeminent master of gonzo filmmaking.

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HAMLET A.D.D

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival announced its Cream City Cinema lineup. Now in its 6th year, Cream City Cinema showcases the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers and awards one local filmmaker with a yearlong Filmmaker-in-Residence prize along with a $5,000 cash award.

This year’s Cream City Cinema includes four feature-length fiction films (HAMLET A.D.D, PESTER, THE OTHER ONE, SERIAL DATERS ANONYMOUS), one feature-length documentary (PSYCHOPATH), and three shorts programs: The Milwaukee Youth Show—the festival’s third annual showcase for local filmmakers ages 18 and under as well as two installments of The Milwaukee Show.

The program culminates with the highly sought-after Filmmaker-in-Residence juried prize which awards a yearlong residency with Milwaukee Film. The residency includes a mentorship program, a $5,000 cash prize, and a production services package, sponsored by Independent, North American Camera, and RDI Stages, valued at more than $20,000 to help the winning filmmaker produce their next film. Past winners include Michael T. Vollman (2013), Chris James Thompson (2012), Michael Hawkins-Burgos (2011), Tate Bunker (2010), and John Roberts (2009).

 2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

CREAM CITY CINEMA 
Cream City Cinema is the annual showcase of the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers. One of these local creatives will receive a yearlong Filmmaker-in-Residence prize from the jury that includes a cash award of $5,000!

Hamlet A.D.D.
(USA / 2014 / Directors: Bobby Ciraldo, Andrew Swant) 

http://youtu.be/CMbbk1p9aCM

From the twisted minds of the men who brought you What What (In the Butt) and William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet comes this bizarre and comical reimagining of Shakespeare’s work the way it was meant to be seen—chock-full of time travel and featuring Screech from “Saved by the Bell.” Hop-scotching from the 1800s through the 1950s and ‘70s (rest assured there will be disco dancing) before making its way into the distant future, Hamlet A.D.D. remakes Shakespeare for an era of viral videos and memes—a boldly irreverent take on the source material over 10 years in the making.

 

The Milwaukee Show I
The first of two installments celebrating our abundance of hometown talent, The Milwaukee Show I brings a diversity of styles and voices to the big screen, a veritable wealth of filmmaking riches. The stories in this program include extraterrestrials searching for one another in the Milwaukee area and a sobering examination of the untimely death of Corey Stingley.

The Death of Corey Stingley | Spencer Chumbley
An Evening at Angelo’s | Kara Mulrooney
Glider | Junehyuck Jeon
The Harpist | Erica Thompson
The Kenny Dennis | WC Tank
Little America | Kurt Raether
New Planet | James Tindell
Settlers | Nathaniel Heuer

 

The Milwaukee Show II
This second installment of the perennial favorite, The Milwaukee Show II shorts program brings us even more local filmmakers showcasing their immense talent on the festival’s biggest stage, with work spanning several genres and modes of storytelling. The films here range from a live-action narrative short of a young girl that brings happiness and color into the world through balloons to a wacky musical about an amnesiac trapped in a derelict bar adrift in time and space.

Balloons | Sitora Takanaev
Geoffrey Broughe Handles Confrontation Poorly | Jon Phillips
MECCA: The Floor That Made Milwaukee Famous | Chris James Thompson
One Week Vacation | Brendan T. Jones
Smoky Places | Michael DiMilo
This is Jackie. | Anna Sampers
Tis the Season | Kirsten Stuck
To Hold In the Heart | Pang Yang Her
The Waystation in the Stars | Brandon L Morrissey

The Milwaukee Youth Show
When you take a look at the remarkable work being created by our area youth (ages 18 and under), you’ll know without a doubt that the kids are all right. Spanning a range of styles, this showcase for the next generation of local filmmakers is a great way to get acquainted with the names you’ll be seeing at future editions of MFF.200,000 | Gavin White, Tyler Matthews, Jeremy LeCleir, Scott Meade

Assist Bhopal | Megan Sai Dogra
The Autumn Vignette | Serbata Tarrer
Counting the Dead | Alexandra Van Den Heuvel
Dreaming | Felicia McGowan
Get Real People | Griffin Anderson, Mitch Dykstra, Tanner Dykstra, Ronnie Al-Ramahi
Iero | Gabriella Avila, Alexia Jaso
If You Weren’t Here | LaVarnway Boys & Girls Club workshop participants
La Decisiones de Tu Vida | Alondra Mercado, Ana Ornelas
Let the Children Live | Clarke Street Boys & Girls Club workshop participants
Media and Mental Illness | Eden Raduege, Mikayla Bell
Protect Yourself | Youth from Townsend CLC Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Wake Up and Pay Attention | Youth from the Daniels-Mardak Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee

 

The Other One
(USA / 2014 / Director: Josef Steiff) 

http://youtu.be/V4SDEOWmwg4

Schoolteacher Amber, who survived a school shooting, returns to her rural childhood home to tend to her mother, whose dementia is becoming increasingly unmanageable. As her mother’s mental state deteriorates, family secrets are spilled that throw everything Amber thought she knew about her childhood into question. Family conflict brews as the women deal with the traumatic events of the past that have shaped them in the present. A supernaturally tinged drama about how the past can quite literally come back to haunt us, The Other One asks whether or not some emotional scars can ever heal and if redemption is possible when one struggles to forgive herself.

Preceded by Years | Director: Rose Curley

Pester
(USA / 2014 / Director: Eric Gerber) 

Pester

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/67927648 

A family extermination business run by two brothers and their father falls upon economic and ethical hardships in this challenging drama from UWM graduate Eric Gerber. With a cast and crew largely exported from Milwaukee to film in Los Angeles (including co-star Nick Sommer from MFF 2013’s Billy Club), Gerber delves into this unusual portrait of the American dream, as both brothers struggle with issues of identity and very different forms of addiction. Their pest control business hangs in the balance, in danger of being muscled out of the market by bigger corporate entities.Preceded by Give It Up for the Girl | Director: Carol Brandt

 

Psychopath
(USA / 2014 / Director: Manny Marquez) 

Psychopath

Oklahoma garbageman Victor Marquez has held a lifelong dream of creating gruesome makeup effects for Hollywood movies, but life got in the way and Victor deferred his dream to start a family with the love of his life. Twenty-five years later, husband and wife pool their life savings to purchase acreage where Victor will put together a haunted house that showcases his ghoulish talents, a risky business venture in rural Oklahoma where such celebrations of the macabre raise the ire of locals who perpetuate racial stereotypes. A documentary from Victor’s nephew Manny (MFF 2012 Work-in-Progress alum), Psychopath is a portrait of a self-made entrepreneur following the American dream despite long odds.  Preceded by Carnival of the Animals | Director: Sitora Takanaev

 

Serial Daters Anonymous
(USA / 2014 / Director: Christopher Carson Emmons) 

http://youtu.be/J7x76CUJd-g 

Filmed entirely in Milwaukee, this rom-com features jilted fashion columnist Claire cutting a wide swath through the local dating scene on the heels of being informed by her fiancé of his philandering tendencies at the altar. She blogs about each first date while refusing to go on a second. But this angel of dating vengeance meets her match in Kyle (Milwaukee-born Sam Page, a.k.a. Joan’s hot husband from “Mad Men”), a former flame who threatens to derail her plans for revenge on the entire male populace by introducing feelings back into the equation. A dating comedy with local flavor, Serial Daters Anonymous is a witty tonic for the brokenhearted.  Preceded by Anchovies | Director: Annabelle Attanasio

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 Cesar’s Grill

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, announced the launch of its new film program: Film Feast. In its inaugural year, Film Feast presents a diverse lineup of features, eight in total, comprised of both fiction and documentary films that explore and celebrate the culture of food and drink.

Comedies like the crowd-pleaser Paulette, about an ill-tempered old woman­–an ex-pastry chef turned cannabis kingpin, and culturally-rich films like Soul of a Banquet, a mouth-watering documentary about legendary Chinese chef Cecilia Chiang by The Joy Luck Club director Wayne Wang, are at opposite sides of the spectrum. Whether viewers have a taste for romance, politics, social or environmental issues, they’ll find something delicious here.     

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

FILM FEAST

A Year in Burgundy
(USA, France / 2013 / Director: David Kennard)
Trailer: 

http://vimeo.com/40705234

Cleanse your palates, fans of SOMM (MFF 2013)—A Year in Burgundy is the 2014 vintage you’ve been waiting for. Set your destination for France, where we follow a year in the life of a grape through seven different wine-making families, in a film that captures the artistry and dedication required in order to produce a truly stellar vino. As the four seasons pass at each vineyard, we see the history generated by multiple generations of wine-makers, with secrets and techniques being passed down through the ages. We also glimpse the history of that year, for better or worse, which makes its way into every bottle.

Cesar’s Grill
(Germany, Ecuador, Switzerland / 2013 / Director: Darío Aguirre)

Trailer: 

http://vimeo.com/71440059

After a decade spent abroad in Germany, filmmaker Dario Aguirre is called home to Ecuador by his father to prevent the family restaurant from falling into bankruptcy. An already tenuous father/son relationship (Dario is a vegetarian, while his father and his restaurant are passionately pro-meat) is pulled to its breaking point as Aguirre attempts to stop the restaurant from hemorrhaging more money. As he struggles to reconcile with the culture after so many years away, he recognizes the importance of his father’s business to the community in this simple, unsparing documentary.

Paulette
(France / 2012 / Director: Jérôme Enrico)

http://youtu.be/KxqGy1AlWv4

This crowd-pleasing French comedy shows it’s never too late in life to make a career change. We follow the cantankerous Paulette (the late, great Bernadette Lafont) as she struggles to make ends meet on only her pension in a suburban Paris housing project. Using the smarts and ingenuity honed over her years as a pastry chef, Paulette embarks on a career as a weed dealer with the aid of her elderly neighbors. But success draws the attention of rival dealers and the police (of which her own son is a member), and Paulette will need to use every ounce of her resourcefulness in this charming story of family and friendship.

Slow Food Story
(Italy, Ireland / 2013 / Director: Stefano Sardo)

http://youtu.be/Iyjpck1j880

Born of humble beginnings nearly 30 years ago in response to McDonald’s making its way to Rome, activist Carlo Petrini’s Slow Food Movement has since created a worldwide food revolution—local chapters spread over 150 countries with the goal of rallying against the homogenization of cuisine and cultural identity that fast food and its bland immediacy have to offer. Slow Food Story tells the story of an endlessly convivial man whose belief that “an environmentalist who is not also a gastronome is very sad” has awoken many to the simple pleasures of cooking and eating through our local ecosystems—a sustainable and delicious way of living.

Soul of a Banquet
(USA / 2014 / Director: Wayne Wang)

Soul of a Banquet

Legendary chef Cecilia Chiang has been credited with bringing authentic Chinese cuisine to America with the opening of her famed restaurant The Mandarin in 1961. Her exploits are given tribute by director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club), with a portrait equal parts personal history (examining her emigration from Shanghai to San Francisco) and food porn (the preparation, execution, and delivery of a banquet feast make up a large part of the narrative). Interviews from food industry luminaries Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters help flesh out this warm and sumptuous portrait of a gastronomical pioneer.

Soul Food Stories
(Bulgaria, Finland / 2013 / Director: Tonislav Hristov)

http://youtu.be/1ex3YscuuJI

Satovcha, Bulgaria, has a population of only 2,000, but among that small community are Christians, Muslims, atheists, and Roma (aka Gypsies) all living together. They are united by a shared love of their land and a willingness to solve any problems generated by their different theologies and ideologies by gathering around the dinner table as they prepare for sumptuous feasts. Capturing this unique small town and those who inhabit it with warmth and wit, Soul Food Stories follows attempts by the female population to expand their use of the village’s social club from one to two days per week.

 The Starfish Throwers
(USA, India / 2014 / Director: Jesse Roesler)

Trailer: 

http://vimeo.com/44292667

A powerful rejoinder to those who believe one person alone can’t bring about change, The Starfish Throwers chronicles the heartwarming individual stories of three people from wildly different backgrounds—a top chef in India, a middle school girl, and a retired schoolteacher—who decide to combat world hunger despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Be it the donated bounties of backyard gardens, a night’s sleep lost to deliver sandwiches and goods to those stuck in the Minneapolis cold, or the daily preparation and delivery of meals to the homeless, each of these inspirational stories proves that one person can positively impact the world.

Zone Pro Site: A Moveable Feast
(Taiwan / 2013 / Director: Yu-Hsun Chen) 

http://youtu.be/Tdf4XElqDqw

This top-grossing Taiwanese culinary comedy follows the humble return of Wan to her family catering business after the modeling career she had set out for ends with heaps of debt and some shady characters demanding money. An opportunity reveals itself: a cooking contest in the classic art of “bandoh” (a Taiwanese custom of outdoor banquets) with a substantial cash prize. With the help of a handsome man known only as “The Gourmet Doctor,” Wan looks to prove her cooking bona fides to her skeptical family and rid herself of those pesky debt collectors once and for all in this delicious rom-com.

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 Felix

 The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, which runs September 25 to October 9, 2014 at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, Landmark Downer Theatre, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill and Times Cinema, announced its critically acclaimed line-up for the Rated K: For Kids program. Presented by Mary and Ted Kellner, Rated K: For Kids offers a selection of award-winning features and shorts from around the world, ideal for ages 3 to 12 but equally enjoyable for all ages.

“We’re very lucky to feature such unique, high quality films as part of Rated K: For Kids this year. These fantastic films wouldn’t normally screen at a multiplex theater so we’re thrilled to bring them to Milwaukee and give families the opportunity to experience them together. We’re especially excited to screen the enchanting, hand-drawn French animated feature, Ernest & Celestine which was nominated for the Best Animated Feature at the 2013 Academy Awards,” says Cara Ogburn, Education Director and programmer of Rated K: For Kids for Milwaukee Film.

Five feature films and three shorts programs spanning live action, animation and even a sing-a-long comprise this year’s exciting lineup. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Rated K: For Kids will screen the sing-a-long version of the beloved 1964 classic, Mary Poppins in 35mm. To further enhance the movie-watching experience, the screening includes complimentary popcorn and interactive fun packs for kids and adults in costume. Rated K: For Kids also features three separate short film showcases, programmed for age-specific audiences: Size Small (ages 3+), Size Medium (ages 6+), and Size Large (ages 9+).

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

RATED K: FOR KIDS

AninA (Ages 8+)

(Uruguay, Columbia / 2013 / Director: Alfredo Soderguit)

Trailer

http://vimeo.com/57799150

Anina Yatay Salas, so named by her palindrome-loving father, goes on an imaginative journey of self-discovery in this animated film that served as Uruguay’s official Oscar submission. A playground skirmish leads to a visit to the principal’s office and “the weirdest punishment in the history of weird punishments-” a black envelope that Anina is tasked with not opening the entire week she is suspended from school. The week away allows her imagination to run wild with the (sometimes frightening) possibilities of what the envelope might contain, and filmmaker Alfredo Soderguit runs equally wild with beautiful hand-drawn animation capturing his protagonist’s unique perspective. Subtitles will not be read aloud.

 

Ernest & Celestine (Ages 3+)

(France, Luxembourg, Belgium / 2012 / Directors: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner) 

http://youtu.be/25GBE13A49k

Bears live above, mice live below, and that’s simply the way things are. At least, until independently minded orphan mouse Celestine makes the acquaintance of grumpy/hungry loner bear Ernest. With each helping the other commit acts of petty larceny, a simple, sweet friendship is struck. This Oscar-nominated animated feature (presented here in its star-studded English-dubbed version) is gorgeously rendered by the creators of The Secret of Kells and A Town Called Panic, infusing this tale of unexpected friendship with moments of heartrending beauty alongside riotous sequences of comic anarchy, a combination that will appeal to your youngest and oldest alike.

 

Felix (Ages 10+)

(South Africa / 2013 / Director: Roberta Durrant)

http://youtu.be/4XC2YXTxuhQ

Fourteen-year-old Felix dreams of following in his late father’s footsteps as a musician in post-apartheid South Africa, but first he must overcome the trepidations of his mother and peers to succeed in this winning story filled to the brim with irresistible musical performances. Granted entrance to a prestigious private school via scholarship, Felix struggles to fit in with his classmates due to differences of class and race. But the school’s jazz ensemble provides Felix with the opportunity to persevere if only he can convince his protective mother that the jazz music that she blames for her husband’s passing has the ability to bring together a community.

 

Kids Shorts: Size Small (Ages 3+)

This all-animated program for all ages is filled with kids and animals expressing themselves through music and displaying their creative selves in order to solve their problems. Filled with a multitude of animation styles, the stories include a bear’s unexpected journey toward retrieving his missing hat and the brave Numberlys who bring letters to a world governed by math.

Cloudy Goats (Iran / 2014 / Director: Hamid Karimian)

The Delirious Tales: The Chicken, the Elephant and the Snake (France / 2012 / Director: Fabrice Luang-Vija)

Goose Trouble (Poland / 2013 / Director: Monika Dovnar)

I Want My Hat Back (USA / 2013 / Director: Galen Fott)

Into Spring (Netherlands / 2012 / Director: Udo Prinsen)

My Little Chicken (Canada / 2011 / Directors: Jeremy Diamond, Alex Hawley)

My Mom is an Airplane (Russia / 2013 / Director: Yulia Aronova)

The Numberlys (USA / 2013 / Directors: William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg)

Sky Color (USA / 2012 / Director: Peter H. Reynolds)

Slowly but Surely (USA / 2012 / Director: Eli Balser)

Winter Has Come (Russia / 2012 / Director: Vassiliy Shlychkov)

 

Kids Shorts: Size Medium (Ages 6+)

This program for slightly older kids is packed with stories of children forging their own paths through life, learning valuable lessons and generating lots of laughs along the way, in a series of films filled with not-so-scary monsters and numerous award-winning shorts that have wowed kid audiences the world over. Some subtitles are involved, but they are not necessary for understanding.

At the Opera (Argentina / 2010 / Director: Juan Pablo Zaramella)

Beep, Beep, Beep (Canada / 2012 / Director: Jeremy Diamond)

The Dam Keeper (USA / 2013 / Directors: Robert Kondo, Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi)

The Mole at the Sea (Russia / 2012 / Director: Anna Kadykova)

Monster Symphony (Germany / 2012 / Director: Kiana Naghshineh)

Mushroom Monster (Norway / 2013 / Director: Aleksander Leines Nordaas)

The New Species (Czech Republic / 2013 / Director: Kateřina Karhánková)      

Gnarly in Pink­-Featuring the Pink Helmet Posse (USA / 2014 / Directors: Benjamin Mullinkosson, Kristelle Laroche)

Rabbit and Deer (Hungary / 2013 / Director: Péter Vácz)

The Whale Bird (France / 2011 / Director: Sophie Roze)

Wombo (Germany / 2013 / Director: Daniel Acht)

 

Kids Shorts: Size Large (Ages 9+)

This program for your oldest children features kids coming to terms with differences and triumphing over obstacles through good humor and creativity. All lighthearted, these short films (including the all-kids musical epic Sweet Love that will have you and yours dancing in their seats) are sure to put a smile on your face. Subtitles will not be read aloud.

Cootie Contagion (USA / 2012 / Director: Josh Smooha)

Dancing with Style (Netherlands / 2012 / Director: Xander de Boer)

Girl with the World in her Hair (United Kingdom / 2011 / Director: Debbie Howard)

Hedgehogs and the City (Latvia / 2013 / Director: Evalds Lacis)

Matilde (Italy / 2013 / Director: Vito Palmieri)

My Strange Grandfather (Russia / 2012 / Director: Dina Velikovskaya)

Sniffles (USA / 2013 / Directors: Jeremy Galante, David Cowles)

Sweet Love (Netherlands / 2012 / Director: Albert Jan van Rees)

Twins in Bakery (Japan / 2013 / Director: Mari Miyazawa)

Mary Poppins Sing-A-Long (All Ages) (USA / 1964 / Director: Robert Stevenson)

http://youtu.be/fRBCPwgu1qM

Disney’s supercalifragilisticexpyalidoc ious spoonful of cinematic sugar is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and MFF is marking this occasion in style with an unforgettable 35mm sing-a-long screening. Come dressed in character and receive free popcorn, then belt out each musical number along with on-screen lyrics as well as interactive audience kits that will immerse you in the Poppins like never before! Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke are unforgettable in this magical tale of bottomless carpetbags, animated penguins and the importance of bird-feeding. Make this the first big screen experience of your kid’s life and she’ll be hooked, and you can take that to the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank.

Windstorm (Ages 9+)

(Germany / 2013 / Director: Katja von Garnier)

Trailer:

http://vimeo.com/84118342

Rebellious teenager Mika’s summer plans are dashed when she’s sent away to spend her entire vacation at her grandmother’s horse stable and riding school. It’s here that the underachieving teen discovers an uncanny ability to connect with and speak to an untamable stallion by the name of Windstorm. In discovering her passion for horse whispering and finding a kindred spirit in this majestic creature, Mika must ride Windstorm in competition to disprove their wild reputations. A generational drama that honestly portrays the teenage experience (with a touch of adult language), Windstorm is a stirring portrait of animal rights and one girl’s discovery of her inner voice. Subtitles will not be read aloud.

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 The Amazing Catfish (Los Insolitos Peces Gatos)

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival which runs September 25 to October 9, 2014 at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, Landmark Downer Theatre, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill and Times Cinema, announced Mexico as the spotlight country for its fourth annual Passport program. Featuring a selection of eight films set in Mexico (with seven of the eight made by Mexican filmmakers), Passport: Mexico includes an eclectic mix of award-winning films ranging from comedies and hard hitting dramas to revealing documentaries and poignant coming-of-age tales.

In tandem with Passport: Mexico is a keynote address from Professor Frederick Aldama of The Ohio State University. Aldama is the author of nineteen books on Latin American popular culture and cinema and is a preeminent scholar of contemporary Mexican cinema. His most recent book, the highly acclaimed Mex-Ciné (2013), offers a multidisciplinary exploration of Mexican national cinema, its historical contexts and the transnational production-consumption models of the Mexican film industry. Details on the date, time and location of the keynote address are forthcoming.

2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

PASSPORT: MEXICO 

This year we turn our focus to the landscape and culture of modern Mexico. To highlight Mexico’s growing success both in Hollywood and major international film festivals, this program will feature the best cinema of one of our closest neighbors.

The Amazing Catfish (Los Insolitos Peces Gatos)
(Mexico, France / 2013 / Director: Claudia Sainte-Luce)

http://youtu.be/ujD9FAcy7YU

A celebration of family in all of its messy beauty, The Amazing Catfish is a gorgeously shot, female-driven dramedy. Claudia, 22 and completely alone, meets Martha, terminally ill and mother of four. A chance placement of adjoining hospital beds binds these two women together, with Claudia growing as she becomes caretaker for Martha and her tightly knit brood. This story about finding family in the least likely of places is filled with a generosity of spirit and meaningful exploration of love and loss buoyed by emotionally precise performances from its leads.

Club Sandwich
(Mexico / 2013 / Director: Fernando Eimbcke)

http://youtu.be/1PCzjhT5DIE

Single mother Paloma and her 15-year-old son, Hector, are spending a lazy vacation taking advantage of their destination’s special off-season pricing. But the arrival of Jazmin at this resort heralds the awakening of Hector’s nascent sexuality, thus beginning one of the most silent courtships in cinema history. Director Fernando Eimbcke (Lake Tahoe, MFF 2009) lets this deadpan comedy play out with tender restraint and comic minimalism, realizing this is a coming-of-age story for both a young boy in the throes of puberty as well as his overly possessive mother and embracing all of the awkwardness true teen romances and mother/son relationships entail.

Heli
(Mexico / 2013 / Director: Amat Escalante)

http://youtu.be/qfcNTCn9k5g

Heli is a brutal, ceaselessly escalating story of one family’s efforts to escape Mexico’s drug-related violence. Heli ekes out a hardscrabble existence at a car factory and lives with his wife, child, sister, and father in a modest home. When his sister’s police cadet boyfriend makes the life-altering decision to stash stolen drugs in their home, it precipitates a descent into hellish violence that threatens to consume them all. Racking up multiple awards (including Best Director at the 2013 Cannes festival), Heli is an unforgettable journey whose wanton violence and cruelty are certainly not for the squeamish among us. Warning: This film contains extreme violence.

Last Call (Tercera llamada)
(Mexico / 2013 / Director: Francisco Franco Alba) 

http://youtu.be/w_fTLl6DYVs

Opening night fast approaches for a Mexican theater company’s production of Camus’ existential epic Caligula, but behind the curtains chaos is unfolding—a director on the verge of a nervous breakdown, her drug-addled failed actress assistant, and a male stripper turned stagehand are just a few of the colorful characters that comprise the comedic ensemble of Last Call. This stage door farce (which pulled off a clean sweep of the Guadalajara Film Festival) allows for multiple stars to shine while also granting moments of genuine pathos amid its comic revelry as actors leave, sets are scrapped and a bona fide stage disaster appears imminent.

Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border (Purgatorio: Viaje al Corazón de la Frontera)

Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border (Purgatorio: Viaje al Corazón de la Frontera)
(USA, Mexico / 2013 / Director: Rodrigo Reyes)

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/73270818

A haunting sketch of the scorched-earth beauty that surrounds both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, Purgatorio chronicles the untold thousands who attempt to make their way across the border every year despite the dark realities that lay ahead of them. Winner of the Best Documentary award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, this portrait of an anthropologically arbitrary dividing line is full of stark images of haunting beauty and fascinating characters (coroners, police, border crossers) on both sides that aim to detonate any preconceived notions about life on either side of the massive steel fence that separates us.

Que Caramba es la Vida

Que Caramba es la Vida
(Germany / 2014 / Director: Doris Dörrie)

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/85734992

Historically speaking, mariachi music is a tradition steeped in machismo and male posturing, not exactly the easiest business for women to break into. But for a hard-nosed few who are able to wade through the sexism and exclusionary tactics of their peers, life as a female mariachi is attainable. Following the stories of powerful women who have to balance traditional expectations of female roles such as motherhood alongside their powerful folk music performances (set against the backdrop of the Dia de los Muertos celebration), we see how these women have broken into this predominantly male field and used their struggles as fuel for success.

We Are the Nobles (Nosotros los Nobles)
(Mexico / 2013 / Director: Gaz Alazraki)

http://youtu.be/ynA5nXZyZxU

The 1% is made to live like the 99% in this uproarious farce, the biggest box office success in Mexican history. As self-made millionaire German looks back on his life, he realizes the luxury and comfort he has swaddled his three children in have turned them into monsters of privilege. This calls for drastic measures: staging his company’s bankruptcy and convincing his none-too-bright progeny that they are all fugitives from the law. He moves the children into a dilapidated home in a working-class area and leads them to do something for the first time in their lives—work. Catch this riotous comedy now before the inevitable American remake!

Workers

Workers
(Mexico, Germany / 2013 / Director: Jose Luis Valle)

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/75869321

On his final day of work after three decades of employment, Rafael learns he won’t be earning a pension due to his tenuous immigrant status. Lidia has spent those 30 years as a maid for a wealthy woman who funnels all of her affection toward her dog, Princess, even bequeathing the diminutive pooch everything after her passing, leaving Lidia the ward of a dog millionaire. Tackling class inequality with a deadpan sensibility reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch, director Jose Luis Valle captures the irony and absurdity of the characters’ respective situations without ever losing sight of the prideful humanity at his film’s core.

 

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INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER AND PETE director George Tillman Jr, with wife Marcia and son Chase at the 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival.

The 5th Milwaukee Film Festival, wrapped its 15-day run Thursday night October 10th, with official Closing Night Film, BLOOD BROTHER. Immediately following the Closing Night film, ballots were tallied to determine the winners of the 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Awards. The winners of this year’s Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Awards are Feature Film: THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER AND PETE directed by George Tillman Jr.; and Short Film: EDDIE ADAMS: SAIGON ‘68 directed by Douglas Sloan.

THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER AND PETE

In THE INEVITABLE DEFEAT OF MISTER AND PETE, fourteen-year-old Mister and demure 9-year-old Pete (star-making turns from Skylan Brooks and Ethan Dizon, respectively) are forced to fend for themselves after both of their drug-addled parents disappear amid a sweltering summer in the Brooklyn projects.Forced to scavenge for food while dodging child protective services and the cops, the two must live beyond their years if they have any chance of staving off their seemingly inevitable defeat. Supporting performances from Anthony Mackie, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and Jeffrey Wright bolster this beautifully observed tale of friendship in the face of great struggle.

EDDIE ADAMS: SAIGON ‘68

EDDIE ADAMS: SAIGON ‘68 tells the story behind the iconic photo from the Vietnam War and how it transformed the lives of the photographer and the man who pulled the trigger.

Main Photo credit: Jennifer Johnson

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 WAR WITCH directed by Kim Nguyen

 The 5th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival announced the 2013 Jury Award Winners, for both the Competition and Cream City Cinema Programs, including a Filmmaker-in-Residence Award. WAR WITCH directed by Kim Nguyen is the winner of the Herzfeld Competition Award.  WAR WITCH, described as an inspiring tale of resistance, follows Komona, who at 14 is taken captive by armed rebels and trained to become a child soldier, perpetrating unspeakable acts of violence for her captors. Quickly ascending through the ranks due to her otherworldly sense for approaching danger, Komona finds love in the least likely place with a fellow soldier named Magician, and together they plot their escape.

2013 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS

The Herzfeld Competition Award Winner
WAR WITCH (dir. Kim Nguyen)

Special Competition Jury Prize
12 O’CLOCK BOYS (dir. Lotfy Nathan)

Cream City Cinema: Filmmaker-in-Residence
Michael T. Vollman, BEFORE YOU

Special Cream City Cinema Jury Prize
HABIBEH (THICKER THAN PAINT) (dir. Maryam Sepehri)

Special Cream City Cinema Jury Prize, Acting
Logan Lark, WHEN THE KING TILTS

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AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS

Wisconsin native director David Lowery’s AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS, starring Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster has been added to the upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival.  The 1970s Texas countryside provides the scene for this gritty Sundance sensation that tracks the collision of love and crime in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde or Badlands. One fateful move from his pregnant wife (Rooney Mara) during an intense shootout finds a young man (Casey Affleck) staring down a 25-year jail sentence, but a daring escape finds him determined to reunite this family no matter the cost.  In addition to David Lowery the festival announced the full line-up of talent scheduled to appear at the 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival.  The 5th annual Milwaukee Film Festival will be held September 26 to October 10, 2013.

 Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
USA | 2013 | 105 min. | DIR: David Lowery

The 1970s Texas countryside provides the scene for this gritty Sundance sensation that tracks the collision of love and crime in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde or Badlands. One fateful move from his pregnant wife (Rooney Mara) during an intense shootout finds a young man (Casey Affleck) staring down a 25-year jail sentence, but a daring escape finds him determined to reunite this family no matter the cost. Milwaukee native and MFF Alum David Lowery (Pioneer, MFF 2011) has imbued this award-winning tale of doomed love with a gritty lyricism that has drawn comparison to both Terrence Malick and Robert Altman, with stellar performances from its two leads and a terrific supporting cast that includes Ben Foster and Keith Carradine.

SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT THE 2013 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL:

FILMS

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS
David Lowery – Director/Screenwriter

Wednesday, Oct 9 • 6:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS
Grace Lee – Director/Producer

Sunday, Sept 29 • 4:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Anosmia (short film screening before When I Walk) 
Jacob LaMendola – Director

Monday, Oct 7 • 2:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Band of Sisters
Mary Fishman – Director/Producer

JoAnn Persch – Sisters of Mercy

Madeline Gianforte – Sisters of Saint Agnes

Pat Murphy – Sisters of Mercy
Monday, Sept 30 • 2 PM • Fox-Bay Cinema (Fishmann, Gianforte, Persch)

Sunday, Oct 6 • 3 PM • Downer Theatre (Fishman, Gianforte)

Wednesday, Oct 9 • 2 PM • Fox-Bay Cinema (Murphy, Persch)

 

Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker
Lily Keber – Director/Producer

Nathaniel Kohn – Producer

Saturday, Sept 28 • 9:15 PM • Oriental Theatre

Billy Club
Drew Rosas – Director/Producer
Nick Sommer – Director/Producer
Erin Hammond – Actor
Marshall Caswell – Actor
Tuesday, Oct 1 • 10 PM • Oriental Theatre

Blood Brother
Steve Hoover – Director/Executive Producer/Screenwriter/Editor
Thursday, Oct 10 • 7:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

 

Brothers Hypnotic
Amal Hubert – Subject

Gabriel Hubert – Subject
Jafar Graves – Subject

Saiph Graves – Subject

Seba Graves – Subject

Tarik Graves – Subject

Tycho Cohran – Subject

Uttama Hubert – Subject

Opening Night • 8:30 PM – 1 AM • Discovery World
Friday, Sept 27 • 7:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Citizen Koch
Carl Deal – Director/Producer
Tia Lessin – Director/Producer
Sunday, Sept 29 • 4:45 PM • Downer Theatre

The Cucaranchula (short film screening before Date America)
Kate Balsley – Director/Producer/Screenwriter

Sunday, Oct 6 • 8:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Date America
Bob Murray – Director/Producer
Sunday, Oct 6 • 8:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Delicacy (from the Shorts: Out of This World program)
Jason Mann – Director/Screenwriter/Editor
Wednesday, Oct 2 • 7:45 PM • Oriental Theatre

Demigodz (of Tha Law) (short film screening before Billy Club)
Kurt Raether – Director/Producer/Screenwriter

WC Tank – Director/Screenwriter
Tuesday, Oct 1 • 10 PM • Oriental Theatre

Earth
Altos – Live Music Accompaniment
Friday, Oct 4 • 7 PM • Oriental Theatre

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me 
Chiemi Karasawa – Director/Producer

Elaine & Clay Kelly – Family of Elaine Stritch
Sunday, Sept 29 • 7 PM • Oriental Theatre

An Evening with Paul Attanasio
Paul Attanasio – Tributee
Saturday, Oct 5 • 7:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Free the Mind
Richard J. Davidson – Subject
Monday, Sept 30 • 7 PM • Oriental Theatre
The Girls in the Band
Judy Chaikin – Director/Producer/Screenwriter
Thursday, Oct 3 • 4:45 PM • Oriental Theatre
Tuesday, Oct 8 • 5 PM • Fox-Bay Cinema

GUN
Spencer Gillis – Director/Executive Producer/Screenwriter
Wednesday, Oct 2 • 3:15 PM • Oriental Theatre

Habibeh (Thicker Than Paint) (short film screening before Penelope)
Maryam Sepehri – Director/Producer/Screenwriter

Wednesday, Oct 9 • 5:15 PM • Oriental Theatre

 

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
George Tillman Jr. – Director
Michael Starrbury – Screenwriter

Ethan Dizon – Actor
Skylan Brooks – Actor

Saturday, Sept 28 • 7:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

The Institute
Spencer McCall – Director/Producer/Editor
Saturday, Sept 28 • 6:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

The Milwaukee Show
Andrew Gralton – Cinders
Andrew Swant, WC Tank, Erik Ljung, Kurt Raether, Carol Brandt – Spectacle!
Anna Sampers – Margaret Hue Would Like to Go to Mars.
Brian McGuire – The Quiet City

Cecelia Condit – Within A Stone’s Throw
Harrison Browning – Pluto and the Vessel
Heather Hass – Begong Ava, Begong Hele
Jessica Farrell – USPS
Karim Raoul – I Am
Michael T. Vollman – Before You
Michael Viers – Love You Still

Zijian Yan – The Glitch

 

The Milwaukee Youth Show
Alejandra Salinas – Flowers in Bloom
Brian Mercado – In the Mind
Elizabeth Zingsheim and Mara Matovich – The Journey Home
Felicia McGowan – Sun Up, Sun Down
Gabriella Avila and Alexia Justo – Spider Dog

Holly Kraemer and Kevin Salgado – Phone Wars
Hudson Miller – Copycat
Jamie Mercado – How Geoffrey Broke His Glasses

Josh Frank and Ryan Coenen – Night of the Beanie Babies

La Tonya Matlock and Robyn Di Giancinto – Generation Empowered: The Dream is Now

Lauren Markey and Brian Ore – Pancakes, Poppin’
Megan Sai Dogra – Birth of a Dream
Participants in Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Programs – #DiseasesSpreadLikeRumors,

#DontBeAnOffenderToThoseWhoLoveTheSameGender, #ForgetTheHumpIfYouDontWantTheBump
Students from Audubon Technology and Communication Center Middle School – Toytonic
Thomas Fleischmann – Alexander Copenhagen and the Key of Destiny

Mira’s Night (from the Kids Shorts: Size Small program)
Elyse Kelly – Director/Screenwriter
Saturday, Sept 28 • 11 AM • Oriental Theatre
Sunday, Sept 29 • 10:30 AM • Fox-Bay Cinema

Monster, Me (from the Kids Shorts: Size Large program)
Milt Klingensmith – Director
Saturday, Oct 5 • 11 AM • Oriental Theatre
Sunday, Oct 6 • 10:30 AM • Fox-Bay Cinema

Paulie (from the Kids Shorts: Size Medium program)
Andrew Nackman – Director
Saturday, Sept 28 • 1:45 PM • Oriental Theatre
Sunday, Sept 29 • 12:30 PM • Fox-Bay Cinema

Penelope
Brad Lichtenstein – Director/Producer
Wednesday, Oct 9 • 5:15 PM • Oriental Theatre

The Rambler
Calvin Lee Reeder – Director/Screenwriter
Friday, Oct 4 • Midnight • Oriental Theatre
Sunday, Oct 6 • 10:45 PM • Downer Theatre

Remote Area Medical
Farihah Zaman – Director/Producer
Jeff Reichert – Director/Producer
Saturday, Oct 5 • 1:30 PM • Oriental Theatre 
Sunday, Oct 6 • 6:30 PM • Oriental Theatre (Reichert only)

Sign Painters
Faythe Levine – Director
Sam Macon – Director
Saturday, Oct 5 • 4:30 PM • Oriental Theatre
Strings of Color (short film screening before Sign Painters)
Sharan Mohanadoss – Director

Saturday, Oct 5 • 4:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Unhung Hero
Brian Spitz – Director
Friday, Oct 4 • 7:30 PM • Downer Theatre

Sunday, Oct 6 • 5:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

Waiting for Berta (short film screening before When The King Tilts)
Laimir Fano – Director/Screenwriter

Tuesday, Oct 8 • 5 PM • Oriental Theatre

We Are What We Are 
Jack Turner – Producer
Friday, Oct 4 • 9:30 PM • Oriental Theatre

When The King Tilts 
Drew Britton – Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Editor
Tuesday, Oct 8 • 5 PM • Oriental Theatre

PANELS
 
Filmmaker, Meet Entrepreneur
Sunday, Oct 6 • 4 PM • Colectivo Coffee
    • Andy Nunemaker – Entrepreneur
    • Brad Lichtenstein – Director/Producer; Penelope
    • David Sengkhammee – Bridge Management
    • Kelly Fitzsimmons – HarQen

    • Kurt Raether – Director/Producer/Screenwriter; Demigodz (of Tha Law), Spectacle!
    • Michael Drescher – Okanjo
    • Susan Kerns – Producer; Love You Still

MKE At Risk: Transgender Youth Awareness
Sunday, Sept 29 • 4 PM • Colectivo Coffee
    • Michael Munson and Loree Cook-Daniels – FORGE 
    • Mitch Teich – WUWM’s Lake Effect
    • Paul Fairchild – Cream City Foundation
    • Syd Robinson – ACLU of Wisconsin
    • Tina Owen – Alliance School
    • Additional Panelists TBA

Passport: Germany
Saturday, Sept 29 • 1 PM • Colectivo Coffee
    • Dr. Sara Hall – University of Illinois – Chicago

 

Representing Race
Saturday, Sept 28 • 3 PM • Colectivo Coffee
    • Dr. Donte McFadden – University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
    • Eugene Kane – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
    • Grace Lee – Director/Producer; American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
    • Nathaniel Kohn – Producer; Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker
    • T.J. McKay Martin – Director; Undefeated (MFF 2011), Academy Award Winner

 

State of Cinema: The Dissolve
Saturday, Sept 28 • 1 PM • Colectivo Coffee
    • Keith Phipps – Editorial Director
    • Nathan Rabin – Staff Writer
    • Scott Tobias – Editor
    • Tasha Robinson – Senior Editor

Sundance Institute ShortsLab
Saturday, Oct 5 • 10 AM – 3:30 PM • UWM Union
    • Calvin Lee Reeder – Director/Screenwriter; The Rambler 
    • David Lowery – Director/Screenwriter; Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
    • Mike Plante – Short Film Programmer; Sundance Film Festival
    • Ry Russo-Young – Filmmaker
 
Work-In-Progress Forum
Sunday, Oct 6 • 2 PM • Colectivo Coffee

    • Chris James Thompson – ­Guantánamo Lawyers
    • Cris Siqueira – Monga*Ape Girl

    • Jeff Gendelman – The Surface
    • Jeff Reichert – Director/Producer; Remote Area Medical, VP of Theatrical Marketing; Cinedigm,

Editor; Reverse Shot

    • Pat Buckley and Manny Marquez – Serenity Prayer 
    • Rubin Whitmore II and Xavier Ruffin – Mad Black Men

JURORS

Cream City Cinema
Andrew Carlin – Music Box Films

Farihah Zaman – Director/Producer; Remote Area Medical

Maureen Masters – Magnolia Pictures

Competition Program
Andrew Rodgers – RiverRun Film Festival

Robert Elder – Chicago Sun-Times
Rosie Wong – Sundance Industry Office

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The Milwaukee Film Festival, announced the topics and speakers for its 2013 Panels series. This year’s line-up includes four panel discussions, one lecture built around our Passport: Germany program, and the Milwaukee debut of the Sundance Institute ShortsLab. This special workshop comes to Milwaukee for the first time, and digs into the world of short filmmaking, including how and why programmers select films and how filmmakers transition from shorts to features.

“Bringing the Sundance Institute ShortsLab to Milwaukee happened because of a trip I made to the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year,” explained Artistic & Executive Director Jonathan Jackson. “It provides an opportunity for aspiring directors to hear about all aspects of short filmmaking firsthand from the leading directors and programmers in the field.”

Scheduled to appear at the first ever ShortsLab Milwaukee are acclaimed filmmakers David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints;Pioneer, MFF 2011), Ry Russo-Young (You Wont Miss Me, MFF 2009), and Calvin Lee Reeder (The Rambler, MFF 2013), as well as the Sundance Film Festival’s Short Film Programmer Mike Plante. ShortsLab is free to UWM students, and $100 for the general public.

In addition to the Sundance Institute ShortsLab, this year’s Panels line-up will feature two other panels for filmmakers, including the Work-In-Progress Forum and the brand new Filmmaker, Meet Entrepreneur panel, where three Milwaukee filmmakers will interview three Milwaukee entrepreneurs to find out how to apply business practices and an entrepreneurial spirit to their filmmaking.

For the general public, two panels extending from films being screened at this year’s festival include Representing Race, andMKE At Risk: Transgender Youth Awareness.

All panel events will be held in the back room at Colectivo Coffee (2211 N. Prospect Ave.) and are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

 

PANELS LINE-UP:

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE SHORTSLAB
SATURDAY, OCT. 5 | 10 AM – 3:30 PM | UWM UNION
UWM students register for FREE
General public: $100

Join us as the Sundance Institute’s acclaimed workshop comes to Milwaukee for the first time. Co-presented with the Production Club at UWM and the UWM Student Association, this all-day workshop will dig into the world of short filmmaking, including how and why programmers select films and how filmmakers transition from shorts to features.

SPEAKERS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR:
David Lowery, Ry Russo-Young, Mike Plante, Calvin Lee Reeder

REPRESENTING RACE
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 | 3 PM
Join this panel discussing concerns and questions that arise when representing race issues on-screen in contemporary film.

MODERATOR
Dr. Donte McFadden, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
PANELISTS
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Nathaniel Kohn, Producer; Bayou Maharajah
Grace Lee | Director; American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
T.J. McKay Martin, Director; Undefeated (MFF 2011), Academy Award Winner

PASSPORT: GERMANY
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 | 1 PM
As part of our Passport: Germany program, this lecture will discuss current trends and concerns in German cinema.

SPEAKER Dr. Sara Hall, University of Illinois-Chicago

MKE AT RISK: TRANSGENDER YOUTH AWARENESS
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 | 4 PM
Following the matinee screening of Valentine Road at the Oriental Theatre, this panel will consider LGBT and transgender youth awareness and advocacy in Milwaukee.

WELCOME Paul Fairchild, Cream City Foundation
MODERATOR Mitch Teich, WUWM’s Lake Effect
PANELISTS
michael munson & Loree Cook-Daniels, FORGE
Tina Owen, Alliance School
Syd Robinson, ACLU of Wisconsin
Additional panelists TBA

WORK-IN-PROGRESS FORUM
SUNDAY, OCT. 6 | 2 PM
A lively and informative sneak peek at several in-progress films from Wisconsin filmmakers.

MODERATOR Jeff Reichert, Director; Remote Area Medical; VP of Theatrical Marketing, Cinedigm, and editor; Reverse Shot
PANELISTS
Pat Buckley and Manny Marquez, Serenity Prayer
Jeff Gendelman, The Surface
Cris Siqueira, Monga*Ape Girl
Chris James Thompson, Guantánamo Lawyers
Rubin Whitmore II and Xavier Ruffin, Mad Black Men

FILMMAKER, MEET ENTREPRENEUR
SUNDAY, OCT. 6 | 4 PM
In recent years, Milwaukee has witnessed a more organized and energetic effort toward supporting local startups and the entrepreneurial spirit at large. We tasked three local filmmakers with interviewing three successful business professionals, to find out how film professionals can use the language of business to turn their artistic and technical successes into financial successes as well.

WELCOME David Sengkhammee
FILMMAKERS Susan Kerns, Brad Lichtenstein, Kurt Raether
ENTREPRENEURS Kelly Fitzsimmons, Andy Nunemaker, Michael Drescher

image via Facebook

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