We’re arguably living in the golden age of television, and all signs point to a slow death march for big-budget cinema. But there are still plenty of fantastic small and medium-sized production outfits crafting unique, poignant, and impressive big screen films for smaller audiences. Luckily, we Milwaukeeans don’t have to hop a flight to Cannes or Sundance to see them.
The 10th-annual Milwaukee Film Festival starts today, October 18th. Over the course of two weeks, it will bring 300+ shows to an under-served but deserved city. From festival darlings and local exposes to cult classics and thought-provoking documentaries, there’s more than enough variety to satisfy even the stingiest of critics.
The Downer Theater in Northpoint, Milwaukee. All photos and videos by Joe Powell for The Squeaky Curd.
This is an amazing chance to get out and see great films (for an awesome, non-profit cause) and experience some of the most beautifully-restored movie palaces still standing in Milwaukee: the Landmark’s Oriental (recently renovated and now run by MKE Film full-time) and Downer Theaters on the East Side, the Times Cinema in Washington Heights, the Fox-Bay Cinema Grill in Whitefish Bay, and the Avalon Theater in Bay View. In 2018 they’ve also added the intimate Jan Serr Studio Cinema just down Farwell from the Oriental.
The Avalon Theater in Bay View.
Some of our own picks for what we want to see, in no particular order (and certainly not an exhaustive list):
- Science Fair: A Sundance winner direct by a Milwaukeean, this documentary dives deep into the competitive but also inspiring reality of a high-tech STEM competition.
- The Guilty: A Dutch-language thriller about an emergency phone line operator trying to help a kidnapped caller, currently sporting a 97% Fresh rating.
- Ideal Home: Steve Coogan and Pauld Rudd living the high-life before inheriting a tween grandson? I’ll bite.
- In The Aisles: A “German equivalent of Jim and Pam from The Office“, based in the stock aisles of a superstore. Get ready to nurse both your funny bone and heartstrings.
- Lake Michigan Monster: A locally-produced, black-and-white absurdist comedy almost custom-made for the eccentric Milwaukee Film Festival goer.
The Oriental Theatre on the East Side.
- Find a complete alphabetical list of films here.
- The calendar version here.
- And ticket information here.
Originally posted 2016-09-08. Updated 2017-09-28. Updated again on 2018-10-17.