Safety Last
September is for cinephiles what December is for Christmas fanatics: a month of eager anticipation. Although perhaps a comparison with Chanukah is more appropriate. Whereas Christmas lasts but a day, the Milwaukee Film Festival – like Chanukah – is an extended celebration. But once again the comparison fails, since the MFF (September 24-October 9) outlasts the 8-day Festival of Lights by an entire week.
The MFF crew has been busy releasing a flurry of information about the festival’s discussion panels, the lineup of the various programs, the spotlight presentations and the competition films. The MFF Program Book, containing an exhaustive schedule and other information, has also been released. A copy of the Program will be nestled in the pages of the September 17 edition of the Shepherd Express, but if you can’t wait, a digital copy can be downloaded here or picked up at one of the locations listed at the bottom of this page.
Overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing from over 300 films? Flip (or scroll, as the case may be) to pages 22-23 in the Program Book for “Quick Picks,” which recommends festival films for “Someone Who Likes to be Inspired,” “Someone Who Likes to Laugh,” “A Social Justice Crusader,” “A First-Time Festival Goer,” “Your Grandparents,” “A Wierdo” and other such identifications. The MFF staff has also been so kind as to discuss a handful of their respective Festival Picks.
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The silver screen is, of course, the center of attention from September 24 through October 9. But the Milwaukee Film Festival also features events over the course of the two weeks. There’s an opening night party at the Kenilworth Building with performances by the Florentine Opera Company and Tigernite. Happy hour at Hotel Foster includes by-one-get-one-free drinks when you flash your Festival Pass or ticket stub. In conjunction with the documentary “A Year In Champagne,” Kyle Cherek, host of the Emmy-nominated television show Wisconsin Foodie, will lead a champagne tasting on September 27. See here for the details of these and other events.
