Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
The 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival is a film lover’s dream, filled with two weeks of movies to satisfy every type of cinematic interest. But the MFF is so much more than just films; there are plenty of special events to choose as well. Here is just a sampling:
Opening Night Party (Like it’s 2019) Follows the screening of opening night film, I Want My MTV, Thursday, Oct. 17 Good City Brewing 2108 N. Farwell Ave. Tickets $15 at mkefilm.org
Food. Drink. Music. What else could a film festival opening night party ask for? The first drink is even free as you listen to DJs from 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and WMSE 91.7FM spin the night away. Or, head to the tent out back and listen to live music by Browns Crew and Zed Kenzo.
Short Pours with Short Films 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 The Stilt House W62 N630 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
After the screening of Athletic Shorts, check out the short pours at the Cedarburg location featuring new Sprecher products including beer, hard cider and hard seltzer.
Palmer Family Reunion: Meet and Greet Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me screening ticket required for entry. 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 Good City Brewing 2108 N. Farwell Ave.
“Twin Peaks” devotees get a chance to mingle with the series’ actors Ray Wise and Sheryl Lee following the screening. When the Palmers get together, it’s a family reunion unlike any other!
Merge into Korean Culture 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30 Merge Korean Fried Chicken and Soju Bar 1932 E. Kenilworth Place
The Korean film Parasite won the Palme d’Or. A great way to celebrate the Milwaukee screening is the after-party around the corner for some good deals with your ticket stub.
Munchies y Miches 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 Zocalo Bar and Food Truck Park 636 S. 6th St. Free
Along with all the Latinx programming of Cine Sin Fronteras program track, MFF offers a variety of food and beverages at Zocalo while Agua de Rosas provides the live music.
Women in Film 6-8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20 Strange Town 2101 N. Prospect Ave. Free
Strange Town celebrates the Women in Film Showcase serving its vegan cuisine, deals from female-led wineries and music by DJ Mia. Bring a ticket from any film in the WIF Showcase and receive specials throughout the evening.
Cream City After Party 9:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 21 Landmark Lanes 2220 N. Farwell Ave. Free
Following the screening of The Milwaukee Show, the after-party moves to Landmarks Lane, where presenting your ticket will land you drink deals through the festivities.
Uncut Drag After-Party Hosted by Lenda Jo 6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25 Cactus Club 2496 S. Wentworth Ave.
Following the screening of GenreQueer Shorts, Milwaukee’s very own Lenda Jo celebrates the Genre Queer programming with a special happy hour performance.
“Afrobeatz: ¡Baila Con Buya!” 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 88Nine Radio Milwaukee 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Free
Following the single screening of Bakosó: Afrobeats de Cuba, enjoy live music and performances by Chicago’s Bomba con Buya and Cuban DJ Jigüel.
Film Feast Decadence 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27 Charles E. Fromage 5811 W. Vliet St.
Following the screening of Setting the Bar: A Craft Chocolate Origin Story, head across the street from the Times Cinema to receive special offers on—what else?—chocolate. And wine as well! Your ticket stub gets you some special deals.
Panels
Souls of Young Folk: A Black Lens Forum Noon, Saturday, Oct. 19 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
Students from the Black and Latino Male Achievement initiative are part of the second Annual Souls of Young Folk program, which screens vignettes the students created from self-portraits, recorded biographies and video recording the process. A panel discussion follows.
Bleed Out Talkback 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19 Back Room at Colectivo 2211 N. Prospect Ave.
Local filmmaker Steve Burrows traces his mother’s 10-year battle with the medical and legal processes following surgery in his documentary, Bleed Out. The discussion features medical and legal professionals discussing medical malpractice and patients’ rights.
State of Cinema: Jennie Livingston 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 20 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
Jennie Livingston directed Paris is Burning, which won the 1991 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Now a producer with the hit TV series, “Pose,” Livingston will discuss the state of filmmaking today.
No Box for Us: Unpacking Intersex Identity Noon, Sunday, Oct. 20 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
What does it mean to be a boy or a girl or gender neutral? Following the screening of No Box for Me, join the discussion on the ways gender and sex play a key role in a person’s life as well as how intersex identity is portrayed in the media and academia.
Global Borders and the Youth Who Tear Them Down Noon, Saturday, Oct. 26 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
This youth-led panel represents a number of local organizations, such as Youth Empowered in the Struggle, and explores the refugee experience, immigration and what exactly “home” means in 2019.
Reframing Disability: A Roundtable Discussion about Artistry and Athleticism 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
Listen to artists and athletes discuss their experiences dealing with disabilities, centered around the films, Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements, Vision Portraits and The Weight of Water.
Industry Insiders: ‘When They See Us’ 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 Weasler Auditorium, Marquette University 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee natives Michael Starrbury and Terilyn Shropshire wrote and edited “When They See Us,” the Netflix miniseries directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time). They discuss the Emmy Award-nominated miniseries with moderator Amanda Porterfield on turning real life stories into art. In this case, the Central Park Five.
Afrolatinidad: Afro-Latinx Identity on Film and Beyond 11:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 27 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
This panel discussion features artists, storytellers and organizers highlighting the Afro-Latinx history and stories. Films that focus on this narrative include Latinegras and Decade of Fire.
We Are All the Radical Monarchs: Spreading Our Wings and Making Connections 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27 MFF Lounge 2155 N. Prospect Ave.
Discover your radical self by watching the documentary We Are the Radical Monarchs. Then join the discussion as people from all ages and backgrounds come together to learn, embrace and connect with one another.
Black Entrepreneurship in Milwaukee Series—Legacy Lives On (Screening and Discussion) 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 Weasler Auditorium (Marquette University) 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Black Lens film series host a screening of Legacy Lives On, which profiles black women entrepreneurs based in Atlanta, Detroit and Tulsa. A panel discussion follows focusing on local black entrepreneurs with businesses in the Milwaukee community.
Black Entrepreneurship in Milwaukee Series—Boss and the Persistence of Black Business 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30 The Ivy House 906 S. Barclay St.
The Black Lens film series hosts a second forum in conjunction with the documentary, Boss: The Black Experience in Business. The forum features black entrepreneurs discussing the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Milwaukee.
Filmmaker Services
Who Tells Your Story? 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20 Nō Studios 1037 W. McKinley Ave., in the Pabst Brewery Complex
Join in as a panel of filmmakers discuss their work, the creative role in shifting cultures and how stories have been historically shared. The panel also examines systemic change given the global film industry and who gets to tell what stories.
For more information on special events and other activities, visit mkefilm.org.
