From April 16-30, The Milwaukee Film Festival was held at the Downer and Oriental theaters. The main objective of the festival was to fundraise for the preservation of these historic Milwaukee theaters. The money raised goes directly to a nonprofit arts organization that funds screenings at the Oriental and Downer. There was a goal to raise 100,000 dollars by the end of the festival.
The festival showcased a variety of films, ranging from animated shorts to international dramas. It serves as an outlet for less represented artists and creators, allowing a variety of niche media to be shared with a larger audience.
Showing more than 100 films during this fortnight long festival, many of these films often integrate political or societal messages into these passion projects. O Ultimo Azul (The Blue Trail), an hour and a half long Brazilian film, focussed on the struggle of growing old and the treatment of elderly people. After elderly people are forced into remote colonies in the name of productivity, 77 year old Tereza takes refuge in the Amazon in order to escape the government.
Another movie presented was A Useful Ghost, set in Thailand and focused on the ideas of memory and the haunting of one’s past through a fantastical lens. As electric appliances are being taken over by ghosts, the government works to stop the rise of these haunted items. Although it’s not at the center of the film, A Useful Ghost is packed with representation of Thai culture and surrealism.
The featured shorts took up a large portion of the festival’s catalogue. These productions span greatly in variety, from an assortment of three different collections curated for children to a section of specifically animated shorts, all the way to a group of romance themed shorts. These shorts are typically collections of films about multiple subtopics, and often feature different languages per collection. The broader topics focus on many themes such as life and its intricacies, sci-fi issues like AI, space, and the rest of our future, or what it means to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the modern world.
The Film Festival carries a larger purpose than solely providing viewing different films, as it also offers opportunities to delve deeper into the arts. An event that took place during the festival was a panel-style discussion on April 25. During this event, people had the opportunity to interview musical artists, journalists, documentarians, and other creators on what it was like to design their project and what it means to be an artist.
Representing various cultures was another one of the goals of the film festival. Many of the different pieces that are featured showcase, or are made by, a specific cultural group or people. For example, the Black Lens category solely included movies made by Black filmmakers.
Some films showcased are directed around important current events and global issues. Palestine 36 focuses on the political struggle and turmoil that Palestine has been undergoing over the years. On the other hand, Yes, follows a Jim Carrey’s Yes Man style gimmick, but with a political twist. A jazz musician and a dancer decide that they are going to say yes to everything, eventually, they get roped into creating a new national anthem for Israel. This film tackles ideas of submission and political power.
The Milwaukee Film Festival also had a couple films focused specifically on Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Show I and II, both are collections of short films highlighting life in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Youth Show was also featured, a showing of short films created by young Milwaukee filmmakers. Finally, The Milwaukee Music Video Show, a catalogue of locally made and produced music videos, had showings. There are also a focus on the Midwest as a whole, such as Aanikoobijigan, a documentary showcasing the fight for the return of Native American history to their people, or Intoxicated Rain, a mystery film taking place in Port Washington in which two fishermen find the remains of a human face, leading to a bigger mystery.
The historical atmosphere of the twin theaters both benefited from and contributed to the film festival. Both have a rustic vibe and this often affects the viewing experience of the featured films. The Oriental Theater has a lot of Asian style artwork and architecture that can elevate the viewing experience. On the other hand, the Downer is a classic American style theater. The annual Milwaukee Film Festival, along with the memberships and donations are both large parts of keeping these theaters up and running.