Milwaukee Film Unveils 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival Lineup

MFF returns this spring, April 11-25th, 2024 for its “Sweet Sixteen” edition. The Recombobulation Area is a media partner for the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival, and this is a sponsored post.

The Recombobulation Area is a media partner for the Milwaukee Film Festival, and this is a sponsored post.

Milwaukee Film has officially revealed the program guide for the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival online. The program guide includes a full schedule of film screenings and plenty of helpful information for festival attendees. Physical copies of the program book are scheduled to arrive in early April at various locales.

Milwaukee Film is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Milwaukee Film Festival for its 16th year, running from April 11th to April 25th. The Festival, which has become a cornerstone event for film enthusiasts across the region, will showcase an eclectic mix of films from local, national, and international filmmakers. In addition to the highly anticipated screenings, the festival will offer panel discussions and filmmaker Q&As enhancing the communal experience of cinema.

“Our sweet sixteen Festival is shaping up to be as strong as ever,” noted Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film’s Artistic Director. “We can say with confidence that the creativity and resilience of filmmakers and artists has not been slowed by the pandemic nor the dual strikes of 2023. Indeed, we have more films that we would like to bring to Milwaukee than we have room for!” she concluded emphatically.

This year’s festival also welcomes the historic Downer Theatre, expanding the festival’s footprint and offering attendees more opportunities to experience the magic of cinema. Along with the new venue the festival features 300 films from 61 different countries with 55% of feature films directed by women or non-binary identifying directors. The full programming lineup is now available online with printed program books available in early April.  

Individual film tickets for Milwaukee Film Members are available for purchase online starting April 1st. General audiences can purchase individual film tickets online starting April 3rd. The in-person box office opens at the Oriental Theatre on April 5th.

Highlights from the MFF24 Program:
Showtimes, along with the full lineup of films, are available online now at www.mkefilm.org.

OPENING NIGHT SCREENING:
Shari & Lamb Chop
Lisa D’Apolito | 2023 | USA
As a young performer in the 1950s with big aspirations, Shari Lewis sought a voice who could say things that she could not and found it in a sock puppet named Lamb Chop who would soon become an enduring pop cultural icon. The latest from MFF alum Lisa D'Apolito (Love, Gilda) examines Lewis' impact on children’s television through the lens of her decades-long relationship with Lamb Chop and, like Lewis herself, brims with warmth and spunky charm.
Thursday, Apr 11 | 6:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Friday, Apr 12 | 12:30 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

CENTERPIECE SCREENING:
The Queen of My Dreams
Fawzia Mirza | 2023 | Canada
Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined, from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming-of-age in rural Canada. From MFF alum Fawzia Mirza (Auntie, Noor and Layla), The Queen of My Dreams is a touching dramedy exploring intergenerational connections between mothers and daughters, East and West, home and away.
Friday, Apr 19 | 6:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Sunday, Apr 21 | 12:15 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

CLOSING NIGHT SCREENING: 
Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger | 2023 | Spain, France
Dog lives in Manhattan and he’s tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot and they become inseparable friends. One summer night, Dog, with great sadness, is forced to abandon Robot at the beach. Will they ever meet again? "Bolstered by the resilient spirit of New York City, this is one of the loveliest movies that you will see this year, animated or otherwise." (TheWrap)
Thursday, Apr 25 | 7:30 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Feat. Anvil Orchestra
Robert Weine | 1920 | Germany
Widely considered the first horror film, Robert Wiene's 1920 silent German expressionist tale of the mysterious eponymous doctor and his sleepwalking companion, Cesare. With live accompaniment by our friends from the Anvil Orchestra, this screening is not to be missed if you consider yourself a fan of the genre, of cinema history, of innovative music, or if you're looking for an experience you can't get anywhere else.
Thursday, Apr 18 | 5:30 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)

Dig! XX
Ondi Timoner | 2004 | USA
Originally seven years in the making, and culled from 2,500 hours of footage, Ondi Timoner’s Dig! gets a 20th-anniversary refresh, featuring 35 minutes of previously unseen footage. Tracking the tumultuous rise of two talented musicians and dissecting their star-crossed friendship and bitter rivalry, being at the right place at the right time is what makes Dig! XX important, but being in the wrong place, like in the path of a flying mic stand, is what makes it exhilarating.
Saturday, Apr 13 | 6:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Sunday, Apr 21 | 7:45 PM | Downer Theatre (South Cinema)

Thelma
Josh Margolin | 2023 | USA
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Inspired by a real-life experience of writer-director Josh Margolin’s own centenarian grandmother. Shining a spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero, Thelma puts a clever and humorous spin on movies like Mission: Impossible. 
Sunday, Apr 14 | 4:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Monday, Apr 15 | 12:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Herzfeld Cinema)
Thursday, Apr 18 | 7:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)

Garland Jefreys: The King of In Between 
Claire Jefreys | 2023 | USA
Garland Jeffreys, the mixed-race Brooklyn native whose music defied industry norms, receives long-overdue recognition in this powerful documentary. His unique fusion of folk, soul, and rock earned him accolades abroad, yet left him underrated at home. Jeffreys’ story, narrated from his NYC home and featuring interviews with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Vernon Reid, and Bruce Springsteen, sheds light on the life and artistry of an unclassifiable talent.
Thursday, Apr 18 | 4:45 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)
Saturday, Apr 20 | 6:30 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

Smoking Tigers
So Young Shelly Yo | 2023 | USA
Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Smoking Tigers is a portrait of a lonely 16-year-old Korean American girl named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic boot-camp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her problematic family and lower-income background from her new friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.
Saturday, Apr 13 | 6:45 PM | Avalon Theater
Thursday, Apr 18 | 6:00 PM | Times Cinema
Wednesday, Apr 24 | 1:30 PM | Downer Theatre (South Cinema)

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About Milwaukee Film   
Milwaukee Film is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to entertaining, educating, and engaging our community through cinematic experiences, with a vision to make Milwaukee a center for film culture. Milwaukee Film operates the magnificent Oriental Theatre, a historic cinema palace committed to high-quality and accessible film and education programming. The 16th annual Milwaukee Film Festival will be held April 11 - April 25, 2024. For more information or to become a Member, visit mkefilm.org.    

Milwaukee Film Board of Directors: mkefilm.org/board  

Facebook: facebook.com/MilwaukeeFilm | Twitter: @mkefilm | Instagram: @mkefilm  

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The Recombobulation Area is a ten-time THIRTEEN-TIME Milwaukee Press Club award-winning weekly opinion column and online publication written, edited and published by longtime Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Learn more about it here.

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