by Stephen Milek The Milwaukee Show at the Milwaukee Film Festival showcases some of the best shorts by local filmmakers. At the show Sunday night we saw 10 movies from great local talent. I just wanted to highlight my five favorites but ranking them proved too difficult so I will just list them in alphabetical order.
0 Comments
Every day during the festival we will try to fill you in on what we will be seeing and what our pick of the day is. A fun filled day of movies planned today. The day starts off with the 4:15pm with No One’s Child at the Times then we head over to the Oriental for the centerpiece film Peace Officer. Then it’s a night filled with midnight films as we check out the Shorts: The Best F*#@ing Midnight Program Ever. Sh*t and Nina Forever. Our pick of the day is Peace Officer. William “Dub” Lawrence is a former sheriff and one of the founders of the Utah’s SWAT team. When his son-in-law is killed by the Utah SWAT Team he begins to research and question other police related shootings. A timely doc and another one that hopes to end up getting an Oscar nomination. The only screening during the festival is tonight at 7pm at the Oriental. By Christopher K House 30 Seconds Away is an important film for Milwaukee and the country as a whole, really. The documentary from director Faith Kohler is a poignant look at the homeless population in the city of Milwaukee. Focusing on a central group of men, homeless for varied reasons 30 Seconds Away will run you over like a steam roller. Filmed over a six year period and a labor of love for some of Milwaukee's brightest film makers, this is so far one of the best of this year's Milwaukee Film Festival. We are introduced to a man named Harold Sloan, a middle aged man who has been homeless for years as he struggles for an existence. Harold is a well spoken, likable man who let his drug addiction overcome him and became homeless. He struggles with the ups and downs with a good heart and uplifting spirit. The men all have the same complaints about Milwaukee, the cold nature of the police officers and city officials. It isn't all bad news for the homeless population, there are programs to help. Interspersed with interviews of police officers and city officials including a Milwaukee County judge, determined to aid the men 30 Seconds Away tells it's story effectively well. The men interviewed are of varied backgrounds and homeless for reasons from drug abuse to mental disorders to even just bad luck. 30 Seconds Away is a term used by Harold, it refers to being 30 seconds away from homelessness at any given time and we see this happen throughout the film. Like I said, the film is important for the reason that hits you in the face with these stories you would never think twice about if you saw the men on the street asking for money. They are hungry, they are cold and they are alone. Kudos to MKE Film for picking this up for the film fest this year. Keep your eye out for this film and don't miss an opportunity to see it, job well done. Grade: A Every day during the festival we will try to fill you in on what we will be seeing and what our pick of the day is.
After taking a couple of days off from watching movies we are back at it today. And we couldn’t be more excited to see 30 Seconds Away: Breaking the Cycle (our pick of the day on Tuesday). Our friend Jessica Farrell produced it and director Faith Kohler was nice enough to take time out and answer a few of our questions. We are looking forward to finally seeing the movie. After that we head to the Oriental for The Milwaukee Show 2. After watching the great films at The Milwaukee Show 1 we are excited to see what other great films Milwaukee Filmmakers have in store for us. It’s screening is today at 6:30pm at the Oriental theater. Head to mkefilm.org for tickets Every day during the festival we will try to fill you in on what we will be seeing and what our pick of the day is.
While our day jobs are hindering seeing films today we hope you get out to see at least one. And if you do our pick of the day is He Named Me Malala. How does one become the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize? For Malala Yousafzai it was by speaking out about girls’ education in Taliban run Pakistan. At the age of 15 she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman but miraculously survived. The documentary by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for ‘Superman’) has gotten a lot of attention and is a heavy favorite for a nomination for a Best Documentary Oscar. It’s only screening during the festival is today at 4:15 at the Downer theater. Head to mkefilm.org for tickets |
ChrisA film fan from an early age, Chris is a true cinephile. Starting with his first big screen experience, Star Wars to the current indie films, it's obvious he is obsessed with film. Chris has been writing about film and television since the early days of the internet. SteveA lover of all movies. Steve will watch anything from classic silent films to modern horror films. Obsessed with the Oscars and Film festivals. Steve prides himself on watching every movie on the AFI 100 Greatest Movies and every Oscar winner. Archives
October 2017
Categories |