Though it’s spring in Wisconsin — and the weather is winter-like — though I have to go back to work today — it’s my spring staycation, the 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival, #wifilmfest the 20th anniversary when I spend days and nights in darkened movie theaters with filmgoing friends, festival-goers, and family. Following are excerpts from my Facebook updates from the festival. Each dispatch is a brief wrap-up of the films I saw, and related highlights. At the end of the festival, I’ll review the films I saw. As a reminder, I’m a cinephile and not a critic. As I see films and draft my festival dispatches, I offer my thoughts on what I liked, what surprised me, what disappointed, and what took my breath away.
Dispatch from Day 1
The Opening Night of the Festival featured a pre-show reception at the UW Memorial Union in the Sunset Lounge overlooking Lake Mendota prior to the opening night film Mountain in the recently-renovated Shannon Hall, one of my favorite venues for music, guest lectures, and of course, films. Before the film, Ben Reiser, Outreach and Community Engagement Director, introduced the founder of the first film festival in 1999, who provided a look back at the early festivals and its evolution. Reiser then thanked many of the people, past and present, responsible for making the Wisconsin Film Festival the largest university-produced festival. Pete Schwaba, host of Wisconsin Public Television’s, Director’s Cut introduced the judges and winners of this year’s Golden Badger Awards.
Elemental a short film by Wisconsin filmmakers, featuring stunning nature cinematography, experimental dance and music, was followed by the Wisconsin premiere of the Australian feature-length documentary Mountain narrated by Wisconsin’s-own Willem Dafoe. The visual journey atop mountains and vistas which captivate and challenge mountain-climbers and extreme sports enthusiasts is breathtaking, frightening, and can’t-take-your-eyes-off filmmaking with an incredible score, compelling cinematography, and philosophical narration.
Last night at the Opening Night of the Festival, I ran into two filmgoing friends, Robin Bechhofer and Pat Lambert who also see a lot films at the festival every year.
Filmgoing friends: Robin Bechhofer & Pat Lambert
Dispatch from Day 2
It’s the morning of Day 3 of the Wisconsin Film Festival. I’m getting caffeinated for the day ahead (Note: See my acquisition of festival merchandise, a new WFF coffee mug). On my schedule today, four films beginning with two documentaries, RBG, a profile of the amazing Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Blood is at the Doorstep.
From the 2018 WFF website: “This deeply moving documentary highlights the story of Dontre Hamilton, who was shot fourteen times by a Milwaukee police officer in 2014. Dontre’s death recalls countless other deaths of black Americans, like Michael Brown in Ferguson, but Dontre’s struggle with schizophrenia is highlighted as an official explanation for the fatal incident with police officer Christopher Maney, creating a debate in the community over whether mental health or racism should be the focus of the narrative about Dontre’s death. Over the course of three years, the filmmakers follow the Hamilton family’s quest for answers, journey to healing, and ultimately the creation of new activism platforms in Milwaukee. The complex, profound The Blood is at the Doorstep cuts deep into issues of police brutality, mental health, and racism, while also capturing a powerful dialogue among community members about how to reform these unjust structural barriers. Winner of a 2018 Golden Badger Award.”
Dispatch from Day 3
Today is Day 4 of the Wisconsin Film Festival. Each year when selecting films, I break a couple of my rules, no more than three films in a day, and no films after 8 pm. Yesterday I had tickets for four films, one at 8:15. You might guess what happened. I didn’t make it to my fourth film at 8:15. Instead, I stayed for the Q & A with director Tim Hunter following, Looking Glass, the Nicholas Cage Hitchcockian thriller and in this filmgoer’s view, unintended black comedy. The film I missed was Custody. Earlier in the day, I saw two documentaries, both were incredible for different reasons. Blood is on the Doorstep and RBG. The latter is playing again on Wednesday, April 11th. It’s sold out but rush tickets may be available. See it if you’re able. It was an entertaining, informative, inspiring history lesson with attitude and earned reverence for the iconic “Notorious R.B.G.”, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
I see four films today, or should I say I intend to see four films? On the itinerary, two documentaries, Hal and Saving Brinton followed by a compilation of short films, Wisconsin’s Own by the Dozen and I end the day with a quirky Japanese film, Vampire Clay a mix of live action and animation featuring modeling clay.
Dispatch from Day 4
Today is Day 5 of the 20th Wisconsin Film Festival. Yesterday was the midway mark of the festival. The remaining films for the four days will be at the AMC Theater at Hilldale, making travel and parking logistics simpler. Though I got my exercise this weekend like a UW student, walking and climbing stairs at Vilas Hall and the Memorial Union, the parking gods smiled on me and I was lucky to get parking spots when I needed them. Regarding the films: Yesterday I saw two great documentaries again, both appealing to the cinephile and film historian in me.
The first film was Hal a loving tribute to prolific film editor, director, letter-writer, rebel, and award-winning filmmaker Hal Ashby, notorious for his five wives, pot-smoking, and ability to work non-stop on little sleep. His films from the 1970’s remain some of my favorites, Harold and Maude, Shampoo, Coming Home, and The Last Detail. Filmmakers, friends, actors and ex-wives and lovers, share stories of his influence on movie-making, politics, and their lives.
Next up, I saw Wisconsin’s Own by the Dozen, a compilation of shorts by Wisconsin filmmakers. I returned to the UW Cinematheque to see Saving Brinton. Self-proclaimed “saver” and storyteller, Mike Zahs from Washington County Iowa, preserved some of the most valuable films that lived in “The Brinton Room” of his rural farm home. From the official movie website:
“In a farmhouse basement on the Iowa countryside, eccentric collector Mike Zahs makes a remarkable discovery: the showreels of the man who brought moving pictures to America’s Heartland. Among the treasures: rare footage of President Teddy Roosevelt, the first moving images from Burma, a lost relic from magical effects godfather Georges Méliés. These are the films that introduced movies to the world. And they didn’t end up in Iowa by accident. The old nitrate reels are just some of the artifacts that belonged to William Franklin Brinton. From thousands of trinkets, handwritten journals, receipts, posters and catalogs emerges the story of an inventive farmboy who became America’s greatest barnstorming movieman.”
Cinephile Celebrity: Alan Ginsberg
One of my favorite aspects of the Wisconsin Film Festival is standing in line before the films, chatting up filmgoers (I do prefer shorter lines however, which promise good seats). Yesterday, I ran into someone who I consider to be a Madison cinephile celebrity, Alan Ginsberg. We were in line together before the documentary Hal. We quickly engaged like most festival-goers, and talked about the films we had each seen, our favorites, and films still ahead on our lists. Alan is a celebrity in that he might be close to the record-holder of seeing the most films each year. This year he had tickets for 36 films. He also has a strategy to pay attention to. He gets right up close in the front row when there’s a Q & A following the film. He certainly is a “front row and center” filmgoer. Alan was gracious enough to let me take this photo of him.
The Week Ahead
I have tickets for 10 films over the course of the next four days. I”ll go to work at my part-time gig from 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. each day and afterwards, I’ll head out to the AMC Theater at Hilldale (AMC Dine-In Madison 6, the theater formerly known as Sundance 608). This schedule, following four days of films, will require some caffeination. The first four days I had tickets for 12 but ended up only seeing 10. Yes, I broke two of my rules. No more than three movies in a day, and no movies after 8:00 p.m. I have two movies ahead after 8:00 p.m. which I truly want to see, so caffeine will be a requirement and once again, the WFF, Steep & Brew, and Hilldale provide.
One more reason why the Wisconsin Film Festival gets better every year. This year introduces a space to get caffeinated and converse with other festival cinephiles between films at Hilldale Mall across from the AMC Theater. (Psst…it features Steep & Brew Coffee…and it’s free!).
Stay tuned for the next dispatch from the 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival when I chronicle the next four days of festival filmgoing. Then after I’ve had some sleep and reflect on my festival experience, I’ll review the films I’ve seen this year in a final Filmgoer’s Dispatch: The 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival.
For more information about the festival, visit: 2018.wifilmfest.org/
Related Reading from Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!
What a delight to keep running into you! More times than the last few years put together. See soon at AMC….