The only thing more extraordinary than the showing of the locally made feature documentary "Handmade Nation," was the locally produced buzz and turnout that greeted the film at the Oriental Theatre last night.
Faythe Levine's highly anticipated debut documentary is finished, but before it travels the globe to screen in New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, Barcelona and Melbourne, "Handmade Nation" premieres here in Milwaukee on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Oriental Theatre.
Tonight's premiere, themed "The Journey," reveals the work of one filmmaker as she creates three shorts for varying budgets of $1.3 million, $35,000 and $500.
The 11th annual Milwaukee Short Film Festival -- now run by the Milwaukee Independent Film Society -- is accepting submissions for this year's festival, to be held the weekend of Sept. 13. The deadline for submissions is May 30 and the "final deadline" is July 1.
Winter is the height of film season and people pack theaters across the country to catch the year's blockbusters, but here in Milwaukee, something called Transmutative Cinema offers an alternative to Hollywood's biggest and brightest, and an alternative to the typical $10 ticket prices.
Not long after Wisconsin created special incentives to draw filmmakers to the state, Milwaukee has landed at No. 9 on Moviemaker magazine's list of top movie cities for 2009.
Looking for a little levity at the end of a long, cold week? The new movie from "The King of Queens" star Kevin James opens today. Here is the trailer.