Milwaukee Film Announces Cream City Cinema Program Lineup at 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival
The 18th annual Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF26) will run April 16-30, 2026
MILWAUKEE – Tuesday, March 16 – Milwaukee Film is overjoyed to announce the lineup of films in the Cream City Cinema program at the 18th Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF26), presented by Associated Bank, which runs April 16-30, 2026. An especially important corner of the annual Festival, as it allows Milwaukee Film to further elevate and champion the work of local filmmakers, the Cream City Cinema program is presented by Susan and Robert Mikulay, and sponsored by OnMilwaukee, Urban Milwaukee, VISIT Milwaukee. This annual showcase of the best new work from Milwaukee-area filmmakers invites audiences to celebrate local artistry and show some hometown pride.
“Once again, the team making Cream City Cinema selections was wowed by the range and brilliance of talent in our area. With over a day of short works and over 25 features to consider for limited slots in the Festival, we had our work cut out for us,” said Milwaukee Film’s Artistic Director Cara Ogburn. “We’re particularly excited to bring back The Milwaukee Music Video Show this year, but every single film in this program is one that will make Milwaukee proud.”
Cream City Cinema program feature films announced:
- Beyond (dir. Michael Kleiman, Asia Johnson, 2025, USA)A group of incarcerated men prepare for a TED-style event at Sing Sing prison that showcases their personal narratives along with ideas for changing the prison system and healing their communities. With unprecedented access, the film follows the speakers’ journeys from audition to their climactic moment on stage, highlighting themes of vulnerability, healing, and redemption, while showcasing the power of performance and storytelling in and outside of the carceral justice system.
- Bright Beautiful World: The Infectious Joy of Pat McCurdy (dir. Peter Matsoukas, Benny Kaplan, 2026, USA) – WORLD PREMIERE!Over more than 50 years and 12,000 performances in Milwaukee and beyond, Pat McCurdy has cultivated a fiercely loyal fan base and a reputation for spreading infectious joy. He may not be a household name, but to those who know him, Pat is unforgettable. Bright Beautiful World is an uplifting portrait of an artist who found success on his own terms—and of the deep, decades-long love affair between a musician and the fans who keep showing up.
- Flytrapper (dir. Drew Britton, 2025, USA) – WORLD PREMIERE!Crystal’s life of extremely aggressive rap music, jet-skiing, and nefarious activities in the lush Northwoods is upended by a visit from her estranged best friend, Melonie, who is digging into the past. But even as the situation becomes increasingly unstable, she can’t help but stay as the two rekindle their friendship. Featuring a crew of MFF alums, this world premiere showcases writer/star Georgia Lee King as one to watch.
- Intoxicated Rain (dir. Miles O’Neil, 2025, USA)Along the Western shores of Lake Michigan, just north of Milwaukee, lies the small town of Port Washington, WI. When two old fishermen recover the curious isolated remains of a human face, the town is unsettled but carries on. Against this backdrop we meet Jaden Sobczak, a biracial young man coming of age while feeling caught between places, cultures, and family members in this heartfelt film, produced by talented local cast and crew.
- Ixonia’s Mild Kingdom (dir. Kristofor Brown, Kevin Pehler, 2025, USA)Meet self-proclaimed “wildlife expert” Merlin Porkins. The latest from Beavis and Butthead writer Kristofor Brown, this pilot for a new episodic project follows Porkins and his sidekicks as they encounter local wildlife in the small town of Ixonia, WI. Using Monty Python-esque storytelling, unforgettable characters, and a local touch, this show is truly like no other. This screening will be followed by an extended Q&A with Brown featuring career highlights and some surprises.
- Makin’ Cake (dir. Dasha Kelly, 2025, USA) – WORLD PREMIERE!Makin’ Cake is a story of access and privilege in America told through the histories of baking and cake. Join multi-hyphenate artist and Milwaukeean, Dasha Kelly, as she travels the country talking to bakers, scientists, and historians, witness her nationally touring stage show of the same name, and maybe learn a few things about baking along the way. This doc is one part Food Network, one part history lesson, and 100% Dasha.
- Now! More! Yes! (dir. Max Hey, 2025, USA)Milwaukee-based artist Max Hey started recording his landlord, TW Hansen, a blind picture car wrangler, after witnessing him purchase an ambulance with no keys on an auction website. When a sudden job loss leads TW into a spiral of despair, his resilience is tested in ways that push him to the edge. Now! More! Yes! is a celebration of the human spirit, the power of relationships, and the unexpected ways life can turn around.
Cream City Cinema program short films announced:
- A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place (dir. Sophia Stezala, 2025, USA)(NOTE: This short will screen prior to Cinema Hooligante feature Saccharine)
The Milwaukee Music Video Show
This showcase of locally-made music videos runs the genre gamut while also showcasing the diversity within the music video format.
- Autumn Maria Reed – “Little Heart Warrior” | Alex Boyes
- Caley Conway – “Singing Never” | Josh Evert
- Creature Weather – “Phantom Face” | Nels Lindquist
- Fuzzysurf – “Don’t Go Overboard” | Tommy Simms
- Health Club – “Banjo Song” | Ryan Nels Pontillo
- Hughes Family Band – “I Don’t Mind” | Ryan Thomas Reeve
- Jondo Jordan – “Delusions” | Jonathan Turner
- Mie – “Freakshow” | Mie None
- Mol Sullivan – “Dog” | Mol Sullivan
- Noah David Eckstein – “Cladosporium Coke Dial” | Noah David Eckstein
- oak you – “pangea pt. 3 (hibernation)” | Cole Quamme
- Seances – “Forgiveness” | Eric Arsnow
- Sex Scenes – “Want & Need / Nothing” | Victor Buell, Harrison Colby
- The Taxmen – “Without You” | Peter Borowski
- Traore – “Africa Enough is Enough” | English Absolute, Tate Bunker
The Milwaukee Show I
Each year The Milwaukee Show is one of the hottest tickets of the festival—a rare chance to see work from our local best and brightest in the gloriously opulent setting of our beloved Oriental Theatre’s Abele Cinema. This collection of stunning shorts allows you to watch locally, yet think globally.
- Frayed Flags | Khaula Kai Mahmood
- Fred’s Basement Bijou | Michael T. Vollmann
- Las Animas | Matt Feldman
- Learning from Learning from Las Vegas | Gillian Waldo, Sam Taffel
- Romeo’s Burden | Adam Morris
- Sherman Park | Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara
- Sometimes They Knock | Matt Binetti
The Milwaukee Show II
The shorts program is so nice, we have to do it twice! The Milwaukee Show II brings you EVEN MORE fantastic films courtesy of our thriving local artistic community. There’s simply too much quality to be contained by a single screening, so settle in for another collection of shorts with a diversity of styles and perspectives.
- Aroma-Vision | Shun Powell
- 甜腻腻 Thick & Sweet | Yinan Wang
- Floodgates | Eric Engelbart
- In Shelter of Birds | Lajwanti Pershad Waghray
- Never Lost (결코 잃지 않았다) | Li Chiao-Ping
- Placeholder | Jesse McLean
- Where It Started | Vianca Fuster
The Milwaukee Youth Show
The next generation of artists in our community are showing that they have the stuff to tell their stories, make people laugh, and enact change. This showcase of Milwaukee’s young filmmakers proves that they are carrying the torch to bring light to our city. AGES 12+
- Alive and Fine | Diego Villafuerte
- Facade | Sam Slowik
- GRAVEDIGGER | Joseph Tzougros, Anika Oakland, Zoe Oakland
- Hold Close | Milwaukee Visionaries Project participants
- Nannerl’s Kügel | Lola Milanovic
- The Web | Erin Browning
- Too Many Anikas | Zoe Oakland
- Who Are You | Katie Hyde
Advance ticket packages and passes for the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival are available now at mkefilm.org/mff26. Audiences are invited to join Milwaukee Film for Friends & Family Preview Night on Thursday, April 2, at the Oriental Theatre where printed program books will be available.
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 is committed to high-quality and accessible film programming through their operation of the magnificent Oriental Theatre, a historic cinema palace, and the iconic Downer Theatre, Milwaukee’s oldest running cinema. The 18th annual Milwaukee Film Festival will take place April 16-30, 2026. For more information or to become a Member, visit mkefilm.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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