2015 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Shorter Is Better Lineup

MILWAUKEE – Wednesday, August 26, 2015 – The 7th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, presented by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, announces its lineup for Shorter Is Better, a short film showcase comprised of eight themed programs, featuring 58 of the best short stories told by filmmakers from all over the world, from all walks of life.

Innovative and enthralling, expansive in subject matter and style, Shorter Is Better allows the festival audience to view work from masters of the short format on the big screen, while offering a first glimpse at many future feature film directors. Amidst the eight programs is something for everyone; from the hilarious to the romantic to the downright bizarre, these programs intrigue all lovers of film, both novice and expert.
“As the Shorter Is Better programmer for the past seven Milwaukee Film Festivals, I’ve only seen the filmmaking quality get better and better as shorts filmmakers continue to take chances and push the medium further. Right now is a great time to be a shorts filmmaker, and an even better time to be a short film watcher,” says Shorts Programmer and Grant Writer Anna Sampers.

After great success in last year’s Festival, Milwaukee Film’s newest shorts programs, Sports Shorts. Shorts about Sports. and Stories We Tell, return for a second year. These two programs join an established set of wildly popular programs: The Best Damn F*#@ing Midnight Program Ever. Sh*t., Date Night, Let’s Get Animated, Out of This World, Modern Families and Stranger Than Fiction.

Also returning this year is the second annual Shorter Is Better juried award, recognizing the winning short film with a cash prize of $1,000.

Sponsored by: Tap Milwaukee

2015 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL
SHORTER IS BETTER
You’ll be amazed by what happens when filmmakers present all the emotion and visual delight of a feature film in a fraction of the time. We took our favorite short films from around the world and put them into neat little packages for your viewing pleasure.
Shorts: The Best Damn F*#@ing Midnight Program Ever. Sh*t.

Not for the faint of heart (or those who aren’t willing to equip themselves with adult diapers) comes this series of brain-f^#@ingly psychedelic, pants-sh*ttingly insane shorts — replete with bloody stumps, psycho ghosts, and plotlines that make Donnie Darko look like Bambi. Only those looking for a temporary respite from political correctness and polite society need apply.

ANAL JUKE -anal juice- (Ketsujiru Juke) (Japan / 2013 / Director: Sawako Kabuki)
The Black Bear (L’ours noir) (France, Belgium / 2015 / Directors: Méryl Fortunat-Rossi, Xavier Séron)
DRIVING (USA / 2014 / Director: Nate Theis)
Limbo Limbo Travel (France / 2014 / Directors: Zsuzsanna Kreif, Borbála Zétényi)
Polaroid (Norway / 2015 / Director: Lars Klevberg)
Primrose Lane (USA / 2014 / Director: Nick Phillips)
Kajutaijuq: The Spirit That Comes  (Canada / 2015 / Director: Scott Brachmayer)
teeth (United Kingdom, Hungary, USA / 2015 / Directors: Tom Brown, Daniel Gray)
Zepo (Spain / 2014 / Director: Cesar Diaz Melendez)

Shorts: Date Night
You should be sure to swipe right on this fun, fluffy, and relatable collection of love in all of its messy glory. We celebrate heart-pounding puppy love, sobbing-in-the-shower breakups, and all the love emojis in between. Be it young love, old love, new love, or no love at all, these relatable bite-sized bits are sure to do a number on your heartstrings.

Digits (USA / 2015 / Director: Alexander Engel)
Forever Over (Germany / 2014 / Director: Erik Schmitt)
In the Clouds (En las Nubes) (Argentina / 2014 / Director: Marcelo Mitnik)
One-Minute Time Machine (USA, United Kingdom / 2014 / Director: Devon Avery)
Say Nothing (No Digas Nada) (Spain / 2014 / Director: Silvia Abascal)
We’ll Find Something (USA / 2015 / Director: Casey Gooden)
Who’s Up? (Qui de Nous Deux?) (France / 2014 / Director: Benjamin Bouhana)

Shorts: Let’s Get Animated
This diverse, unexpected, and beautiful grouping of animated offerings presents an ever-shifting series of stories where anything can and will happen. Ranging from silly and absurd to heartfelt and personal, each short is perfectly matched with its technique, form, and function in animated harmony. The wide variety is sure to provoke post-screening conversations in the lobby.

Automatic Fitness (Germany / 2015 / Directors: Alberto Couceiro, Alejandra Tomei)
Beach Flag (Vosta) (France / 2014 / Director: Sarah Saidani)
Edmond (United Kingdom / 2015 / Director: Nina Gantz)
The Five Minute Museum (Switzerland / 2015 / Director: Paul Bush)
Light Motif (France, United Kingdom / 2014 / Director: Frédéric Bonpapa)
Queen Bum (Königin Po) (Switzerland / 2015 / Director: Maja Gehrig)
Storm Hits Jacket (Tempête sur anorak) (France / 2014 / Director: Paul E. Cabon)
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos (Russia / 2014 / Director: Konstantin Bronzit)

Shorts: Modern Families
All the love and drama one can expect from everyday life surrounded by family is on display here — a daughter becomes a woman, a son becomes a man in the absence of his incarcerated father, a husband seeks to reconnect with his wife after the birth of their child, and a mother relies on the kindness of strangers to be there for her family.

De Smet (Belgium, Netherlands / 2014 / Directors: Thomas Baerten, Wim Geudens)
The Emperor (Der Kaiser) (Netherlands / 2014 / Director: Eché Janga)
Gloria (Mexico / 2014 / Director: Luis Hernández de la Peña)
Grounded (Au sol) (France / 2014 / Director: Alexis Michalik)
Personal Development (Ireland / 2014 / Director: Tom Sullivan)
SexLife (United Kingdom / 2014 / Director: Stefan Georgiou)

Shorts: Out of This World
Do you prefer your shorts a little askew? Perfect for those looking to have the rug pulled out from under them, these effects-filled tales of the fantastical are tailored to your sensibilities. Just remember to keep a close eye on your clone, don’t get overly attached to that imaginary friend, and watch out for the end of days, because it’s nearly here and it’s going to look amazing.

Actor Seeks Role (USA / 2015 / Director: Michael Tyburski)
Francis (USA / 2014 / Director: Richard Hickey)
The No Look Dunk (USA / 2014 / Director: Dan Samiljan)
So You’ve Grown Attached (USA / 2014 / Director: Kate Tsang)
Sundays (Mexico, Netherlands / 2015 / Director: Mischa Rozema)
Zelos (USA / 2015 / Director: Thoranna Sigurdardottir)
Zero M2 (France / 2015 / Director: Matthieu Landour)

Shorts: Sports Shorts. Shorts about Sports.
Whether you’re a lifelong sports fanatic or you think a goalie can dunk a touchdown, these stories are for you. They all deal with some manner of underdog, and the humanity of these subjects shines through and leaves you rooting for their success. These populist parables of perseverance, as people push the limits of what’s possible, will leave you grinning ear to ear (and doing the wave).

The Bad Boy of Bowling (USA / 2015 / Director: Bryan Storkel)
Boxeadora (USA, Cuba / 2014 / Director: Meg Smaker)
The Edge of Impossible (USA / 2014 / Director: Conor Toumarkine)
Every Day (USA / 2014 / Director: Gabe Spitzer)
Giovanni and the Water Ballet (Netherlands / 2014 / Director: Astrid Bussink)
Run Fast (USA, Kenya / 2014 / Director: Anna Musso)

Shorts: Stories We Tell
Everybody’s got a story to tell — personal, provocative, funny, sad, or heartfelt, this program’s got ’em all. Between a love affair with a dolphin, a fateful camping trip that would irrevocably change the lives of many, and a family photo years in the making, this smattering of tales both true and fictional is sure to leave you satisfied.

{THE AND} Marcela & Rock (USA / 2014 / Director: Topaz Adizes)
Copycat (United Kingdom / 2015 / Director: Charlie Lyne)
Dolphin Lover (USA / 2015 / Director: Kareem Tabsch)
In the Hollow (USA / 2015 / Director: Austin Bunn)
The Little Deputy (Canada / 2015 / Director: Trevor Anderson)
Mother’s Song (USA / 2015 / Director: Matty Brown)
My Beefs with Taco Bell (USA / 2015 / Director: Connor Kerrigan)
Two Dosas (United Kingdom / 2014 / Director: Sarmad Masud)
Walls (Spain / 2014 / Director: Miguel López Beraza)

Shorts: Stranger Than Fiction
These extraordinary and unusual shorts beggar belief, but unbelievable as they may seem, they’re all true. Be it the story of an infamous murder house, a team risking life and limb to stop the spread of Ebola, or a boxing champion turned taxi driver, these documentaries prove true life can be as fascinating, sobering, and heartfelt as the finest of fictions.

Body Team 12 (USA / 2015 / Director: David Darg)
The Champion (USA / 2014 / Directors: Brett Garamella, Patrick McGowan)
The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul (Australia / 2014 / Director: Kitty Green)
The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano (USA / 2015 / Director: Joshua Seftel)
The House is Innocent (USA / 2015 / Director: Nicholas Coles)
Spearhunter (USA / 2015 / Directors: Adam Roffman, Luke Poling)

The 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival runs September 24 – October 8, 2015 at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, Landmark Downer Theatre, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, Times Cinema and Avalon Theater. Passes and ticket 6-Packs for the 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival are currently available at discounted rates exclusively online at mkefilm.org/tickets.

Tickets for individual screenings will be available through the Milwaukee Film Festival Box Office starting September 9 for Milwaukee Film Members and September 10 for the General Public.

About Milwaukee Film
Film can entertain, educate, and empower. It can bring change on levels both intimate and epic. And it’s at its best as a communal viewing experience, with the best possible sound and projection. As a non-profit cultural institution, Milwaukee Film’s mission is to communicate all of this to the city that we love, in a way that is both true and unique to Milwaukee.

Visit mkefilm.org for information on the film festival and the organization, membership, special events, and to sign up for the weekly email newsletter (mkefilm.org/newsletter). Connect with Milwaukee Film on Facebook (facebook.com/MilwaukeeFilm), Twitter (twitter.com/mkefilm), Instagram (instagram.com/mkefilm), and the Milwaukee Film blog (mkefilm.org/news).

The 7th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival will be held September 24-October 8, 2015.

About the Milwaukee Film Board of Directors
Milwaukee Film’s independent board is made up of the following members: Chris Abele (Past President); John P. Bania; Donna Baumgartner; Tina Chang; Dr. Robert M. Davis; Michael Drescher; Karen Ellenbecker; Jeff Fitzsimmons; Alexander P. Fraser; Cecelia Gore; Bill Haberman (Past President); Carmen Haberman; Susan Haise; Katie Heil; Patti Keating Kahn; Michael G. Klein; Tracey L. Klein (President); Kenneth C. Krei; Mary Ann LaBahn; Alexander Lasry; Steve Laughlin (Past President); Emilia Layden; Marianne Lubar; Sara Meaney; Steve Mech; Barry Poltermann; Bob Pothier; Joseph A. Rock; Dave Stamm; Julia Taylor; John Utz. Emeritus members: Tom Barrett, Jacqueline Strayer.

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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