Milwaukee Film Announces Titles in “Rated K: For Kids” Program at 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival; Seeks Kid Jurors

MILWAUKEE – Thursday, March 12th – Milwaukee Film is delighted to announce the lineup of films in the Rated K: For Kids program at the 18th Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF26), presented by Associated Bank, which runs April 16-30, 2026. One of the most beloved touchstones of the annual event is its family-friendly program, especially curated with the youth (and the young at heart!) in mind. The Rated K: For Kids program, presented by Marianne and Sheldon Lubar, and sponsored by Milwaukee With Kids, offers a selection of award-winning features and shorts from around the world, recommended for ages 3-12.

“This year’s Rated K: For Kids program is one that I’m particularly excited about because of its variety of styles and subject matter,” said Milwaukee Film’s Rated K Programmer Ian Cessna. “Though most kid-friendly content tends to be made for TVs, phones, and tablets, this year’s Rated K films demand to be seen on a big screen with an audience. From a documentary about saving the planet, to a stop-motion feature with no dialogue (but tons of heart), to short films from all over the world, we’re excited to show our youngest filmgoers just how much fun—and how powerful—film can be.”

Milwaukee Film is also seeking a group of art-loving and critical-thinking 9-12 year olds to represent the youth of Milwaukee and use their voice to award the best of made-for-youth cinema. This jury will be tasked to attend all three Rated K: For Kids shorts programs at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival and then meet during the festival to work together, deliberate, and pick their winner of the 2026 Kids’ Choice Award.

Children with an interest in cinema or the arts are invited to complete this application with a parent/guardian to be considered for this esteemed group of young film critics. The deadline for this application is 11:59pm on Sunday, March 29th, and students will be notified if they have been selected for the jury by end of day on Tuesday, March 31st. More information about the Kids Jury can be found at the application link.

Rated K: For Kids program announced:

• Cookie Queens (dir. Alysa Nahmias, 2026, USA)
  It’s cookie season, and pressure is rising as four tenacious Girl Scouts strive not only to be top-sellers in their troops, but to simply get through the thousands of dollars of cookies that they’ve pledged to sell. Deadlines approaching, trophies on the line, TV appearances, questions of capitalism, no sugar-free cookies?! Doc Queen Alysa Nahmias crafts a sweetly profound documentary navigating the $800 million business in which girlhood and ambition collide. AGES 8+
• Future Council (dir. Damon Gameau, 2024, Australia)
  Seeking solutions for a greener world, documentarian Damon Garneau assembles a group of the world’s most innovative thinkers—who also happen to be kids. Brilliantly flipping climate anxiety into tear-jerking heaps of hope, FUTURE COUNCIL chronicles eight middle-school activists on the ultimate field trip: traversing Europe in a yellow school bus to visit the natural wonders they aim to save, learn from each other, and challenge real world leaders to fight for their future. AGES 10+
• Kids Shorts: Size Small
  Packed to its teeny-tiny brim with stories sure to inspire wonder in our teeniest-tiniest audiences (maybe even for their first time in-theater!), this collection of shorts will have our littlest ones experiencing the awe of cinema in a kaleidoscope of dancing, early life lessons, and an Evel Knievel weevil. AGES 3+
• Kids Shorts: Size Medium
  As our youngest move into the next phase of their childhood, these films similarly start to expand in story, style, and heart: a lonely polar bear making a new friend out of snow, a young gamer learning to love his indigenous culture, and, of course, garden gnomes. AGES 6+
• Kids Shorts: Size Large
  Between the smallest warrior finding big hope for peace, a boy saving his Nainai’s dumpling shop, and a sparrow NOT looking up to an ostrich, these shorts for big kids will take them around the world to see how others are stepping into tween-dom with wisdom, bravery, and laughter. AGES 10+
• School of Rock (dir. Richard Linklater, 2003, USA)
  I pledge allegiance… to the band… and to the cult classic that raised a generation of stick-it-to-the-Man cinephiles. After being kicked out of his heavy metal band, Dewey Finn maneuvers into a gig as a substitute teacher at an uptight private elementary school—only to try and turn his class into anarchist rock stars. It’s time for the next generation to learn a life lesson: You’re not hardcore unless you live hardcore. AGES 12+
• Space Cadet (dir. Kid Koala, 2025, Canada)
  Young astronaut Celeste knows that her calling is in outer space. But when she gets the invitation to finally make her dream a reality, she realizes that she must leave her guardian robot grounded on Earth. With zero dialogue but boundless heart, SPACE CADET (beautifully stop-motion animated, and soundtracked by Karen O) takes us on a futuristic adventure through not just space but also the unspoken intricacies of human existence. AGES 6+
• The Milwaukee Youth Show
  With every turn, 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 (with tons of talent) to bring light to our city. AGES 12+

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.