The 2007 Wisconsin Film Festival is the ninth annual edition of Madison's springtime celebration of cinema.
Launched in 1999 by the UW Arts Institute, the festival has developed over the last decade into one of the city's premiere cultural events, one that showcases not only high-profile international and independent films, but actively focuses on works created by Wisconsin's own auteurs, from beginner students to persons already possessing long experience in the industry.
Isthmus, a festival media partner, is covering the 2007 film frenzy on The Daily Page with a series of reviews, updates, preview trailers, and movie reviews preceding and through the four day event running from April 12-15. Coverage of this year's festival follows.
Reviews of festival films by Isthmus and The Daily Page contributors follow:
- short.times.six at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Poison Friends at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- El Topo at Cinematheque
- Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Cut: Teens and Self Injury at the Wisconsin Historical Society
- Diggers at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Long Shadows: Veterans' Paths to Peace at the Wisconsin Historical Society
- British Television Advertising Awards at Monona Terrace
- U-Carmen eKhaylitsha at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Punk's Not Dead at the Bartell Theatre
- Wisconsin Student Short Films at Monona Terrace
- Cork n'Bottle String Band: The Ken's Bar Story at the Wisconsin Historical Society
- Severance at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- It's Happiness: A Polka Documentary at the Wisconsin Historical Society
- Jim & Joe's Animated Shorts at Cinematheque
- Fay Grim at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Gypsy Caravan at MMoCA
- short.times.twelve at the Play Circle
- Wristcutters: A Love Story at the Orpheum Stage Door
- Everything's Gone Green at MMoCA
- Sportsfan at Monona Terrace
- Ball Saved at Monona Terrace
- Tim's Island at the Frederic March Play Circle
- When Pigs Fly at Monona Terrace
- The Rape of Europa at the Bartell Theatre
- The Hip Hop Project at Cinematheque
- The Cost of Living at Monona Terrace
- King Corn at the Bartell Theatre
- It's in the Blood: Leo Abshire & the Cajun Tradition at Monona Terrace
- Air Guitar Nation at the Orpheum Stage Door
- Radio On at Cinematheque
- The District! at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Heart of an Empire at the Wisconsin Union Theater
- Family Law at the Orpheum Stage Door
- Manufactured Landscapes at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- Chalk at the Wisconsin Union Theater
- Toots at the Orpheum Stage Door
- The Spirit of the Beehive at Cinematheque
- Killer of Sheep at Cinematheque
Members of The Daily Page Forum are also posting their reviews of festival films:
- All the Days Before Tomorrow at MMoCA
- British Television Advertising Awards at Monona Terrace
- Everything's Gone Green at MMoCA
- Ten Canoes at the Orpheum Main Theatre
- The Boss of It All at MMoCA
- Toots at the Orpheum Stage Door
- The District! at the Orpheum Main Theater
- Air Guitar Nation at the Orpheum Stage Door
- Chalk at the Wisconsin Union Theatre
Organizing the Wisconsin Film Festival is an extensive process, one that continues every day of the year starting at the end of the last screening on the last day of last year's party. The Daily Page is following the progress of the event with regular updates about its organizing and programming, along with other news items about festival happenings, ticket sales, and more:
- The collected reviews of the 2007 Wisconsin Film Festival
- Blogging the film fest: Postscript
- Wisconsin Film Festival announces 2007 audience awards
- Wisconsin Film Festival attendance up in 2007
- Blogging the film fest: Act Three
- An intermission interview at the festival
- Blogging the film fest: Act Two
- Leslie Hall brings the Ly's, and her gem sweaters, to the film fest
- State rep Gordon Hintz rawks in Air Guitar Nation
- Blogging the film fest: Act One
- Hangin' at the live WORT broadcast in Four Star Video
- Stormtroopers spotted at the Chazen
- Blogging the film fest: Prologue
- A busy Orpheum on opening night at the fest
- Ready, get set, and...
- Kent Williams cuts a path through the jam-packed Wisconsin Film Festival
- Less than 48 hours to go...
- Seven days to the film fest: A day-by-day breakdown of the final preparations
- Counting down the days until the film fest
- Festival releases names of visiting filmmakers
- Planning enters final stage, including for box office and volunteers
- Ticket sales proceeding quickly
- Jury awards selected, both for Wisconsin's Own and Wisconsin Student Shorts programming
- Wisconsin-made films well represented in festival
- Fest to feature three special series: "Diaspora Melancholy," "African Action Figures," and "FilmABLE"
- Zidane and the fighting 501st Legion heading for Madison
- Numerous offerings announced, including Linda Linda Linda, Tim's Island, and the best of the BTAAs
- Hal Hartley, Severance, and new punk rock doc on board
- Volunteers needed, Young Frankenstein and 12:08 East of Bucharest confirmed
- Getting set for the festival, seven months out
The Daily Page is also conducting interviews with festival participants with Wisconsin connections, including jurors for the student selections and homegrown filmmakers. These Q&As follow:
- Smells like mystery: A Q&A with Aaron Ohlmann: Producer/cinematographer previews fest appearance
- Matt Sloan encourages local filmmakers to keep making and screening their movies
- Tona Williams discusses the process of selecting the Wisconsin Student Shorts
- "Brain-damaged surrealism": Dal Lazlo previews his award-winning collaboration with Charles Johannsen
A third element to the film festival coverage in The Daily Page are introductions to selected festival films, complete with their trailers and links to previous reviews. These items follow:
- Absolute Wilson by Katharina Otto-Bernstein
- Retribution by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
- Punk's Not Dead by Susan Dynner
- Into Great Silence by Philip Groening
- Man Push Cart by Ramin Bahrani
- Family Law by Daniel Burman
- Chalk by Mike Akel
- The Life of Reilly by Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson
- Vanaja by Rajnesh Domalpalli
- The Rape of Europa by Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham, and Bonni Cohen
- Air Guitar Nation by Alexandra Lipsitz
- Close to Home by Vidi Bilu and Dalia Hagar
- Severance by Christopher Smith
- Killer of Sheep by Charles Burnett
- Everything's Gone Green by Paul Fo
- Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks
- Exiled by Johnny To
Local cineastes are also blogging about the upcoming festival; more may be found here in Madison Miscellany.