Wisconsin Film Festival

Coverage archive related to the annual UW–Madison campus-based film festival that spans eight days in April.

Still frame taken from the experimental documentary "The Phalanx" shows a person looking out the window of a historical house in Ripon, Wisconsin. They wear a long-sleeve shirt, and their back is to the camera. The camera is positioned in the door frame of an adjacent room, as if peeking in on them.

Inspiriting radical communal aspirations: an interview with Ben Balcom on “The Phalanx”

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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 25, 2026

The Milwaukee filmmaker's latest experimental short premieres locally at the Chazen Museum during the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival on April 12.

Latest in Wisconsin Film Festival
Angled photo at a medium shot of five people seated at a table in a theater lobby. Four people sit on the far side, while one person sits closest to the camera on the other side. They are all absorbed in the news-printed 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival guides on the table. The table contains numerous beverage glasses, a couple plates of food, and a small table lamp towards the center.
Continuity and expressive experimentation in the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 11, 2026

Eight writers share their initial insights on the eight-day extravaganza, April 9 through 16, across UW campus and Madison.

At a medium shot, three people sit in a conference room in a triangular-like formation at a large tan table. Two of them, sitting at the left and center, are turned towards the host, who sits at the right. They all have paper notes in front of them. The table consumes the entire foreground of the frame.
Video: Talking 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival with Josiah Wampfler
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Film
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April 29, 2025

A collaborative episode with OCA Media after recovering from festival fatigue in the wake of the 27th annual event, which was held from April 3 through 10.

In the foreground of an image in a forested area, a woman in a white lab suit lays on the grass in the fetal position. Behind her, yellow tape that faintly reads "crime scene do not enter" is wrapped in a semi-triangular shape around a cluster of trees.
Mortal and moral inquiries at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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April 3, 2025

Our writers ponder four incisive, formidable documentaries (and essay films) screening as part of the fest from April 4 through 10.

Two woman stand in front of a red parked car at night outside. The woman on the right holds her phone up with her right hand, closer to her face, while the other woman leans in slightly with her arms folded. Both women stare ahead with calm, neutral expressions that suggest they are listening attentively.
“Thank You For Banking With Us!” offers a rich, uplifting portrait of resistance to patriarchal oppression
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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April 2, 2025

The Palestinian dramedy by filmmaker and academic Laila Abbas premieres locally at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 5 and 7.

A still image from the film "Shanghai Blues" shows a young couple sitting somewhat anxiously on a couch that's in front of a bedroom area behind them. They stare at each other intently with straight faces. The woman on the right's left arm is resting on the arm of the couch, while the man on the left is holding a thin, elongated wooden prop or piece of a wooden frame that's resting on the floor.
The lovesick silliness of “Shanghai Blues” turns exhilaratingly bittersweet
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 31, 2025

Tsui Hark's lively romantic comedy from 1984 screens in a new 4K restoration at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 7 and 10.

A frame from the short film "Choose The Pond" shows a middle-aged woman wearing a long-sleeve purple and red tie-dye shirt. She sits in profile at a desk in a corner, and looks ahead at a computer monitor, while speaking on the phone.
“Choose The Pond” testifies to the power of self-advocacy
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 30, 2025

Susan Borri's inspiring documentary short premieres locally at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 5.

A color-muted image shows a middle-aged male hospital patient laying on a bed out of focus. Behind him is a younger woman sitting in the middleground of the frame. She is in focus, and stares affectionately at him with her left hand cradling her chin.
“Relationship To Patient” navigates physical and emotional discomfort with refreshing candor and humor
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 27, 2025

Caroline Creaghead's compelling narrative short film makes its local premiere at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 6.

A photo of an urban alleyway during the day. Along either side of the alley are vertical rows of garbage and recycling bins against fences and houses. The bins extend into the distance. The road itself is free of cars and pedestrians.
“The Year” presents a prosaic alleyway as a poetic gateway
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 25, 2025

A conversation with Milwaukee-based filmmaker Grace Mitchell, whose experimental short makes its local premiere at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 4.

A still frame from the film "Milk Punch" shows three characters in their 20s standing near the windows of an appliance store in daylight. They hover around a stereo boombox in the foreground. The balding man on the right puts his left hand on top of it, inspecting it, while the woman in the center inspects a cassette tape case. To the left, the other long-haired man stares with an derisive expression.
“Milk Punch” revels in a Madison beautifully adrift
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Wisconsin Film Festival
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March 24, 2025

Erik Gunneson's locally shot 2000 feature returns to the Wisconsin Film Festival in a new digital restoration for its 25th anniversary on April 5.