Sep 24
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
In her own words, Grammy-winner Alicia Keys shares stories from her childhood while tracing her journey from the Hell’s Kitchen…
In her own words, Grammy-winner Alicia Keys shares stories from her childhood while tracing her journey from the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City to the Broadway stage. More than the story behind a Tony-winning musical, this intimate documentary reveals a young woman navigating life as the daughter of a single mother, surrounded by artists and dreamers, overcoming challenges, finding her voice, and forging a powerful path toward artistic freedom, growth, and acceptance.
Sep 24
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
Expertly merging old VHS home movies with new family interviews, filmmaker Eddie Sánchez traces his parents' journey from Mexico to…
Expertly merging old VHS home movies with new family interviews, filmmaker Eddie Sánchez traces his parents' journey from Mexico to the United States in this poignant and affecting documentary debut. While Sánchez explores a deeply personal history, this film resonates beyond families with similar stories and considers the power of reclaimed, remixed, and reinterpreted familial archives. The feature will be preceded by the local short film 馬小麥 (LITTLE MADELINE MCGUIRE) directed by Madeline James McGuire.This program will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A with the directors of both films: Eddie Sánchez and Madeline James McGuire
Sep 24
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Short Docs Rock!
Guests Expected
Uniting two midlength documentaries about women challenging boundaries, DRAWING LINES explores reinvention, and what happens when women draw lines of…
Uniting two midlength documentaries about women challenging boundaries, DRAWING LINES explores reinvention, and what happens when women draw lines of their own. From three Texan leaders navigating political divisions to the history of The New Yorker’s cartoonists, these films consider who gets to shape the conversation. This program includes: THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, DIR: Meg Griffiths, Scott FarisWOMEN LAUGHING, DIR: Kathleen Hughes, Liza DonnellyThis program will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Talkback After Screening
Fiercely independent 90-year-old Agatha Bock lives alone on her ancestral farm. Despite health challenges, she defiantly tends to her land,…
Fiercely independent 90-year-old Agatha Bock lives alone on her ancestral farm. Despite health challenges, she defiantly tends to her land, cultivating heirloom seeds passed down through generations. Agatha’s meditative processes and daily rituals form a vivid counterpoint to the rapid pace of contemporary life. Shot by an all-female crew over six years on 16mm film, the project captures the handmade materiality inherent in both the medium of film and Agatha’s tactile world.This screening will be followed by a talkback.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Talkback After Screening
Short Docs Rock!
When the L.A. fires of January 2025 destroy the home of multi-MFF alum filmmaker Ondi Timoner (DIG, WE LIVE IN…
When the L.A. fires of January 2025 destroy the home of multi-MFF alum filmmaker Ondi Timoner (DIG, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, LAST FLIGHT HOME), she does what filmmakers do best—picks up a camera—finding her town of Altadena in ruins and neighbors facing displacement. Led by activist Heavenly Hughes, the community rallies in solidarity amid climate catastrophe in this taut depiction of the transcendent power of place and community resilience in the face of grief and loss.This program will be followed by a virtual Q&A with director, Ondi Timoner.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
When the ooligan fish vanishes from Bella Coola, British Columbia, its absence lingers like a scar on the Nuxalk people.…
When the ooligan fish vanishes from Bella Coola, British Columbia, its absence lingers like a scar on the Nuxalk people. From a ramshackled radio station, Indigenous voices rise through crackling airwaves to trace the forces no one was meant to uncover. What begins as a local broadcast becomes an awakening as testimony, watercolour animation and rare archival weave a story of survival, return and the quiet revolution of a Nation that refuses to disappear.
Sep 25
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Co-director Nico López-Alegría turns the camera on his dad, Michael, a NASA astronaut who became legendary for his lengthy missions…
Co-director Nico López-Alegría turns the camera on his dad, Michael, a NASA astronaut who became legendary for his lengthy missions to outer space. During his time in orbit, the family broke apart. Although Michael returned to Earth, he never came home. Equal parts interstellar and intimate, this coming-of-age story confronts two men of different generations and sexualities, asking us what sacrifices we’ll make for our loved ones to achieve their dreams.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Short Docs Rock!
Talkback After Screening
What does life after life in prison look like? What is the deeper toll of separation and how can families…
What does life after life in prison look like? What is the deeper toll of separation and how can families heal after? EXODUS serves as a humanizing portrait of two women, Trinity Copeland and Assia Serrano, as they struggle to make sense of their lives post-release, exploring these overarching questions through a lyrical and poignant lens, and examining how one rebuilds a family fractured by profound loss.This screening will be followed by a talkback.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
New College of Florida was the first public college to be transformed by a political coup—setting a chilling blueprint for…
New College of Florida was the first public college to be transformed by a political coup—setting a chilling blueprint for our new era of unprecedented censorship and political interference in academia. By embedding with the student newspaper, a determined group of students and faculty push back and risk everything to save the college they love, and in doing so exposing the power of community and the freedom of higher education.
Sep 25
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Join Emily Harrington as she prepares for her next epic climb: ascending El Capitan in 24 hours. Featuring breathtaking cinematography…
Join Emily Harrington as she prepares for her next epic climb: ascending El Capitan in 24 hours. Featuring breathtaking cinematography and appearances from Alex Honnold (FREE SOLO), GIRL CLIMBER flips the script on the traditional climbing documentary—an emotional, edge-of-your-seat journey that’s as moving as it is heart-stopping. Against the majestic backdrop of Yosemite, Emily’s story becomes a portrait of courage, resilience, and what it truly takes to break barriers.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves delivers a final surprise with ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM.…
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves delivers a final surprise with ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM. Drawn from a 1972 gathering, the film unites surviving luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance (Arna Bontemps, Noble Sissle, James Ven Der Zee—to name a few) in electric conversations about art and legacy. Hailed as a "triumph" by The Hollywood Reporter and poised for awards season, this treasure offers a vivid, firsthand encounter with a movement that reshaped American history.
Sep 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Renowned documentarian Sam Pollard tells the astonishing history of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN—best known as the site of…
Renowned documentarian Sam Pollard tells the astonishing history of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN—best known as the site of the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Stories about the legacy of Black travel and lodging patterns soon give way to the compelling and complex question of whether locations with deep racial trauma should remain, be replaced, or be used to further an understanding of history.
Sep 25
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
WELCOME SPACE BROTHERS tells the astonishing true story of the Unarius Academy of Science, an extraterrestrial-channeling spiritual school and self-healing…
WELCOME SPACE BROTHERS tells the astonishing true story of the Unarius Academy of Science, an extraterrestrial-channeling spiritual school and self-healing community. Guided by the dazzlingly outlandish Ruth E. Norman ("Archangel Uriel"), Unarius evolved from a fringe metaphysical movement into a wildly inventive public-access television phenomenon, complete with cosmic pageantry, interplanetary wisdom, and DIY sci-fi visions. With the same curiosity that made THE SOURCE FAMILY so captivating, director Jodi Wille brings this singularly American saga of belief, performance, and transcendence to life.
Sep 26
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Over five decades, journalist E. Jean Carroll built a career urging women to speak up and stand their ground. In…
Over five decades, journalist E. Jean Carroll built a career urging women to speak up and stand their ground. In 2019, galvanized by the #MeToo movement, she did just that—publicly accusing a certain real estate mogul and U.S. president of sexual assault. As that figure continues to contest her account, ASK E. JEAN expertly explores the high personal cost of refusing to stay silent and the power of truth to combat gaslighting.
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
CHEYENNE follows four fearless cowgirls competing in bronc riding on the rodeo circuit. After nearly a century of male-exclusivity, the…
CHEYENNE follows four fearless cowgirls competing in bronc riding on the rodeo circuit. After nearly a century of male-exclusivity, the women's circuit is back to prove their perseverance, talent, and grit. In a sport that teaches you how to take a hard fall and get back up again, each of these women enters the arena for different reasons, pushing their physical and mental limits to win a coveted spot at the showdown known as the Daddy of ’em All: Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Sep 26
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Talkback After Screening
This sci-fi documentary invites us to reconsider the experiences of both human and non-human inhabitants of our world. We follow…
This sci-fi documentary invites us to reconsider the experiences of both human and non-human inhabitants of our world. We follow Lis and Juli, two young scientists from indigenous communities in Mexico that have long lived in symbiosis with the many mushrooms in their regions. Their pursuits are threatened by deforestation, lack of opportunity, and loss. Still, they share how mushrooms show us different possibilities of coexistence, helping them overcome obstacles to reshape their lives and futures.This screening will be followed by a talkback.
Sep 26
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
Director Katy Scoggin is starting a project about evolution and geologic time, but disagreements with her father—a young-earth creationist who…
Director Katy Scoggin is starting a project about evolution and geologic time, but disagreements with her father—a young-earth creationist who rejects the theory of evolution—keep getting in the way. When she films him in the classroom, where he is a loved and respected science teacher, she begins to see him more fully. With clarity and wry humor, FLOOD captures the complexity of a family that is both tightly knit and deeply divided.This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Katy Scoggin in conversation with Milwaukee-area counselor, Jeremy Schumacher.
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
GHOST IN THE MACHINE approaches ubiquitous questions like “What is AI?”, “Who is building it?”, and “What will humans become?”…
GHOST IN THE MACHINE approaches ubiquitous questions like “What is AI?”, “Who is building it?”, and “What will humans become?” by exploring how emerging technologies have historically reshaped identity, culture, and global power. Director Valerie Veatch interviews a wide variety of historians, philosophers, sociologists, journalists, and thinkers from around the world to lend fresh perspectives on what AI is, how it works, and how people can maintain a sense of agency in a threatening and overbearing tech-driven world.This film is part of our on-going Cinematic Sisterhood series, presented by Tracey B. Thomas.Series Community Partner: Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
A rural Iowa schoolteacher became a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her…
A rural Iowa schoolteacher became a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third-grade class. Now nearly 90, Jane Elliott refuses to hold back amid today’s fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out. A journey through Elliott's remarkable life, this film also addresses the impact of one's activism and determination to speak truth to large-scale powers on their family and home.
Sep 26
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
Meet Oliver, a 12-year-old murder-mystery enthusiast with a vivid imagination and a rare genetic condition. Inspired by his love of…
Meet Oliver, a 12-year-old murder-mystery enthusiast with a vivid imagination and a rare genetic condition. Inspired by his love of the genre, he sets out to bring his own mystery to the screen—with a little help from his friends. Offering an intimate window into growing up with disability and the power of community, KIDS LIKE ME celebrates the pursuit of creative dreams and what becomes possible through collective care.This screening will be followed by a talkback with the film's protagonists, the entire Odwazny-Beebe family!
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Local
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
Do you think life is overall better or worse for workers than it was 40 years ago? OUT OF REACH…
Do you think life is overall better or worse for workers than it was 40 years ago? OUT OF REACH seeks to answer this question by following five years in the lives of four generations of Milwaukee workers, documenting the ongoing slide that has made the middle class disappear at an alarming clip. Our history is a cautionary tale for America about the consequences of trickle-down economics and a nihilistic culture war.This screening will be followed by a talkback.
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
In the 1970s and 1980s, Ric Routledge transformed the dog-show world, then walked away without explanation. After his death in…
In the 1970s and 1980s, Ric Routledge transformed the dog-show world, then walked away without explanation. After his death in 2017, a family friend discovered a storage unit filled with videotapes, cassette interviews, photographs, postcards, and an unpublished autobiographical novel. That friend's son, director Jesse Carfield, re-assembled this treasure trove into SINCERELY, RIC, using Ric's ephemera to form the shape of a life lived between public ambition and private disappearance, asking what remains when someone documents everything except the ending.This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director, Jesse Carfield and his parents (and documentary participants, Kathy and Jim Carfield).
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Can reckoning with the past bring peace to those who lived it? The Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team…
Can reckoning with the past bring peace to those who lived it? The Vietnam War’s first Black special operations team reunites to tell their story. Using a combination of reenactments, vintage photography, and personal reflections, J.M. Harper's SOUL PATROL provides a rich perspective on both the Vietnam War and its collision with racial injustice, uncovering a hidden chapter of American military history in this winner of the US Documentary Competition Directing Award at Sundance 2026.
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Talkback After Screening
Fifty years after THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW became a queer rite of passage, the film's message of "don't dream…
Fifty years after THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW became a queer rite of passage, the film's message of "don't dream it, be it" feels more potent than ever. In conservative Rock Springs, WY, 25-year-old Kenny Starling launches the town’s first drag and queer theater company, staging their own shadowcast of the cult classic. TIME WARP follows Kenny and the determined troupe as they give themselves over to the absolute pleasure of chosen family and radical self-expression.This screening will be followed by a talkback featuring members of Milwaukee's own RHPS shadowcast, Sensual Daydreams.
Sep 26
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the…
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison—creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community. From MFF alum Dawn Porter, this illuminating documentary features masterfully interwoven deposition videos, TV news reports, and powerful black and white illustrations by comic book artist Dawud Anyabwile.
Sep 27
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut wages a David-and-Goliath battle to reclaim her late husband's…
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut wages a David-and-Goliath battle to reclaim her late husband's iconic toy, Amazing Live Sea Monkeys!, from the corporate forces who stole the rights from her. Whether you raised Sea Monkeys, begged your parents to order them from a magazine, or love stories about mad genius entrepreneurs, this film will hook you with the toy’s surprising origins, enduring legacy, and the mysterious story behind its invention.This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film's directors, Mark Becker and Aaron Schock.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Local
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
HEAVY IS THE CROWN follows charismatic Milwaukee community activist Vaun Mayes as he works alongside those most affected by cycles…
HEAVY IS THE CROWN follows charismatic Milwaukee community activist Vaun Mayes as he works alongside those most affected by cycles of violence, systemic neglect, and polarizing policing. Mayes reveals the resilience and care that sustain a community from within, empowering everyday community members to build programs and practices that nurture positivity in our city. The feature will be preceded by DEAR MILWAUKEE, a short film made by youth at Arts@Large exploring similar themes and ideas.This screening will be followed by a Q&A and talkback featuring filmmakers and participants from both films.
Sep 27
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
Facing a growing far-right extremist movement, HUMAN SHIELD is an intimate portrait of abortion clinic escorts protecting vulnerable patients as…
Facing a growing far-right extremist movement, HUMAN SHIELD is an intimate portrait of abortion clinic escorts protecting vulnerable patients as they endure one of the most hostile 30-second walks of their lives. Told through the perspective of three clinic escort leaders from diverse backgrounds and experiences, this film investigates the struggle to maintain safety and balance mental exhaustion on the front lines of America’s longest culture war.This screening will be followed by a talkback and director Q&A.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
LANDSCAPES OF MEMORY follows Jewish-American filmmaker Leah Galant’s journey through Germany as she reckons with family trauma and the weight…
LANDSCAPES OF MEMORY follows Jewish-American filmmaker Leah Galant’s journey through Germany as she reckons with family trauma and the weight of historical memory of the Holocaust. Interwoven stories of a Holocaust-survivor descendant, a Nazi-descendant historian, exiled Palestinian artists, and the progression of her father’s ALS, reveal the uses and abuses of remembrance culture in this sensitively-told, deeply personal narrative of conflict, faith, family, and place.This program will be followed by a Q&A with director Leah Galant.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Following a French journalist’s journey from fascination to disillusionment, LOVE APPTUALLY uncovers how dating platforms—used by hundreds of millions worldwide—are…
Following a French journalist’s journey from fascination to disillusionment, LOVE APPTUALLY uncovers how dating platforms—used by hundreds of millions worldwide—are designed for user optimization rather than authentic human connection. What begins as a personal curiosity about Tinder evolves into a global investigation into the technological systems shaping modern love. Through deeply personal stories and investigative reporting, this film, from the director of CODED BIAS, explores how a multibillion-dollar tech industry is quietly reshaping desire.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
This remarkable archival documentary captures America's greatest adventures in space: from the rise of NASA to the gripping rescue mission…
This remarkable archival documentary captures America's greatest adventures in space: from the rise of NASA to the gripping rescue mission of Apollo 13, told entirely through over 2,500 hours of rare material including much never before available to the public. Audiences are brought to the center of the mission by focusing on astronaut and pilot Jim Lovell, using his personal experience with space flight as a framework to understand the effort and sacrifice required for the Apollo missions.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Guests Expected
Talkback After Screening
For the first time in seven years, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles returns to the studio with close friends to begin…
For the first time in seven years, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles returns to the studio with close friends to begin recording her most intimate album yet, born of profound personal loss and grief. This cinematic portrait observes the most private corners of Sara’s creative process, as well as her personal life. What unfolds in front of the camera is the incredibly raw experience of mining one’s own pain to create art—and the hope that carries an artist forward.This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director, Josh Alexander.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
THE ENDLESS FRONTIER follows three laboratories from neurorobotics in Utah to immunology in New Jersey to ocean science in the…
THE ENDLESS FRONTIER follows three laboratories from neurorobotics in Utah to immunology in New Jersey to ocean science in the South Pacific. These scientists' research underpins the medicines, technologies, and environmental knowledge that shape everyday life. This film is an intimate, urgent portrait of scientists working to solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time, while revealing the growing threat to the American research engine and what is at stake for us all if it falters.
Sep 27
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Attention HEATED RIVALRY devotées! Shot over half a decade, THE HOCKEY PLAYER follows Canadian-born defenseman (and former Milwaukee Admiral) Luke…
Attention HEATED RIVALRY devotées! Shot over half a decade, THE HOCKEY PLAYER follows Canadian-born defenseman (and former Milwaukee Admiral) Luke Prokop as he makes history as the first professional athlete under NHL contract to come out as gay. Raised in an often homophobic culture, Luke navigates the pressures of professional sports, the absence of LGBTQ+ role models on the ice, and the changing landscape of a sport enjoying a newfound cultural moment.
Sep 27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
The world's largest package delivery company, UPS, moves millions of packages daily. In 2023, with the current contract set to…
The world's largest package delivery company, UPS, moves millions of packages daily. In 2023, with the current contract set to expire, the Teamsters mounted increasing pressure on UPS to improve working conditions or face the might of 340,000 workers walking off the job. Through intimate portraits and on-the-ground reporting, this documentary showcases the power of collective action, capturing organizing efforts led by union leaders as they negotiate for members of North America’s largest labor organization.
