Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Paris Is Burning Events Lead Dynamic Retrospective Films
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The 11th annual Milwaukee Film Festival, presented by Associated Bank, will continue its long-running commitment to bringing audiences the best in film – regardless of whether the film was made in 2019. This year’s dynamic set of retrospective films showcase the range and quality of the 15-day Festival, which runs Oct. 17-31.
Among the most notable retrospectives are screenings of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me with cast members in attendance; The Passion of Joan of Arc presented with a live performance of an original score; and Paris Is Burning, paired with a Festival keynote talk by the film’s director.
Festival Director Cara Ogburn says, “no matter what our audiences love most about film, these events will spark the discovery, the thrill and the passion of cinema that we all share. We are elated to have such incredible guests who will help extend the already-special experience of the Milwaukee Film Festival.”
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me will screen on Tuesday, Oct. 29, followed by an extended conversation with actors Ray Wise (Leland Palmer) and Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer). A film afterparty will give fans of the film and TV show a chance to celebrate the 1992 David Lynch-directed cult classic beyond the theater.
Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent masterpiece, The Passion of Joan of Arc, brings historical events to life in its depiction of the trial and execution of Joan of Arc. On Friday, Oct. 18, contemporary electronic composer George Sarah will lead Milwaukee-based musicians in performing his original score alongside the film. His soundtrack was first performed in 2010.
The iconic 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, directed by Jennie Livingston, documents New York City’s drag ball culture through the late 1980s and the African American, Latinx and LGBTQIA+ communities that created it. A newly restored version of the film will be followed by a Q&A with Livingston, who will also deliver a keynote speech during the Festival.
The Festival will also present Showgirls (1995) in 35mm, paired with the 2019 documentary You Don’t Nomi, which explores the film’s journey into a cult classic. Additional retrospective films slated for the Festival include Alfred Hitchcock’s classic The Birds (1963); Milwaukee-made Coven (1997), directed by Mark Borchardt and presented in 35mm; animated classic The Last Unicorn (1982); and the traditional Festival screening of Talking Heads documentary Stop Making Sense (1984).
Jack Hazan’s groundbreaking 1974 film A Bigger Splash, a documentary about artist David Hockney’s breakup with his longtime partner that has only been made available in the U.S. this year, will also be screened during the Festival.
Tickets for all Festival screenings and events, including these titles and over 300 more, go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Oct. 3. Milwaukee Film Members can purchase tickets early with discounted pricing, starting on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Visit mkefilm.org/membership to become a member today!
Full Festival passes, as well as voucher packages that can be exchanged for tickets to non-premium screenings, are currently available at mkefilm.org/tickets.
Posted by: Milwaukee Film