Jul 4-16
The Oriental Theatre
Animation
Family
DCP
When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the…
When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime.
Jul 9-23
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the…
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?
Jul 10-16
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
With her mother's diary in hand, Marina's search for official documents for university leads her to her biological family on…
With her mother's diary in hand, Marina's search for official documents for university leads her to her biological family on the Atlantic coast. What starts as an administrative quest reveals long-buried family secrets.
Jul 10-23
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Horror
After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into…
After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into deadites, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life - survive even in death.
Jul 10-23
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Small town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom. Her life takes a turn when…
Small town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom. Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to Tom meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass”. Reeling from the betrayal, Gail impulsively joins her friend Otto on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm. Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Hamm. Along the way, they collide with celebrities and are hunted by a group of Italian assassins as they get ever closer to finding the elusive star.
Jul 11-Aug 8
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Cult
Classic
Musical
After getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, newly engaged couple Brad and Janet encounter the eerie mansion…
After getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, newly engaged couple Brad and Janet encounter the eerie mansion of the flamboyant, seductive Dr. Frank-N-Furter and a variety of eccentric characters. Through elaborate dance and rock music, the mad scientist unveils his latest creation: a perfect, muscular man. Screenings are accompanied by a live, shadowcast performance from Milwaukee's Sensual Daydreams.
Jul 15
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Action
A fictional history of two legendary revolutionaries' journey away from home before they began fighting for their country in the…
A fictional history of two legendary revolutionaries' journey away from home before they began fighting for their country in the 1920s.
Jul 16-30
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Drama
Fantasy
Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his…
Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront the whims of gods, mythological monsters, and trials that stretch both his cunning and his humanity to the breaking point.
Jul 17
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Cult
Sal is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees…
Sal is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
Jul 17-21
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Sci-Fi
Horror
A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.Returns to Milwaukee Film's Historic Theatres this July with an…
A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.Returns to Milwaukee Film's Historic Theatres this July with an additional fifteen minutes of bonus footage.
Jul 17-22
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Maddie is a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life…
Maddie is a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque — complete with an adoring husband, ride-or-die best friend and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot — mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past.SATURDAY 7/18 7PM SCREENING FEATURES PRE-RECORDED Q&A WITH JOHNEARLY MODERATED BY HANNAH EINBINDER
Jul 21
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer -- arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and…
Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer -- arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and co-designer). Enter Karin, a 23-year-old beauty who wants to be a model. Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in.
Jul 23
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
A handsome Belgian sailor on shore leave in the port of Brest, who is also a drug smuggler and murderer,…
A handsome Belgian sailor on shore leave in the port of Brest, who is also a drug smuggler and murderer, embarks upon a voyage of highly charged and violent homosexual self-discovery that will change him forever from the man he once was.
Jul 23-27
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Musical
Drama
The tragic love of Orpheus and Eurydice is intertwined with the complex relationship of Hades and Persephone. Eurydice, struggling with…
The tragic love of Orpheus and Eurydice is intertwined with the complex relationship of Hades and Persephone. Eurydice, struggling with poverty, is lured to the industrial underworld of Hadestown by Hades, while Orpheus, a struggling musician, ventures down below to bring her back.
Jul 24
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Cult
Eager to impress his activist crush, a wealthy New York teenager follows an online connection to Texas, where he's convinced…
Eager to impress his activist crush, a wealthy New York teenager follows an online connection to Texas, where he's convinced he can stop an act of extreme violence.
Jul 24-26
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Drama
International
In revolutionary Iran, as fundamentalists tighten their grip on society, a professor secretly gathers seven of her most dedicated female…
In revolutionary Iran, as fundamentalists tighten their grip on society, a professor secretly gathers seven of her most dedicated female students to read and discuss forbidden classics of Western literature, including LOLITA and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Based on the bestselling memoir by Azar Nafisi. A film by Eran Riklis starring Golshifteh Farahani (PATERSON), Zar Amir (HOLY SPIDER), and Mina Kavani (NO BEARS).
Jul 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
Staff pick! Cinema Associates Lulu and Beppo chose STAND BY ME and THE LOST BOYS!After learning that a boy their…
Staff pick! Cinema Associates Lulu and Beppo chose STAND BY ME and THE LOST BOYS!After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
Jul 25
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Horror
Staff Pick! Cinema Associates Lulu and Beppo chose STAND BY ME and THE LOST BOYS!When an unsuspecting town newcomer is…
Staff Pick! Cinema Associates Lulu and Beppo chose STAND BY ME and THE LOST BOYS!When an unsuspecting town newcomer is drawn to local blood fiends, the Frog brothers and other unlikely heroes gear up to rescue him.
Jul 25-28
The Oriental Theatre
Documentary
DCP
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and…
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world – issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation. Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her. Film Community Partners: Boswell Book Company, Woodland Pattern, and Lion's Tooth
Jul 30
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Cult
Comedy
Celebrate Art House Theatre Day with this special screening of SORRY TO BOTHER YOU with an exclusive recorded Q&A with…
Celebrate Art House Theatre Day with this special screening of SORRY TO BOTHER YOU with an exclusive recorded Q&A with director Boots Riley after the film!In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
Jul 31-Aug 2
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Thriller
When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon, and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as…
When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon, and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder. Missed Gregg Araki's latest at the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival? It's back at the Downer for a limited time this July.
Jul 31-Aug 2
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Action
Four years have passed since the events of NO WAY HOME, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone,…
Four years have passed since the events of NO WAY HOME, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he's devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.
Jul 31-Aug 2
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Holly spends days at her dead-end job fantasizing about holes in the space-time continuum and wondering where her life went…
Holly spends days at her dead-end job fantasizing about holes in the space-time continuum and wondering where her life went wrong. When she meets Arabella, an eight-year-old rebel hoping to run away from her self-absorbed author father, Holly becomes convinced their meeting is a cosmic sign, and that Arabella is, in fact, her past self sent back for a second chance. The two embark on an unconventional road trip between two lost souls who might be exactly what the other needs.
Jul 31-Aug 2
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
4K Restoration!When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited daughter to the wilderness of nineteenth-century New Zealand, she finds…
4K Restoration!When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited daughter to the wilderness of nineteenth-century New Zealand, she finds herself locked in a battle of wills with both her controlling husband and a rugged frontiersman to whom she develops a forbidden attraction.
Aug 4
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
A money order from a relative in Paris throws the life of a Senegalese family man out of order. He…
A money order from a relative in Paris throws the life of a Senegalese family man out of order. He deals with corruption, greed, problematic family members, the locals and the changing from his traditional way of living to a more modern one.
Aug 6
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Documentary
Local
Guests In Attendance
Milwaukee legend, Bob Uecker, the former Major League baseball player, Hall of Fame sportscaster, comedian, and actor has seen it…
Milwaukee legend, Bob Uecker, the former Major League baseball player, Hall of Fame sportscaster, comedian, and actor has seen it all and made us laugh along the way. Though Ueck passed away in January 2025, this documentary from Milwaukee-based filmmakers Michael T. Vollmann and Steve Farr persists as a testament to his legacy, giving audiences intimate access to his life, work, family, and friends, amplifying his humor and heart for future generations.Couldn't make it to MFF26 Opening Night for the World Premiere? UECK is back at the Oriental just in time for the post-All Star run to kick of the UECK Movie Tour of Wisconsin.Join us on August 6 for a marquee screening featuring a Q&A with directors Steve Farr and Michael T. Vollmann plus special guests from the Brewers broadcast family: Josh Mauer, Jeff Levering, Lane Grindle, and Sophia Minnaert. Additional screenings throughout the week.
Aug 6
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
A rich businessman in Senegal is cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage to his third…
A rich businessman in Senegal is cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage to his third wife; the only cure is brutal public humiliation.
Aug 7
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Documentary
Our fuzzy overlords return to the big screen! Each year, CatVideoFest curates a compilation reel of the latest, best cat…
Our fuzzy overlords return to the big screen! Each year, CatVideoFest curates a compilation reel of the latest, best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and, of course, classic internet powerhouses (Keyboard Cat, we’re looking at you).Film Community Partners: Second Hand Purrs, Sip & Purr Cat Cafe, Almost Home Cat Rescue, Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter, Cats At Large, Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue
Aug 7
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Horror
Staff Pick! Cinema Associate Ramona chose ICHI THE KILLER!As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes…
Staff Pick! Cinema Associate Ramona chose ICHI THE KILLER!As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.
Aug 7-9
The Downer Theatre
Documentary
DCP
A celebration of girlhood and the complexities that come with it, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story about the joys,…
A celebration of girlhood and the complexities that come with it, Cookie Queens is a coming-of-age story about the joys, pressures, and tensions woven into one of America’s most cherished rituals: Girl Scout Cookie season.
Aug 7-9
The Downer Theatre
DCP
Drama
Sci-Fi
International
Set in the near future, Otone Komoto works as an architect. She is married to Kensuke Komoto, who runs a…
Set in the near future, Otone Komoto works as an architect. She is married to Kensuke Komoto, who runs a construction company. The married couple decide to welcome a humanoid robot into their home as their son.1`
Aug 11
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Crime
Ray and Ken, two hit men, are in Bruges, Belgium, waiting for their next mission. While they are there they…
Ray and Ken, two hit men, are in Bruges, Belgium, waiting for their next mission. While they are there they have time to think and discuss their previous assignment. When the mission is revealed to Ken, it is not what he expected.
Aug 12
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Romance
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress…
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.
Aug 13
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and…
A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.
Aug 14-20
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
4K Restoration!In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an…
4K Restoration!In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.
Aug 15-16
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
It's the last day of Camp Firewood's season, but there's still time for the big talent show, a little romance……
It's the last day of Camp Firewood's season, but there's still time for the big talent show, a little romance… and for everyone to be wiped out by the piece of NASA's Skylab that's hurtling toward Earth.
Aug 15-16
The Oriental Theatre
Documentary
DCP
On February 2, 2023, Flaco — a captive-born male Eurasian eagle-owl, the largest species of owl in the world —…
On February 2, 2023, Flaco — a captive-born male Eurasian eagle-owl, the largest species of owl in the world — was discovered missing from his cage at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan. Immediately sparking a mix of delight, concern, and fascination for New Yorkers and owl fans across the globe, Flaco's journey is thoughtfully captured in WILD INSIDE. Acclaimed director and multi-MFF alum, Penny Lane (CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN, HAIL SATAN?, NUTS!), reveals that this one owl's story of escaping captivity and our response is more consequential than we could have ever imagined.Community Partners: Lake Michigan Bird Observatory, Restoring Lands, Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee Birders
Aug 17
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Guests In Attendance
As her mother battles an uncertain diagnosis, neurodivergent 22-year-old Margarita discovers a source of strength in an unexpected place: the…
As her mother battles an uncertain diagnosis, neurodivergent 22-year-old Margarita discovers a source of strength in an unexpected place: the sport of hobbyhorsing.Following the screening, actors Lillian Carrier (Margarita) and actor Jerod Haynes (Coach) are expected for a Q&AThis film is presented as part of our Cinematic Sisterhood series presented by Tracey B. Thomas.Series Community Partner: Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee
Aug 18
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
A fatalistic car crash in Mexico city sets off a chain of events in the lives of three people: a…
A fatalistic car crash in Mexico city sets off a chain of events in the lives of three people: a supermodel, a young man wanting to run off with his sister-in-law, and a homeless man.
Aug 19
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Drama
In 1970s Mexico City, two domestic workers help a mother of four while her husband is away for an extended…
In 1970s Mexico City, two domestic workers help a mother of four while her husband is away for an extended period of time.
Aug 20
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Horror
Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage,…
Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.
Aug 21
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Cult
Based on the 1973 rock opera album of the same name by The Who, this is the story of 60s…
Based on the 1973 rock opera album of the same name by The Who, this is the story of 60s teenager Jimmy. At work he slaves in a dead-end job. While after, he shops for tailored suits and rides his scooter as part of the London Mod scene.
Aug 22
The Oriental Theatre
DCP
Comedy
Board Pick! Board Member Christopher M. Novoa chose ALMOST FAMOUS!In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration…
Board Pick! Board Member Christopher M. Novoa chose ALMOST FAMOUS!In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration to become a rock journalist lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band, Stillwater.
Aug 28
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Cult
Sci-Fi
70mm!Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help…
70mm!Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
Aug 29-30
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Drama
70mm!Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles…
70mm!Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.
Aug 29-30
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Musical
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood,…
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
Aug 31-Sep 1
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Horror
Cult
70mm!Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that…
70mm!Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Sep 2-3
The Oriental Theatre
70mm
Adventure
Classic
70mm!During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward 'T.E.' Lawrence sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring,…
70mm!During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward 'T.E.' Lawrence sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes to fight the Turks.
Sep 19
The Oriental Theatre
Documentary
Local
Guests In Attendance
The nation of Qatar has a street cat population equal to the entire human population of the entire country –…
The nation of Qatar has a street cat population equal to the entire human population of the entire country – and is growing fast. Disease is rampant, and local adoption is rare. 25 CATS FROM QATAR follows one mission – led by a network of multinational underground animal rescuers in Doha and a Milwaukee flight attendant/ cat cafe owner – to transport out 25 lucky felines and find homes for them abroad, all the while searching for a long-term solution to the crisis.Following its world premiere at MFF2025, the cats are coming back for a Cream City Cinema Encore featuring special guests (cat and human) including director Mye Hoang, cinematographer Rob Bennett, key participant Katy McHugh, key pawticipant Dr. Garfield and more. Stick around for a Q&A after the screening, of course!
