Documentary Festival Favorites Program – MFF26
These stories seem too strange, sad, funny, and incredible to be true. But they are. Explore some of the best documentaries from the current festival circuit.
Presented by: Christine Symchych and Jim McNulty
Sponsored by: Shepherd Express
The Films
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild]
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
History, spirituality, and the law collide as Michigan tribal repatriation specialists fight to return and rebury Indigenous human remains trapped…
History, spirituality, and the law collide as Michigan tribal repatriation specialists fight to return and rebury Indigenous human remains trapped in museums, offering a revealing look at the still-pervasive worldviews that justified collecting them in the first place. Featuring interviews with repatriation specialists, historians, and museum workers, this innovative documentary outlines the history of Indigenous burial ground desecrations over the last several centuries and pays tribute to the devoted work of the people bringing their Ancestors home.
Adam's Apple
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
Closed Captions Available
Centered on the life of Adam, a transgender teen, as seen through the lens of his mother, filmmaker Amy Jenkins,…
Centered on the life of Adam, a transgender teen, as seen through the lens of his mother, filmmaker Amy Jenkins, ADAM'S APPLE chronicles two decades of adolescence, transition, and parenthood. Adam’s journey balances the milestones of gender transition with the rhythms of adolescence. Every coming-of-age milestone (first love, an emerging personality, teenage rebellion) unfolds with intimacy and grace. It’s a celebration of courage, love, allyship, and the thrill of becoming who you are meant to be.
All of the Above
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
Closed Captions Available
Students from different faith backgrounds come together for an epic World Religions class in a public Illinois high school. Through…
Students from different faith backgrounds come together for an epic World Religions class in a public Illinois high school. Through the work of a challenging yet compassionate teacher, the community as a whole is asked to confront preconceived notions of faith and belonging—religious literacy, as he terms it. With a deft hand, director Allison Walsh (an alum of the course) opens up access to these questions for viewers of all ages, faith backgrounds, and ideologies.
American Doctor
Documentary
When three American doctors—Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—enter Gaza with a shared oath to save lives that unites them beyond their…
When three American doctors—Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—enter Gaza with a shared oath to save lives that unites them beyond their diffrences, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth. Filmed in unfolding, on-the-ground scenes, this unflinching vérité documentary follows these three colleagues from a Gazan hospital under siege to the halls of Congress, serving as a testament to those who remain brave in the face of atrocity.
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ celebrates the life and legacy of the Chicano playwright, from his work creating…
AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ celebrates the life and legacy of the Chicano playwright, from his work creating theater shows for migrant food workers to studio films like LA BAMBA and ZOOT SUIT. This Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner features interviews with legends like Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips, who recognize the resounding legacy of Luis Valdez, whose influential work continues to reflect the struggles and triumphs of the Mexican-American community.
André Is an Idiot
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
André, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn't get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity,…
André, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn't get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity, send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor. This Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winning documentary is at once a hilarious portrait of an engaging character and a sobering reminder to us all about the importance of preventive medicine.Community Partner: Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
Beyond
Documentary
Local
Guests in Attendance
A group of incarcerated men prepare for a TED-style event at Sing Sing prison that showcases their personal narratives along…
A group of incarcerated men prepare for a TED-style event at Sing Sing prison that showcases their personal narratives along with ideas for changing the prison system and healing their communities. With unprecedented access, the film follows the speakers’ journeys from audition to their climactic moment on stage, highlighting themes of vulnerability, healing, and redemption, while showcasing the power of performance and storytelling in and outside of the carceral justice system.Community Partner: America's Black Holocaust Museum
Beyond the Duplex Planet
Documentary
Artist David Greenberger's projects, from his early 'zine THE DUPLEX PLANET to his recent work in spoken word shows and…
Artist David Greenberger's projects, from his early 'zine THE DUPLEX PLANET to his recent work in spoken word shows and recordings, have charted a career that honors humor, warmth, and sincerity. Long exploring notions of aging through art and community practice (including here in Milwaukee with our very own Paul Cebar), this documentary offers a metareflection on the life of an artist devoted to documenting the elderly who is himself in his senior years.
Broken English
Documentary
Drama
BROKEN ENGLISH is a hybrid, genre-bending portrait of the inimitable singer, songwriter, and icon Marianne Faithfull. Co-directors Iain Forsyth and…
BROKEN ENGLISH is a hybrid, genre-bending portrait of the inimitable singer, songwriter, and icon Marianne Faithfull. Co-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard introduce us to the Ministry of Not Forgetting, a fictitious research facility where Tilda Swinton and George MacKay delve into Marianne Faithfull’s life and career. Faithfull's dynamic presence is complemented by rich archival footage and performances by the singer herself, as well as Beth Orton, Courtney Love, Nick Cave, and Suki Waterhouse.
Gaslit
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
In GASLIT, actor and activist Jane Fonda embarks on a road trip through Texas oil fields and Gulf Coast communities,…
In GASLIT, actor and activist Jane Fonda embarks on a road trip through Texas oil fields and Gulf Coast communities, meeting the people who are fighting back against the oil and gas extraction boom. Kenosha native Katie Camosy deftly shares the stories of the cattle ranchers, former oil workers, families, community organizers, self-described “reluctant activists,” and people across political and cultural spectrums who have come together in defense of the communities and coastlines they love.Community Partner: Renaissance Theaterworks
If These Walls Could Rock
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
Multi-MFF alum Tyler Measom returns to the Festival with IF THESE WALLS COULD ROCK—the untold story of the Sunset Marquis—the…
Multi-MFF alum Tyler Measom returns to the Festival with IF THESE WALLS COULD ROCK—the untold story of the Sunset Marquis—the legendary West Hollywood hideaway where rock stars checked in, passed out, and made history. Featuring a Hall of Fame lineup including Ringo Starr, Cyndi Lauper, Morrissey, and Dave Grohl, the film dives deep into the debauchery, music, and magic that made the Marquis the heartbeat of rock 'n roll for over six decades.Community Partner: Milwaukee Preservation Alliance
Jaripeo
Documentary
In a hypermasculine terrain, one artist takes audiences to the queer communities that embrace jaripeos, a Mexican style of rodeo.…
In a hypermasculine terrain, one artist takes audiences to the queer communities that embrace jaripeos, a Mexican style of rodeo. Through co-director Efraín Mojica's narrations, this poetic and personal debut documentary unpacks what it means to be queer in Michoacán’s jaripeo spaces, and asks what lies beneath the performance of machismo. Mojica reckons with the wounds and beauty of the homelands he has left behind, and what desire looks like against the mountainous landscape.
Joybubbles
Documentary
Live ASL Interpretation
Open Captioned Screening
Born blind and yearning for connection, Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone, unwittingly…
Born blind and yearning for connection, Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone, unwittingly laying the groundwork for a hacking subculture that shapes the future of technology. A film as uplifting as its protagonist’s chosen name, Rachael J. Morrison brings that same sense of delight to her feature debut, creatively employing playful archival material to illustrate Joybubbles’ unforgettable story, presented with open audio description at our screening on April 19 to create paths for access to many audiences.Please note: screening on April 19 will be presented with open audio description. Other screenings will have audio description available thorough individual headsets while supplies last.ASL interpreters made possible by the following generous donors: Joanne Doehler David Roberts and Gary Kampe Leslie Hayes Mark Blumenberg and Beth Jaworski Mark and Wanda Staples John and Jean DiMottoPeggy Ann Mary and Tom Avery Pam and Bob Klein
Keep Quiet and Forgive
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
Closed Captions Available
Based on groundbreaking reporting with access to one of the world's most secretive communities, KEEP QUIET AND FORGIVE follows the…
Based on groundbreaking reporting with access to one of the world's most secretive communities, KEEP QUIET AND FORGIVE follows the courageous journey of Lizzie, a former Amish woman who breaks her silence about sexual abuse and ignites a nationwide movement of Amish survivors. With Lizzie as our guide, this film, shot over five years across several states (including Wisconsin) testifies to the transformative power of a survivor’s movement that reverberates beyond the Amish community.
Kings of Venice
Documentary
Comedy
With the rise of pickleball as the trendiest sport on the block, committed members of Venice Beach’s long-standing paddle tennis…
With the rise of pickleball as the trendiest sport on the block, committed members of Venice Beach’s long-standing paddle tennis community fight to maintain their status. When the pickleballers threaten to push them off the beach, a group of ragtag characters band together to present a tournament to end all tournaments and prove that paddle tennis still holds a spot. This spirited sports doc serves an underdog story you can't miss.Community Partner: Mosaic Financial Partners
My Brother's Killer
Documentary
Crime
Guests in Attendance
The unsolved WeHo murder of Billy London, a gay adult film performer who grew up in rural Wisconsin, lingered as…
The unsolved WeHo murder of Billy London, a gay adult film performer who grew up in rural Wisconsin, lingered as an urban legend for 33 years. What begins as a documentary tribute to Billy's life evolves into a gripping investigation as community members uncover overlooked clues and pursue long-delayed justice. Drawing from a trove of personal footage, MY BROTHER'S KILLER exposes eerie connections between Billy and several suspects filmed in the narrow window surrounding his death.Community Partner: Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project
Newport & the Great Folk Dream
Documentary
Before Coachella and Woodstock, there was Newport. From 1963 to 1966, the famed Newport Folk Festival brought together the likes…
Before Coachella and Woodstock, there was Newport. From 1963 to 1966, the famed Newport Folk Festival brought together the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, and more. Rare and previously unseen archival footage captures this charged moment when freedom songs met work songs, tradition met innovation, and the spirit of protest filled the air. This earnest documentary by Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro is filled with poignant melodies that reveal how music can illuminate struggle, inspire courage, and keep democracy alive.Community Partners: Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Thelma Carol Wine Merchants
Nuisance Bear
Documentary
An expansion of the celebrated MFF2023 short of the same name, a polar bear is forced to navigate a human…
An expansion of the celebrated MFF2023 short of the same name, a polar bear is forced to navigate a human world of tourists, wildlife officers, and hunters as its ancient migration collides with modern life. When a sacred predator is branded a nuisance, it becomes unclear who truly belongs in this shared landscape. Conflict is sparked between human interests and wild nature in this winner of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize Documentary.
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
Closed Captions Available
Closed Audio Description Available
Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously…
Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously funny and ultimately inspiring. Amid hilarious moments from her stand-up specials and fellow comedians weighing in on what makes her so funny, Bamford lays bare the anxiety and persistence underpinning her career. Whether you’re a fan or a newcomer, this film feels like laughing with a friend who speaks with a fearless intimacy and joy.
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
Blending documentary and musical memoir, this film tells the extraordinary life story of Peter Asher—pop star, producer, manager, and confidant…
Blending documentary and musical memoir, this film tells the extraordinary life story of Peter Asher—pop star, producer, manager, and confidant to legends from Paul McCartney to James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and more—across six decades at the heart of rock and roll history. Featuring rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and never-before-heard stories, the film offers an illuminating portrait of a man who helped shape the soundtrack of multiple generations.Community Partner: Gallery 218
Powwow People
Documentary
A celebration of the overlapping arts of music, dance, food, and dress packed into the cultural tradition of the powwow,…
A celebration of the overlapping arts of music, dance, food, and dress packed into the cultural tradition of the powwow, vérité-style documentary directed by MFF and UWM alum Sky Hopinka, POWWOW PEOPLE is grounded in the rhythms, relationships, and lived experience of a contemporary Native gathering. Rather than entering as outside observers, the filmmakers organized the powwow itself, inviting dancers, singers, vendors, and community members to participate in the making of this film.
Seized
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
When the small town of Marion, KS, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion…
When the small town of Marion, KS, is thrust into the international spotlight after a police raid on the Marion County Record and the death of its 98-year-old co-owner, a fierce debate ignites about the abuse of power, journalistic ethics, local journalism, and the United States Constitution. This taut documentary reveals the power and pressures of ethics and freedom of speech and the press that pervade our times, even in rural Kansas.Community Partners: The Recombobulation Area, ACLU of Wisconsin
The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
Closed Captions Available
Closed Audio Description Available
APA, APIDA, AAPI, AANHPI. The acronyms are as unwieldy as the assortment of countries, territories, and lands whose people have…
APA, APIDA, AAPI, AANHPI. The acronyms are as unwieldy as the assortment of countries, territories, and lands whose people have been grouped under these letters. But what do they share, if anything at all? With artfully used archival footage and heartfelt original interviews, MFF2022 alum Eugene Yi deftly interrogates these questions across fifteen profiles of nationally recognized names and more homegrown heroes, ultimately finding common threads of humanity amidst vast difference.Community Partner: AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin/WAAVE
The Big Cheese
Documentary
In the high-pressure world of international cheesemongering, Adam Moskowitz aims to send the first American to claim the top prize…
In the high-pressure world of international cheesemongering, Adam Moskowitz aims to send the first American to claim the top prize at the Mondial du Fromage competition in France. While the European model for this “sommelier of cheese” profession eclipses its stateside counterpart in societal support, Moskowitz—and his alter-ego, Mr. Moo—believe scrappy American ingenuity can take the wheel. Sara Joe Wolansky’s supremely witty and entertaining directorial debut is an instant artisanal classic.Community Partner: Adam Himebauch’s Milwaukee Gold Rush
The Dads
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
Expanded from MFF alum Luchina Fisher's award winning short documentary of the same name, THE DADS follows fathers of trans…
Expanded from MFF alum Luchina Fisher's award winning short documentary of the same name, THE DADS follows fathers of trans and nonbinary children as they confront attacks from a newly empowered right-wing administration and conservative Supreme Court. Fathers from across the county (including Wisconsin!) gather together for a retreat, gain healing and respite in nature, and reveal fatherhood as an act of profound, radical resistance.Community Partners: The Recombobulation Area, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee
The Dating Game
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
The aftermath of China’s one-child policy is a lopsided gender ratio. In a society with more men than women, a…
The aftermath of China’s one-child policy is a lopsided gender ratio. In a society with more men than women, a male loneliness epidemic looms as men struggle to find wives in a cutthroat dating market. Men hire dating coaches who, through their parroting of patriarchal cliches, may just be making things a lot worse. THE DATING GAME is an entertaining, at times absurd, yet always heartfelt story about love and gender roles in modern China.
The Last Spy
Documentary
From escaping Nazi Germany as a Jewish refugee to becoming the first CIA Station chief in post-war Berlin and a…
From escaping Nazi Germany as a Jewish refugee to becoming the first CIA Station chief in post-war Berlin and a key player in Cold War espionage, THE LAST SPY is a riveting documentary honoring the life of 100-year-old CIA spymaster Peter Sichel. Sichel's story inspires while also providing insights to late 20th century geopolitics and espionage that go beyond what is depicted onscreen in fiction.
The Life We Leave
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
When Washington state legalized human composting as a form of interment, entrepreneur Micah Truman risks it all to build the…
When Washington state legalized human composting as a form of interment, entrepreneur Micah Truman risks it all to build the world's first large-scale terramation facility. But when the conventional deathcare industry resists, he is forced to pivot, and must learn to care for the grieving while transforming his business. Alongside two experienced funeral directors who yearn to transform deathcare, he finds that what started as an ambitious venture becomes deeply personal, reimagining human connection, ritual, and legacy.
The Oldest Person in the World
Documentary
Closed Captions Available
A decade-long global journey from MFF alum Sam Green (32 SOUNDS) chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of…
A decade-long global journey from MFF alum Sam Green (32 SOUNDS) chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, the randomness of fate, and the joy and profoundly human experience of being alive.Community Partner: Helen Bader Office of Applied Gerontology
The Python Hunt
Documentary
Every year, the Florida government calls upon the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the…
Every year, the Florida government calls upon the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the Everglades in an attempt to save the threatened ecosystem. For ten grueling nights, an eclectic group of amateur hunters confront the dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures, and their own tiny demons. Meanwhile, one professional hunter leads the charge to undermine the competition, questioning what hides beneath the python mania gripping the ‘glades.
The Six Billion Dollar Man
Documentary
Journalism has never been as dangerous as it is today, a world where the defense of truth is under attack.…
Journalism has never been as dangerous as it is today, a world where the defense of truth is under attack. The latest documentary from MFF alum Eugene Jacrecki traces the saga of Julian Assange, a contemporary icon of the right to information, whose recent release from prison has reignited the global debate on press freedom. Thanks to privileged access to Wikileaks archives and never-before-seen evidence, this documentary takes the form of a high-tech international thriller.
Traces of Home
Documentary
Guests in Attendance
In her award-winning debut feature film TRACES OF HOME, filmmaker Colette Ghunim follows her family through the complex histories of…
In her award-winning debut feature film TRACES OF HOME, filmmaker Colette Ghunim follows her family through the complex histories of her Mexican mother and Palestinian father's journeys to the US and return to their homelands. Colette’s initial desire to heal her disconnect from her cultures and her parents reveals an internal quest to discover home within herself. This highly reflective and personal documentary doubles as a meditation on loss and grief relieved, ultimately, through reconciliation.Community Partner: Community Center for Immigants
Your Attention Please
Documentary
A new generation of parents, teens, and reformers are fighting back against Big Tech’s agenda to define the future of…
A new generation of parents, teens, and reformers are fighting back against Big Tech’s agenda to define the future of human connection. Blending intimate human stories with insights from leading experts in tech reform and digital wellbeing, YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE reveals how deeply the attention economy is reshaping us while asking some of the most urgent questions of our time. A must watch for anyone with an online presence, which, in 2026, is most of us.Community Partners: Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee, The Recombobulation Area
Proudly Supported by Associated Bank
Associated Bank is the official bank of Milwaukee Film. Learn more here