Wisconsin Film Festival 2024: Global Cinema, Local Heart

From April 18–21, downtown Madison transforms into a cinephile’s playground as the Wisconsin Film Festival returns for its 25th anniversary edition. Anchored in the historic Orpheum, Barrymore and Majestic theaters—and spilling into pop-up screening rooms across campus—the festival unspools 150+ carefully curated features, shorts, restorations and immersive VR installations that share one common thread: a Wisconsin connection. That could mean a Milwaukee-born director, a story shot on the shores of Lake Superior, or a documentary that unpacks the state’s rich labor history.

Every ticket is your passport to four jam-packed days of world premieres, filmmaker Q&As, midnight cult classics, and family-friendly matinees. Grab a buttered-brat popcorn, then hustle to the Filmmaker Lounge where Oscar-nominated talents swap tips with UW-Madison film students over local craft brews. Don’t miss the new ‘Wisconsin Voices’ sidebar, spotlighting 10 first-time directors under 25 who shot on cellphones in their hometowns—proof that you don’t need a Hollywood budget to tell a powerful story.

Beyond the screen, the festival hosts hands-on workshops on 16 mm preservation, drone cinematography on the Great Lakes, and a kids’ animation camp where youngsters create a stop-motion short in four hours. Cap each night at the Rooftop Finale, an outdoor screening synced to live music from Madison Symphony’s chamber ensemble.

Whether you’re a seasoned critic chasing the next festival circuit darling or a casual viewer who just loves a good underdog tale, the Wisconsin Film Festival delivers eye-opening cinema, vibrant conversations and that signature Midwestern warmth you can’t stream online.