The 18th Milwaukee Film Festival is set to begin in mid-April, and the rollout of films has already begun, starting with the “Cream City Cinema” collection.
This collection of films is made by Milwaukee filmmakers, and this year, it features seven narrative and documentary features, two shorts programs, a music video showcase, and a youth show.
“Once again, the team making Cream City Cinema selections was wowed by the range and brilliance of talent in our area,” said artistic director Cara Ogburn in a press release.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The lineup for 2026 spans prison storytelling, joyful music legacy, and Northwoods chaos, reflecting the range of Milwaukee-area filmmaking. The collection aims to continue Milwaukee Film’s mission of elevating regional voices while positioning the city as a hub for film culture.
Three films will make their world premieres, highlighting the festival’s role as a launchpad for new work. The feature lineup includes:
- Bright Beautiful World: The Infectious Joy of Pat McCurdy, dir. Peter Matsoukas & Benny Kaplan (2026, World Premiere): A portrait of Milwaukee musician Pat McCurdy and his devoted fanbase.
- Flytrapper, dir. Drew Britton (2025, World Premiere): A volatile reunion between friends unfolds amid crime and chaos in Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
- Makin’ Cake, dir. Dasha Kelly (2025, World Premiere): A cross-country exploration of baking, history, and inequality from director Dasha Kelly, the 2021-22 Wisconsin Poet Laureate.
- Beyond, dir. Michael Kleiman & Asia Johnson (2025): Incarcerated men at Sing Sing prison prepare for a TED-style event centered on reform and personal storytelling.
- Intoxicated Rain, dir. Miles O’Neil (2025): A coming-of-age story set in Port Washington, WI after a disturbing discovery shakes the town.
- Ixonia’s Mild Kingdom, dir. Kristofor Brown & Kevin Pehler (2025): From Beavis & Butthead writer Kristofer Brown, this is a pilot for a “Monty Python-esque” episodic series about a “wildlife expert” and his sidekicks encountering local wildlife in the small town of Ixonia, WI.
- Now! More! Yes!, dir. Max Hey (2025): A legally blind Milwaukee-based artist is followed around by one of his tenants after he drunkenly purchased an ambulance.
Beyond features, Cream City Cinema includes The Milwaukee Show I and II, two curated shorts programs showcasing local filmmakers. Notably, filmmaker Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara, who spoke to Milwaukee Magazine in 2024 about her short film “Sherman Park,” will be showcasing it in Milwaukee Show I.
The returning Milwaukee Music Video Show highlights the city’s diverse music scene, while the Youth Show spotlights emerging filmmakers ages 12 and up.
The Milwaukee Film Festival will have showings from April 16 – April 30.
