Pick Your Flick
We spoke to the judges of this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival about the five movies they’re most excited to share on the big screen.
IF YOU’RE TIRED OF THE SAME OLD PLOT, WATCH NEPTUNE FROST
Neptune Frost is an art house Afrofuturist musical that follows an intersex African runaway who joins a commune of computer hackers. If that sounds like nothing you’ve ever seen before, that’s the point. “This movie is as far away from a Marvel Avengers movie as you can get,” Kerstin Larson says. “That’s what Milwaukee Film is here for, to bring films that we wouldn’t see in Milwaukee otherwise, and this one is a shining example.”
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY, WATCH MESSWOOD
In 2019, Milwaukee’s Shorewood High School, a predominantly white, public school, and Messmer High School, a predominantly Black, Catholic school, combined football teams. This documentary follows the resulting season. “It is essential viewing to really understand what’s happening with young people in our community,” says Cara Ogburn.
IF YOU WANT AN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY, WATCH THE BLIND MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC
Jaako is a young cinephile who’s lost his sight and mobility from the waist down due to multiple sclerosis. He travels to a different city by himself to meet his online girlfriend. “I was blown away by this movie,” says Ernie Quiroz. “The actor [Petri Poikolainen] does actually suffer from MS. You’re not made to feel sorry for him. His journey becomes your journey.”
IF YOU LOVE SITTING AROUND THE FIRE AT COUNTY CLARE PUB, WATCH THE JOB OF SONGS
This documentary follows a crew of musicians dedicated to playing traditional folk music in their small village in Ireland’s County Clare. “There’s a deep kinship between the Irish pub culture and Milwaukee’s pub culture,” Ogburn says. “It’s one of those films where you feel like you’re there in those pubs where the music is being played.”
IF YOU WANT TO SEE A MUSICIAN LAUNCH HIS ACTING CAREER, WATCH DOWN WITH THE KING
Freddie Gibbs, one of the most celebrated rappers working today, makes his film debut here. He plays a semi-autobiographical character who retreats to a rural town to escape celebrity life. “The isolated space mirrors the crossroads he’s at creatively,” says Donte McFadden. “It’s fun for people who are familiar with Freddie Gibbs’ music to see his acting chops.”