Not Just Bollywood

Saturday, Sept 24 | 2:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 316

Speaker: Tula Goenka

For most, “Indian cinema” means “Bollywood” and not much else. However, as the Milwaukee Film Festival’s Passport: India seeks to show, it can be and is much more than that. From an insider’s perspective, our speaker Tula Goenka discusses how Indian cinema pushes past its popular image. Filmmaker, editor, human rights activist and professor, Goenka has worked in film for more than 25 years: collaborating with directors such as Mira Nair and Spike Lee; teaching courses in Indian cinema and filmmaking at Syracuse University; and organizing an annual human rights activism film festival. Her forthcoming book, Not Just Bollywood, explores Indian cinema through interviews with 24 filmmakers.

On the Issues: The War on Violent Crime in Milwaukee

Monday, Sept 26 | 12:15 pm | Marquette Campus - Eckstein Hall (map)

Moderator: Mike Gousha

This special edition of “On the Issues” with Mike Gousha will explore violence prevention efforts in Milwaukee, extending from the Milwaukee Film Festival screenings of The Interrupters.

“Given recent events in Milwaukee, this conversation is incredibly timely.  Marquette University Law School and I are thrilled to bring this important conversation to our city,” says Mike Gousha, moderator for the discussion.

Gousha and the panel will explore the variety of approaches in action aimed at reducing Milwaukee’s violent crime problem, decipher what is working, and whether new strategies are needed to address a surge in youth violence. Panelists include Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn, Children’s Court Judge Joe Donald, Safe and Sound Executive Director Barbara Notestein, restorative justice advocate Ron Johnson, and Pedro Hernandez, volunteer at the United Community Center and original member of Youth Crime Analysis Meeting (YCAM).

This event is free and open to the public. However, space is limited, so attendees are asked to RSVP using the link on the page of this event on Marquette's website.

American Arab Preview

Monday, Sept 26 | 7:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 508

Speakers: Usama Alshaibi, Dr. Louise Cainkar and Affnan Mohammed

Award-winning filmmaker Usama Alshaibi (Nice Bombs) shares a sneak preview of his in-progress documentary, American Arab, and engages the audience in conversations about the contemporary relevance of the work and its changing themes. Joining Alshaibi on the panel is Arab-American studies expert Dr. Louise Cainkar (Marquette University). Alshaibi began American Arab as Kartemquin Films’ 2009 Diversity Fellow, a program supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

State of Cinema: Keynote Address

Tuesday, Sept 27 | 7:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 508

Speaker: John Anderson

Join us for our inaugural keynote on the “State of Cinema.” This year, we will be joined by John Anderson, whose film writing has appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, The Nation, Artforum and many other newspapers and magazines. As he assesses the state of the film industry, Anderson surveys current trends in film and gestures toward what the future might hold.

Avoiding Legal Pitfalls: What Every Filmmaker Should Know

Wednesday, Sept 28 | 7:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 316

Speakers: Carmelita Tiu and Casey McMillan

Most filmmakers are not law experts. However, filmmaking has many significant legal dimensions. From endless forms to convoluted legalese, such matters can be quite overwhelming. In this can’t-miss panel, two lawyers from HARPO Productions introduce some basic legal do’s and don’ts, touch on several key legal issues that filmmakers should be aware of when conceptualizing, creating, shooting and editing a film, and answer more specific questions at length.

Social Outreach & Engagement

Saturday, Oct 1 | Noon | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 316

Speakers: Justine Nagan, Gordon Quinn, Naomi Walker

These days, building and engaging your film’s audience must happen long before completing the project. Join us for a dynamic conversation with documentary filmmakers from Chicago’s Kartemquin Films about the importance of blending old-school outreach with new-school social media engagement. Kartemquin brings to the discussion 45 years of filmmaking and engagement experience on a variety of issues, including aging, immigration, the death penalty, stem cell research and urban violence.

Work-in-Progress Forum

Saturday, Oct 1 | 2:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 316

Moderator: Jack Turner

Several filmmakers will screen clips from current projects and open up about their creative process. Moderator Jack Turner will interview the filmmakers in this lively and informative forum that will be invaluable to anyone seeking an insider’s glimpse at what it takes to make a movie in Wisconsin. Turner, a former executive for October Films, USA Films and United Artists whose credits include Traffic and Far From Heaven, is a New York-based independent film producer.

Representing Labor

Saturday, Oct 1 | 4:00 pm | Kenilworth Square East (map) | Room 316

Speakers: Brad Lichtenstein, Gordon Quinn, Frank Shansky, Jina Jonen

Labor unions are a divisive issue. Documentary films, like those from Kartemquin, show the role American unions play in history and tell the stories of their people. Filmmakers and union insiders consider how film represents this charged issue, especially in clips from Kartemquin’s 1980s labor films and Milwaukee filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein’s forthcoming film, As Goes Janesville. Panelists will discuss the role of media in union organizing, what really happens in collective bargaining and the direction of unions today.  Filmmakers Gordon Quinn (Kartemquin) and Brad Lichtenstein (371
Productions), along with union insiders Frank Shansky (Local 212
Director of Labor Relations) and Jina Jonen (Legal Counsel for WEAC)
will consider how film represents this charged issue, especially in
clips from Kartemquin’s 1980s labor films and Lichtenstein’s
forthcoming film, As Goes Janesville.

Screenings of two Kartemquin Films labor documentaries—The Last Pullman Car (1983) and Taylor Chain II (1983)—will occur in Kenilworth Square East, room 508 at 6:00 PM, following this panel. 

Alterra Coffee Guatemala Party

Saturday, Oct 1 | 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm | Alterra, 2211 N. Prospect Ave.

Enjoy free drinks, free food and a latte art throwdown!

In March 2011, Alterra traveled to Antigua, Guatemala to meet with the farmers it sources coffee from. Alterra was joined by MPTV’s “Wisconsin Foodie,” which filmed the trip for a special episode about the relationship between the local roaster and the farmers. Stop by to meet the farmers of Beneficio Bella Vista, taste their coffees and view an advance, director’s cut screening of the episode (7:00 PM & 9:00 PM)