After many years of screenings, premieres, and local events, The Midwest Film Festival (MFF) will be leaving its homebase in Chicago and traveling to the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee. The first of two planned roadshows of the 2024 season, on Saturday, May 11th, Wisconsin will be treated to the Chicago made feature film Single Car Crashes produced by Angie Gaffney.
About the film: Ten years after a devastating car crash took his best friend Zach’s life, Sean, a one-time promising baseball recruit with a bright future, still lives in the same small town where he grew up,struggling with his survivor’s guilt. When Zach’s sister—and Sean’s first love—Kendall returns to town to marry someone else, Sean is forced to confront his failure to launch and the impact it’s having not only on his own stunted life but on his now nine-year-old son, Zachary, as well. An authentic portrait of enduring grief and friendship with a warm Midwestern charm, Single Car Crashes explores what’s possible when one begins to look towards the road ahead rather than focus on the rearview mirror.
Each month, MFF features a Community Spotlight and for the ‘Roadshow’ it will shine the light on the Milwaukee Film, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to entertaining, educating, and engaging through cinematic experiences. Their yearly event, the Milwaukee Film Festival, offers opportunities to local independent filmmakers, showcasing some 300+ films spanning multiple genres and forms, and is in its 16th year. This trip to the Oriental Theatre is the opportunity for two midwestern, powerhouse organizations to celebrate all things cinema, together.
The final act of the program will include a Filmmaker Q&A featuring director Brittani Ward, producer Angie Gaffney, and actors Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Paulina Olszynski, and Trevor Morgan, who will offer valuable insight to their creative process.
This conversation serves as a delightful behind the scenes look and will be moderated by MFF’s own Director of Operations, NK Gutiérrez. Afterwards, all will be welcome to attend an After Party at a local establishment, Von Trier Tavern, to continue the conversation!
Gutiérrez, who is in no small part a catalyst for taking the trip, says of this ‘Roadshow’ “We’re incredibly excited to be taking the show on the road! As we move into our 19th year as a festival we felt it was time to get out and get into community with the folks we serve in other states! Though we were founded in Chicago, we are a Midwest Film Festival and we want every state and city to feel the love and energy that MFF creates. Milwaukee is our inaugural Roadshow and we couldn’t be more excited to break ground with Milwaukee Film by our side!”
“We are excited to welcome our friends from the Midwest Film Festival up from Chicago for their first Roadshow presentation,” said Cara Ogburn, Artistic Director for Milwaukee Film. “With shared values of celebrating local and regional filmmakers, and creating moments of connection for filmmakers and audiences between our two orgs, it was natural to host!” she concluded.
Information and tickets are available HERE.
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