The 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival runs Thursday, September 24 through Thursday, October 8. Check out our list of 13 reasons to get excited for the fest here. If you’re looking for daily recommendations and/or when and where to stalk us, look no further.
Youth (7 p.m. – Oriental Theatre)
MFF2015 is loaded with challenging, off-the-radar films and weighty, important discussions. But Opening Night is all about two things: a sure-to-please movie and a can’t-miss party. This year’s Opening Night film is Youth, an early Oscar favorite from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (This Must Be The Place). The film follows a retired and aging orchestra conductor (Michael Caine) holed up in a luxurious resort in the Swiss Alps, grappling with the pains of faded celebrity and growing old. He’s joined by his film director best friend (Harvey Keitel), and his daughter (Rachel Weisz). The film garnered “boos and bravos alike” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival—though what film doesn’t at Cannes?
Recommended it you like: gorgeously filmed, Oscar-friendly heart warmers; a poignant case made for late-in-life experiences and epiphanies; Michael Caine in something other than a Christopher Nolan movie; the following clip.
Opening Night Party (9-11:30 p.m. – Kenilworth Square East)
Immediately following the film, three floors of the nearby Kenilworth Square East will play host to the Opening Night Party, complete with music, food, and drink. Spinning the tunes will be WMSE’s DJ Faux Eyes and Radio Milwaukee’s DJ Dori Zori; live music will be provided by the Florentine Opera Company (9:45 p.m.) and the always awesome Tigernite (10:30 p.m.). Also on hand will be food from BelAir Cantina and the Lowlands Group, a beauty bar from Neroli Salon & Spa, and a screening room featuring a three-hour loop of festival film trailers. Each floor will feature a full bar, and your first drink is free. Tickets are $13 for Milwaukee Film Members, $15 for the general public, free for MFF2015 pass holders, and free for Opening Night Film ticket holders.
Recommended if you like: parties (duh); being seen; hobnobbing with the hobnobbers.