Yesterday we rounded up our 13 standout moments from the recently wrapped 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival. Today, Milwaukee Film has revealed a few highlights of its own. 76,899 of them, to be exact.
Yes, that’s the number of attendees that, well, attended the 15-day fest. The number represents an eight-percent increase over last year’s attendance, which clocked in at 70,885. According to a press release:
This year’s festival included 283 films from 51 countries at five venues (on six screens) and saw continued growth in overall event attendance—76,899 in 2016, compared to 70,885 in 2015. Public film screenings included a total of 58,355 attendees, while private weekday Education Screenings hosted a total of 8,290 students (grades 1 through 12) at the historic Landmark Oriental Theatre. In addition, this year’s festival boasted 87 sold-out screenings (77 in 2015).
Taking home this year’s Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Awards were Rita Coburn-Whack and Bob Hercules’ Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (Feature), and Kahane Cooperman’s Joe’s Violin (Short). Meanwhile, Alice Cooper’s “Elected” is still in our heads, and refuses to leave.
Per Milwaukee Film, other award winners include:
Abele Catalyst Award
Katie Heil
Black Lens Jury Award ($5,000 cash)
Can You Dig This (dir. Delila Vallot)
Brico Forward Fund Winners ($50,000 cash, $96,000 in production services)
Give Me Liberty (dir. Kirill Mikhanovsky)
$20,000 cash, $10,000 from North American Camera, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Plucked (dir. Joel Van Haren)
$15,000 cash, $10,000 from Independent, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Black Box (dir. Jon Phillips)
$2,500 cash, $5,000 from North American Camera, $10,000 from RDI Stages, $5,000 from Electric Sun, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Popper Baxton’s Sickly Stew (dir. John Roberts)
$2,500 cash, $10,000 from Electric Sun, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Kaukauna & King: 50 Years Later (dir. Joanne Williams)
$2,500 cash, $5,000 from North American Camera, $5,000 from Electric Sun, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Mothers for Justice (dir. Erik Ljung)
$2,500 cash, $6,000 from RDI Stages, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Lunar Lords (dir. Kyle James)
$2,500 cash, $5,000 Independent, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
A Walk With My Brother (dir. Sitora Takanaev)
$2,500 cash, $5,000 from Independent, and legal consultation with Dan Kattman of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren, s.c.
Cream City Cinema College Filmmaker Award ($2,500 cash)
Sterile (dir. Matthew Klein)
Cream City Cinema Jury Award ($5,000 cash)
Twin Sister (Jimagua) (dir. Sitora Takanaev)
Documentary Jury Award ($5,000 cash)
NUTS! (dir. Penny Lane)
Herzfeld Competition Award ($10,000 cash)
The Fits (dir. Anna Rose Holmer)
Kids Choice Short Film Award ($1,000 cash)
MOOM (dirs. Robert Kondo, Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi)
Milwaukee Music Video Award ($5,000 cash)
Webster X – Lately (dirs. Damien Blue, Cody LaPlant)
Shorter Is Better Award ($1,000 cash)
Bird Hearts (Fuglehjerter) (dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel)
Pitch Us Your Doc! Contest Winner ($1,000 cash)
Malignant Practice (dir. Kristin Catalano)
Milwaukee Film Festival Sponsor Trailer 2016 from Purple Onion Inc. on Vimeo.