Here’s the Cinema Hooligante lineup (and everything else) for the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival

Let’s dive right in: The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place April 11-25. A whopping 131 feature films and 169 shorts will screen at the Oriental Theatre, Downer Theatre, Avalon Theater, and Times Cinema. Early passes to the 16th annual fest are available HERE. (Individual tickets go on sale April 1 for Milwaukee Film members, and April 3 for the general public.)

This year’s lineup is loaded with highlights: a heartwarming Opening Night documentary (Shari & Lamb Chop), the return of the Milwaukee Music Video Show, the return of the silent-film-live-scoring group Anvil Orchestra, the return of the Stop Making Sense dance party, oodles of music docs (Joan Baez! Cyndi Lauper!) and much, much more. Feast your eyes on the full program HERE.

As always, Milwaukee Record is the proud sponsor of the Cinema Hooligante program—a.k.a. the midnight/horror/bizarro program filled with films both strange and terrifying. It’s a particularly strong lineup this year, topped with one of the most talked-about horror films of the year (in both good and concerning ways), Late Night With The Devil.

Anyway, here’s the full Hooligante lineup, complete with trailers. And oh yeah, we’ll announce a lil’ event to go along with one of the Hooligante screenings soon. See you at the movies, fellow freaks!

100 YARDS
CHINA / 2023 / 108 MIN / MANDARIN CHINESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
In 1920s Tianjin, China, a master of a prominent martial arts academy calls for a duel to determine who will become the master of the academy once he passes. He calls for his two top students: his son and his most talented apprentice. But rather than obey the rule of settling disputes behind closed doors, they take their fight to the street. A refreshing take on fight choreography, 100 YARDS is a must-see for martial-arts film aficionados.
DIR Xu Haofeng, Xu Junfeng
SCR Xu Haofeng
Saturday, Apr 13 | 9:00 PM | Times Cinema
Friday, Apr 19 | 9:15 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Tuesday, Apr 23 | 9:30 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)

ALMAMULA
FRANCE, ARGENTINA, ITALY / 2023 / 94 MIN / SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
After enduring homophobic attacks in a deeply religious community, bullied pre-teen Nino flees with his family to the countryside. Here he discovers a hotbed of repressed desire under the town’s pious facade, and the horrible pleasures of a creature named the Almamula, a monster that takes those who commit carnal sins and impure acts. This dark, mysterious debut from director Juan Sebastian Torales teems with promise as the lines between dream and reality become blurry.
DIR Juan Sebastián Torales
PROD Lorena Quevedo, Pilar Peredo, Edgard Tenembaum
SCR Juan Sebastián Torales
Saturday, Apr 13 | 8:45 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)
Monday, Apr 15 | 7:30 PM | Oriental Theatre (Herzfeld Cinema)
Wednesday, Apr 17 | 9:00 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

BOOGER
UNITED STATES / 2023 / 78 MIN / ENGLISH
Anna’s best friend and flatmate, Izzy, has recently died. Prickly and unwilling to talk to anyone about her feelings, Anna focuses all her attention on Booger, the stray cat which she and Izzy took in. When Booger bites her, she begins to undergo a strange transformation. “If you don’t gag at least once watching Mary Dauterman’s feature debut BOOGER, then you’re probably doing it wrong.” (In the Seats)
DIR Mary Dauterman
PROD Lexi Tannenholtz
SCR Mary Dauterman
Monday, Apr 15 | 9:15 PM | Avalon Theater
Friday, Apr 19 | 9:45 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)
Saturday, Apr 20 | 9:00 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

CONCRETE UTOPIA
SOUTH KOREA / 2023 / 130 MIN / KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
The world has been reduced to rubble by a massive earthquake and there is only one apartment building left standing in Seoul. Tenants are grateful to have been spared, but tensions mount as survivors from the surrounding city arrive seeking shelter. As days pass and no rescue teams arrive, the tenants vote to evict the outsiders. CONCRETE UTOPIA follows its characters’ gradual descent into ruthless tribalism in a way that eerily mirrors so many contemporary global events.
DIR Um Tae-hwa
PROD Byun Seungmin
SCR Kim Soong-nyung, Lee Shin-ji, Um Tae-hwa
Tuesday, Apr 16 | 8:30 PM | Avalon Theater
Thursday, Apr 18 | 9:30 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)
Tuesday, Apr 23 | 8:45 PM | Avalon Theater

HANDLING THE UNDEAD
NORWAY / 2024 / 97 MIN / NORWEGIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
On an abnormally hot summer day in Oslo, a strange electric field surrounds the city as a collective migraine spreads across town causing the newly dead to awaken. HANDLING THE UNDEAD is a haunting tale of loss and resilience that weaves together the stories of three grieving families as they try to figure out what this resurrection means and if their loved ones really are back. Based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
DIR Thea Hvistendahl
PROD Guri Neby, Kristin Emblem
SCR Thea Hvistendahl, John Ajvide Lindqvist
Friday, Apr 19 | 8:45 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)

HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON
CANADA / 2023 / 90 MIN / FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Young vampire Sasha has a serious problem: she can’t kill. Her exasperated parents cut o¬ her blood supply, putting her life in jeopardy. Sasha meets Paul, a lonely teen with suicidal tendencies who is willing to give his life for hers, and they begin a nocturnal quest to fulfill Paul’s last wishes in this WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS style comedy for the Zoomer set.
DIR Ariane Louis-Seize
PROD Line Sander Egede, Jeanne-Marie Poulain
SCR Ariane Louis-Seize, Christine Doyon
Friday, Apr 19 | 9:45 PM | Times Cinema

I’M YOUR HOST
UNITED STATES / 2023 / 66 MIN / ENGLISH
Vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghoulies—Kenosha has the highest population of horror hosts per capita, who produce their own homemade TV shows showing cult-followed horror films. Using a televisual aesthetic that matches the community vibes of the subject matter, I’M YOUR HOST explores their relationship as a community, their triumphs, and a tragic loss that bonds them together.
DIR Alicia Maria Krupsky
PROD Tea Krulos, Christopher Kai House
Monday, Apr 15 | 9:00 PM | Times Cinema
Sunday, Apr 21 | 8:30 PM | Avalon Theater
Wednesday, Apr 24 | 9:15 PM | Downer Theatre (South Cinema)

I’m Your Host – Trailer from Alicia Krupsky on Vimeo.

IN A VIOLENT NATURE
CANADA / 2024 / 94 MIN / ENGLISH
When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it. The undead golem hones in on the group of vacationing teens responsible for the theft and proceeds to methodically slaughter them one by one in this ambient slasher full of rampage and retribution.
DIR Chris Nash
PROD Peter Kuplowsky, Shannon Hanmer
SCR Chris Nash
Friday, Apr 12 | 11:15 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)
Wednesday, Apr 17 | 10:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Saturday, Apr 20 | 11:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Lubar Cinema)

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
AUSTRALIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / 2023 / 92 MIN / ENGLISH
October 31, 1977. Jack Delroy’s syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country, but a year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. In desperation, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL is the recently rediscovered recording of what went to air that fateful night.
DIR Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
PROD David Dastmalchian, Mat Govoni, Derek Dauchy, Steven
Schneider, Roy Lee, Adam White, John Molloy
SCR Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes
Saturday, Apr 13 | 10:15 PM | Oriental Theatre (Herzfeld Cinema)
Friday, Apr 19 | 9:00 PM | Avalon Theater
Wednesday, Apr 24 | 9:15 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)

RIDDLE OF FIRE
UNITED STATES / 2023 / 113 MIN / ENGLISH
Three rascal children run afoul of an enigmatic coven in Weston Razooli’s whimsical neo-fairytale, which evokes a menagerie of esoteric genres and dreamy cult-film vibes. Immerse yourself in the wonder at one of our screenings in the main house of the Oriental Theatre featuring a 35mm print! The screenplay truly embraces the spirit of 80s era children’s films with some playful coarse language, so language-sensitive parents beware.
DIR Weston Razooli
PROD Lio Tipton, David Atrakchi, Sohrab Mirmont, Weston Razooli
SCR Weston Razooli
Sunday, Apr 21 | 1:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema) 35mm!
Monday, Apr 22 | 7:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema) 35mm!

SLEEP
SOUTH KOREA / 2023 / 95 MIN / KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
Hyun-su and Soo-jin are newlyweds. One night, Hyun-su starts talking and wandering their apartment in his sleep. “Someone’s inside.” Soo-jin becomes overwhelmed with anxiety that her husband could hurt her family while she sleeps, and can barely sleep a wink because of this irrational fear. Despite sleep treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger…
DIR Jason Yu
PROD Lewis Taewan Kim
SCR Jason Yu
Saturday, Apr 13 | 9:00 PM | Downer Theatre (North Cinema)
Tuesday, Apr 16 | 9:45 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)
Saturday, Apr 20 | 10:30 PM | Times Cinema

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI FEAT. ANVIL ORCHESTRA
GERMANY / 1920 / 75 MIN / GERMAN
Widely considered the fi rst horror fi lm, Robert Wiene’s 1920 silent German expressionist tale of the mysterious eponymous doctor and his sleepwalking companion, Cesare. With live accompaniment by our friends from the Anvil Orchestra, this screening is not to be missed if you consider yourself a fan of the genre, of cinema history, of innovative music, or if you’re looking for an experience you can’t get anywhere else.
DIR Robert Weine
SCR Carl Mayer, Hans Janowitz
Thursday, Apr 18 | 5:30 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema)

THE SWEET EAST
UNITED STATES / 2023 / 104 MIN / ENGLISH
Smack in the middle of a high school trip to our nation’s capital, self-possessed teen Lillian (Talia Ryder) breaks o¬ from her classmates, kicking off a journey straight down the rabbit hole of the New Weird America. In the rollicking feature debut for director Sean Price Williams, the Eastern seaboard becomes the site for a deranged and hilarious autopsy of contemporary U.S. life in which Lillian becomes an indifferent sounding board to all manner of loquacious, callous oddballs.
DIR Sean Price Williams
PROD Craig Butta, Alex Ross Perry, Alex Coco
SCR Nick Pinkerton
Friday, Apr 12 | 8:00 PM | Oriental Theatre (Abele Cinema) 35mm!
Thursday, Apr 18 | 8:45 PM | Times Cinema