Looking for a jam-packed local film festival to satiate your local film festival appetite this fall? Then look no further that the MKE INT Short Film Fest, set to return to the Avalon Atmospheric Theater September 11-12!
How jam-packed is it? Well, the 28th annual shindig will kick off on Friday the 11th with a special 50th anniversary screening of the 1975 Wisconsin-made cult classic (and Mystery Science Theater 3000 favorite) The Giant Spider Invasion. The film will come complete with updated special effects and new sequences shot by director Bill Rebane, making it a Special Edition of sorts. Speaking of Rebane, the 89-year-old auteur will be on hand to receive a Pace-setter award, and to participate in a Q&A hosted by Radio Milwaukee’s Jon Adler. Also: PACKERS WON THE SUPER BOWL!
The bulk of the fest will take place on Saturday the 12th. Things will kick off at 1 p.m. with the 11th installment of the “Voices Heard” program, which spotlights work from local filmmakers of color. After that, a whopping 34 short films will screen throughout the day—none of them longer than 15 minutes—with 90% of them created by local filmmakers. In a press release, MKE INT Short Film Fest also notes that “nearly half of our new films are created by women.”
Advance tickets to the 2026 fest are set to go on sale soon. Sadly, the fest is not set to return in 2027. Founder and festival director Ross Bigley says he’s “heading into semi-retirement.” He adds: “I’ve been through a lot health wise these past five years and it took a lot out of me, so there will not be a main festival next year, and we are also figuring our plans for Voices Heard. I still plan on doing events, but I need to rest in order to fully recover.”
All our best, Ross. Here’s to a speedy recovery!
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES