What you need to know about 4 film festivals in Milwaukee this spring, including the Milwaukee Film Festival
You still can tell it's spring in Milwaukee by the number of film festivals sprouting.
Here's a quick guide to four film festivals that begin screening in April in Milwaukee; they're listed in chronological order.
Milwaukee Underground Film Festival
What's it showing: A program of the Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts, the Milwaukee Underground Film Festival has been a student-run film festival showcasing independent, artist-driven fare since it was founded in 2002. It features multiple short-film programs along with appearances by art filmmakers.
When: April 13-15.
Where: Opening night, at 7 p.m. April 13, UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.; 6 and 8 p.m. April 14 and 2, 6 and 8:30 p.m. April 15 at Company Brewing, 735 E. Center St.
How much: Free.
Info: milwaukeeundergroundfilm.org
RELATED: New movies showing in Milwaukee this week
Latin American Film Series
What: The Latin American Film Series, in its 44th year, is sponsored by UW-Milwaukee's Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. This year's festival will have both in-person and virtual screenings of recent releases from across Central and South America. In-person screenings include appearances by the filmmakers.
When: April 14-20.
Where: UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.; virtual screenings available after registering on at the festival's website.
How much: Free.
Info: uwm.edu/clacs
Milwaukee Film Festival
What: One of the largest and longest-running film events in the country, the Milwaukee Film Festival returns for its 15th year with a diverse mix of 283 films, including film festival favorites, restored classics, indie movies that haven't had a big-screen showing in Milwaukee, and Wisconsin-made movies. Filmmakers, performers and documentary subjects will be on hand for many of the screenings.
When: April 20-May 4.
Where: Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave.; Times Cinema, 5906 W. Vliet St.; Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
How much: Single tickets are $15 ($20 for opening night and other premium screenings); $14 for seniors 60 and older, students/educators and members of the military; $13 for Milwaukee Film members; $8 for kids 12 and younger. All-access passes, $625 or $525 for Milwaukee Film members, include access to the festival's virtual offerings (41% of the festival's overall lineup) from May 1-7. Tickets are available online starting April 12 (April 10 for Milwaukee Film members), and at the Oriental box office starting April 14.
Info: mkefilm.org/mff23
Italian Film Festival USA
What: This festival of recent movies from Italy, in its 19th edition, visits 14 cities in the United States each spring, including Milwaukee. This year's festival features nine movies, from comedies ("Don't Stop Me Now") to documentaries ("The Passion of Anna Magnani").
When: April 28-30.
Where: UWM Union Cinema, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.
How much: Free.
Info: italianfilmfests.org/milwaukee.html
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What you need to know about 4 film festivals in Milwaukee in April
