Tag Archives: Filmgoers

Apr 23 2018
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Filmgoer’s Wrap-Up: The 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival

“All good things must come to an end.” — Chaucer

Just over 10 days ago, the 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival (WFF) #wifilmfest came to an end. The 20th anniversary of the festival was characterized by sold-out showings, a potpourri of The Campfire Song trailers, winter temperatures, queues of cinephiles, and filmmakers and their subjects conducting post-film discussions. The WFF featured an array of films to choose from, beginning with Wisconsin’s Own Shorts, Big Screens, Little Folks, restorations and reprises of classic films, narrative and foreign films, experimental and animated movies, documentaries, and premieres of films before they appear in theaters. Yes, a filmgoer’s delight. Continue reading →

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Apr 14 2018
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A Filmgoer’s Dispatch: Wisconsin Film Festival Part II

Spring returned ever so briefly for a couple days this wintry 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival, the 20th anniversary #wifilmfest. Beginning Monday, it was back to work for me during the day, then off to the AMC Theater at Hilldale Mall to spend late afternoons and evenings in line and in darkened movie theaters. I reunited with friends who I see every year at the festival and made new friends and cinephile connections as we waited in line, chatted each other up, talked about our favorite films so far, and what was next on our schedule.    Continue reading →

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Apr 05 2018
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A Filmgoer’s Preview: The Wisconsin Film Festival

“I think the experience of going to a theater and seeing a movie with a lot of people is still part of the transformational power of the film, and it’s equivalent to the old shaman telling a story by the campfire to a bunch of people.” — Wes Craven

Though it snowed the last couple of days and the temps are winter-like, it’s spring in Wisconsin. Like the migrating birds who return home, and the crocuses that will soon bloom, another sign of spring is the annual Wisconsin Film Festival #wifilmfest . This year it’s the 20th anniversary and cinephiles will fill theaters on campus and on the westside of Madison. Filmgoing audiences will view approximately 150 films over the course of eight days, Thursday, April 5 through Thursday, April 12, which makes the 20th Annual Wisconsin Film Festival the largest university-produced film festival.  Continue reading →

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May 04 2016
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Takeaway: 2016 WI Film Festival

“No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough.” — Roger Ebert

Time can play tricks on a moviegoer when sitting in a darkened theater.  A good story ends too soon, while sometimes it’s challenging to remain in your seat until the closing credits.  It already seems like the 2016 Wisconsin Film Festival was a long time ago. Daily life has a way of altering time. Years pass and some memories seem like they happened yesterday. Days go by and recent experiences often feel like they existed in the distant past. Hopefully this dispatch from the 18th Wisconsin Film Festival will help preserve the experience for me and other cinephiles of sitting in darkened movie theaters with filmgoing friends in Madison, Wisconsin from April 14 -21. Continue reading →

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