Wisconsin Film Festival

Overview

The Wisconsin Film Festival is Wisconsin's most important film festival. Founded in 1999 and held annually in April in Madison -- home of the University of Wisconsin and one of the most politically engaged state capitals in the United States -- the festival presents adventurous international and American cinema organized by UW-Madison's Arts Institute.

Madison's unusual combination of a large progressive university population, a state government campus, and a vibrant local arts scene creates one of the Midwest's most engaged film festival audiences. The University of Wisconsin's strong film studies program provides critical apparatus for the festival's programming.

The April timing, as Wisconsin's winter finally yields to spring, creates a festival atmosphere where cinema is a genuine cultural event that draws participation from across the university and city communities.

Key Sections

• International Feature Program -- adventurous world cinema
• American Independent Film -- new US independent features
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Film Program -- competitive short films
• Wisconsin Film Showcase -- films by Wisconsin filmmakers

What Filmmakers Should Know

Wisconsin Film Festival accepts open submissions. The university audience creates exceptional engagement with formally ambitious and intellectually challenging work. For Wisconsin filmmakers, this is the most important state platform.

Major Awards

• Audience Award -- voted by festival audiences

Festival History

Wisconsin Film Festival was founded in 1999 by the University of Wisconsin Arts Institute and has operated continuously as the state's most important film cultural event.

See Also

For Midwest festivals, see Film Festival Strategy. For independent filmmaking, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies.