Ross Bigley is an award winning filmmaker with over 60 short films and three features to his credit. He has also worked as an editorial cartoonist, photographer, graphic designer, and as a freelance illustrator. His art work and photography have been displayed in the Fredrick Layton Gallery, Firehouse Gallery, ArtCentric Gallery, and The Warsaw Academy of Poland. Additionally, he was co-owner of the ArtCentric Gallery from 1997-99.
In 1995, he founded The Milwaukee Video/Film Festival at MATA Community Media, now called the Milwaukee Short Film Festival, and serves as President of the Board of Directors to the Milwaukee Independent Film Society. Ross also teaches filmmaking and story structure at his alma mater, The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He also worked as a script consultant for Producers Tim Lonsdale (Species, Speed), Chris Webster (Hellraiser, Heathers), David Striet (Species, River's Edge) and performed rewrites for the production, Brain Food. Currently, he has formed a production company, Yellow Hill Investments LLC with Bai Ling and Glen Popple to develop feature films on a property he created, Yellow Hill.
Bill Quirmbach, festival coordinator and secretary to the board of the MIFS, has helped produce the MSFF since 2008. He is a career professional event producer with a passion for film. Bill has experience in producing all manner of events, including theater, dance, banquets and conferences.
My name is Stacy Callies and I am a free lance Graphic Designer. I love to design for things that involve important moments in our lives. I have created wedding invitations, baby announcements, special wedding photo collaborations, business cards, business logos, website artwork, and I have had the privilege for the last 5 years to design for the Milwaukee Short Film Festival. It has been a pleasure to capture the moment of I do, hello world, entrepreneur independence, and passion of the arts for others. The Milwaukee Short Film Festival is founded by a few passionate people who put in a lot of hard work to help give other film makers a chance to shine in the spotlight and share their slice of reel life. Short film is a form of creative expression and we as people are at our best when we are creating. Cheers to your slice of reel life and may it inspire the world.
Bernie Jbaines AKA "The Midwest Movie Maven", and @MidwestMMaven is a digital maverick based in Milwaukee, WI. after years in the medico-legal and self funded employer insurance industries a health related shift was made. Two plus years were spent working hands on with the staff and students of Mount Mary (College) University Media Communications Department. Bernie’s media avocation and interest evolved into a social media contributor of film, multicultural, multimedia arts and socio-cultural content. In 2012, Bernie Jbaines began volunteering for AFFRM.com(African American Film Festival Releasing Movement) whose mission is anchored by the passion and prowess of our founding film festivals, empowering diverse independent filmmakers with collaborative, simultaneous theatrical distribution in multiple markets. Bernie is a digital “buzz” facilitator on Facebook, Twitter and beyond.
Bernie also practices advocacy for the inclusion of Milwaukee & WI for notional, first run, Midwaest filmmaker and multicultural content release. In this ongoing effort Bernie puts special emphasis with communication to major studios with regards to WI & Midwest productions. She also seeks and disseminates information to maintain a sustainable industry of Independent and artful filmmakers for Southeast WI. She is also an advocate for the empowering of women and multicultural inclusion in all levals of filmmaking.
Bernie is part of the Women In Film Los Angeles-Social Media Squad, and recently submitted a written proposal and is awaiting determination for an unprecedented Social Media Membership level access with Women In Film-National. Bernie also serves as Social Media Group Moderator for Midwest Multicultural Media Madness. Since 2012 Bernie has been a Meetup Organizer for the Midwest Multicultural & The Milwaukee Movie Fans Meetup Groups. She nurtures, encourages and shares Industry information for the uplift and betterment of WI and National Independent Film organizations and taking each day as an opportunity to live and to learn. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate for 2013 in support of Milwaukee Independent Film Society and this #MKESFF2013!
Purchase Tickets
To buy advance tickets we set up these Paypal options.
First: Use Firefox rather than Windows Internet Explorer. We find that Windows gets twitchy when using Paypal.
Second: Tickets will be tracked and held at the door. When going to your preferred show specify at the door the name in which the tickets were purchased under, the show (Fri 6:30pm, Sat 7pm , etc), the number of tickets bought and please bring your confirmation email as well.
Third: Be sure that you pick the right block of films. Tickets will be sold singly, pairs, sets of three, four and five. If you need more than five you will have to go back in and purchase more. We are sorry if you have to do that, but we find people don't usually buy more than 4 or 5. There will be tickets sold at the door as well.
Fourth:There is no credit card purchases on site, cash only sales. The Milwaukee Art Museum does have ATM's on the premises.
Finally: The Milwaukee Art Museum charges $8 to park in the lots, but there is plenty of free parking on the street during the weekend. Please keep that in mind.
ADVANCED TICKETS WILL STOP AT 30 MINUTES BEFORE EACH SHOW. PLEASE ARRIVE 30 MINS EARLY FOR ALL SHOWS
Fri. Session 1: (6:30pm)OPENING NIGHT EVENT!!A World of Difference , Girls Season 38, Life, Hurricane Bonnie, Snowglobe , It Was Wonderful, Rock Doc: Die Kreuzen, Spaghetti für Zwei, Love You Still.Pace-setter awards.
Door Sales only.
Sat. Session 2: (NOON)The Librarian and The Banjo.
Sat. Session 3: (1:15 pm)World View: Bishtar Az Do Saat (More Than Two Hours), To Dream Away, Lean on Me , Le Herisson De Verre (The Glass Hedgehog), Rojo, To Hell, With Love, Junggesellin (Bachelorette), 蜜月套房 (Honeymoon Suite)
Sat. Session 4: (3:15pm)Donna Ray, White Carpet, Why Fly-A Hot Air Affair, Foreclosure, Unknown Caller, Gun Point, Super Fun Sunshine Gun, Once an Afternoon, While it Lasts. Sat. Session 5: (5:15 pm)People Aren't All Bad, Temenos , Tlaoc, Lumininosity, Into the Tangerine Parlor, Coffee or Tea, A Hard Life, Catalyst, Six Letter Word, Hide and Go Seek. Sat Session 6: (7pm) Juried Films.Night in A Hotel,Le Train Bleu, Melon Head, Mitt Forra Liv, Parfois, Atlantic Avenue, Olivia, Time 2 Split, The Cucaranchula, Mason Jelly Jar, From The Darkness Theatre
Why Fly - A Hot Air Affair by Roger Bindl Waunakee, WI (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 4 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 3:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
John Trione, a hot air balloon pilot, goes through the process
of flying hot air balloons... the setup, flying, competition, comradery, and in
the cold. Director Bio: Roger Bindl is a technologist, writer, videographer, video editor, and athlete that studied and mixes tech and art in work and everyday life.
Roger's video productions include "The Best of Hard Times" (best depiction of the era award at MN Historical Society film project), Miss Micky (audience award), Shepherd Pie with a Change (Kraft cooking video award), Occupying Spaces (ProjectED finalist award), Building Towers (Mke 24 Hr film project selection), and more at www.hem.com.
While It Lastsby Marc Kornblatt Madison, WI (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 11 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 3:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
At 81, Jamie Ross, a retired art professor lives in a falling
down studio crammed with his own work and thousands of objects he has collected
over the decades. His current passion is rescuing intriguingly shaped tree limbs
from his wood pile and turning them into finely polished shapes adorned with
some of his favorite words, such as 'seemlessness.' One rain-soaked afternoon,
as water drips from the ceiling, he shares his thoughts on the meaning of art
and his own mortality. Director Statement The
moment I walked into Jamie Ross's art studio, in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, I
thought it would make a great setting for a film. I was thinking narrative,
perhaps a murder mystery, or some kind of Gothic tale. The deteriorating, barny
space, crammed with original art and artifacts from around the world, the
piled-up garbage and dust-covered surfaces would have cost a great deal of money
to create, and here it was totally camera-ready. To add to the allure of the
project, Jamie seemed game.
My plans changed once I got to know this
quirky man who, at 81, was a working artist, and a hoarder. Genuine and cordial
from the start, Jamie had the gift of gab and a sense of humor that won me over.
I decided to forgo fiction and instead create a lasting record of Jamie's
artwork and workplace, letting him talk about his life philosophy and himself as
he pleased.
The inclement weather on the day we shot the film, the
studio's gritty ambiance and Jamie's narration inspired me to compose a score
that pays homage to Erik Satie's Gymnopedies. In my short pieces, I have tried
to capture what the viewer sees and hears on screen, coming away, hopefully,
with a sense of Jamie's spirit and world, as well as a colorful work of art.
Production Notes "When
It Rains..." The day I brought my cameraman and
audio technician to interview Jamie Ross, a cold, miserable December rain soaked
the three of us within the first five minutes of filming our opening exterior
shot. We remained soggy and chilled for the remainder of the day. That
bone-numbing rain, however, turned out to be a great blessing, as the images we
captured of water pummeling the roof and cascading into the studio, added
poignancy to the story.
The rain not only inspired the opening notes of
the piano piece I composed to start the film, it adds a rich texture to the
film's ambient sound throughout the documentary. Indeed, I would have invariably
created a different story, composed a different score, if the day had been brisk
and sunny. I don't believe that version would have been as strong.
Love You Still by Michael Viers Milwaukee Running Time: 10 Minutes Screening Time: Friday, Oct 25th 6:30pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
John, an aging fisherman, struggles with memories of his young love, Alice. He longs for her return and lives in regret. One day, a bottle washes ashore that includes a note, which begs the question: did John lose the love of his life, or did he lose his mind?
The film production:
Love You Still is the last Collaborative Cinema film--a screenwriting and filmmaking program for high school and college students previously run by Susan Kerns and started by Mark Metcalf. Each year, one high school student's script was chosen to be made into a film. College students then applied to direct. In 2013, Franklin High School student Katie Theel wrote the script, and UWM student Michael Viers directed the film. High school and college students also worked on set alongside professional filmmakers to learn about crew roles, professional camera and lighting equipment, and general set etiquette. Love You Still was the eighth and final film made in the Collaborative Cinema program.
This film is being screened as part of the Pace-setter presentation for honoree Susan Kerns.
Junggesellin (Bachelorette) by Anna Linke Germany (Milwaukee Premiere)
Running Time: 15
Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 1:15pm
Tickets
$10.00But Tickets Here:
The bachelorette Stefanie is a young woman who, at 26 years
old, has not yet managed to live in an environment in which she can truly be
herself. At home in the back country, everybody tries to find a man for the last
bachelorette in the village, who is not thrilled about this at all.
Into the Tangerine Parlor by Vito Valenti Muskego, WI (Milwaukee
Premiere) Running Time: 3
Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 5:15pm
Tickets
$10.00Buy Tickets Here:
A man on the verge of despair spontaneously resorts to
introspection and finds a way to transcendence and liberation.
Le Hérisson de Verre ( The Glass Hedgehog)by Jean-Sébastien Bernard France (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 10 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 1:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
Summer 1955. The sun shines brightly on a bucolic landscape
sprinkled with poppies. Persephone, a young beautiful and mysterious woman lays
in this sparkling field of blood-red. The sunbeams caress her smiling face. A
moment of happiness that nothing seems to be disturbing.
Chad and Amy owe Floyd money and he is bad news. Even though
they are in quite a jam they have plans to straighten out their lives even if it
involves guns.
To Hell, With Love by
Gavin Michael Booth Canada
(Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 16
Minutes Screening Time: Oct
26th 1:15pm Tickets
$10.00Buy Tickets Here:
Dr. Desai is desperate to prove the existence of an afterlife.
Unfortunately for one feisty prostitute, Cheri, his obsession will become her
nightmare in a battle for survival.
Director Statement To
Hell, With Love was born out of the frustration (and boredom!) of waiting
between feature film projects. I had a highly controversial film set to shoot in
early 2013 but due to controversy in the world news headlines over the Christmas
holidays the film was cancelled. I was left reeling and with much time on my
hands. Instead of feel pity for myself and my production team we rallied
together to create a short film to flex our creative muscles.
The result
is this short film. It's also been an inspiration to create more short form
videos and films between features and music video projects. Production Notes "When
The Snow Hits The Fan" The production of To Hell
With Love was conducted in a single over night shoot but was delayed for several
hours due to cast members Sarah Booth and Shawn Baichoo being stuck in a
separate vehicle on the other side of a snowstorm. The crew had a chance to bond
and talk film (geek out!) while waiting for their arrival. The shoot began late,
ended even later the next morning but still everyone came through to complete
the 16 pages of script in the single night!
Melon Headby Andy Fortenbacher New York (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 14 Minutes Screening Time: Juried Films 7pm, Oct 26th Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
The only way to a woman's heart is to scare the HELL out of her!
Bishtar Az Do Saat (More than Two Hours) by Ali Asgari Iran (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 15 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 1:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
It’s 3 AM, a boy and a girl are wandering in the city.they are looking for a hospital to cure the girl, but it is much harder than they thought.
Coffee or Tea?by Lucien Jung Greendale, WI (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 6 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 5:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
Zany party girl Britney sets up her sexually confused ex-boyfriend Matt on his first gay date with kooky club kid Richie. Awkward first impressions lead to outright hostility. But Britney is a girl who always gets her way and what she wants is for these boys to give love a chance. Director Statement Coffee or Tea is a fun and breezy short in the spirit of Hollywood romantic comedies from the ‘50s and ‘60s. While the film can be viewed as “camp,” we are absolutely sincere in our positive message of self-acceptance. We define our lead characters not as members of a marginalized community but as two young men engaged in the universal pursuits of figuring out who they are and how to love and be loved.
The film’s sensibility was informed by the outsider experiences of myself and co-writers Thomas Sennholz and Daniel J. Harmon. While we’d have loved for our lives to have played out like a John Hughes’ film or a Technicolor dream of beach parties, school dances, and relatively uncomplicated bouts of puppy love, that’s not how things turned out.
Coffee or Tea is my cheerfully absurdest take on queer love and the Sandra Dee and Doris Day films I continue to enjoy. My hope is that audiences will smile with recognition and come to understand that to get what you want you have to know who you are. Then maybe, for the next generation of outsiders, their journey of self-discovery really will end with a lovely soft-focus kiss. Learn More
A Hard Lifeby Rubin Whitmore II Milwaukee (Milwaukee Premiere) Running Time: 9 Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 5:15pm Tickets $10.00Buy Tickets Here:
A Hard Life is short musical comedy is about three women who are brought in for questioning in the death of a man.The man has died from an overdose of sexual performance enhancement drugs. After further questioning from the investigator along with insight from the toxicologist all the women are discovered to be complicit.But the ultimate demise of the man involves more than just these three women and their desire to receive satisfaction. A Hard Life was ambitiously written and shot along with original music created in the time span of two days and only has had minimal sound design added in the time following. Directed by Rubin Whitmore II, music by David Kaye, choreography by Christopher Gilbert. Starring Michelle White, Kendall Yorkey, Grace Liebenstem and Kurtis Witzlsteiner. (2013) TRT 9:11
Hide and Go Seekby Eli Hayes Whitefish Bay, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)
Running Time: 7
Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 5:15pm
Tickets
$10.00Buy Tickets Here:
Once someone is lost, the only thing left to do is find them.
Two sisters drive up to their cabin in northern Wisconsin,
where they discover a mysterious tree while playing a game of hide and go seek.
Suddenly, they become separated; in order to win the game, they must reunify.
Once An Afternoon by Nelson Oliveras Milwaukee (Milwaukee Premiere)
Running Time: 11
Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 3:15pm
Tickets
$10.00 Buy Tickets Here:
Ryan (Daniel Hass) and his mentor Bill (Matthew Nichols),are
on a mission to visit the home of a family who has been looking after a young
girl named 'Ellie' (Allison Chicorel). Ellie is considered to be the missing
'gift', taken long ago from a powerful man.
蜜月套房 (Honeymoon Suite) by Zao Wang China (Milwaukee Premiere)
Running Time: 14
Minutes Screening Time: Oct 26th 1:15pm
Tickets
$10.00Buy Tickets Here:
A hotel in Beijing, China, forgets to feed its monstrous and
angry guest from America. But one brave Chinese woman from the staff stands out
to tame the beast.... But little does she know that the American guest is not
what he appears to be at all.
The Milwaukee Independent Film Society was founded in 1996 by Dan Wilson. Its mission and goals were to provide a grass roots community where local filmmakers can share their ideas, projects, and collaborate on local efforts.
MIFS is a non-profit organization who leadership has changes, but missions remains the same.
The Milwaukee Short Film Festival is our signature event, since its inception in 1994 we've steadily built our reputation and one of the best regional festivals in America. We were signaled out by Moviemaker Magazine as "Best Local Festival" with a strong slate of award winning International films, and the best in local filmmaking.
Each year we do our best to get industry professionals from Los Angeles and the Milwaukee area to jury the films. Previous judges were Mark Metcalf (Animal House, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Zack Ward (A Christmas Story, Transformers), Uwe Boll (Postal, House of the Dead) Timothy J. Lonsdale (Speed, Species) and David Streit (Jurassic Park III, River's Edge) .
The Milwaukee Short Film Festival is proud to also say that the home of the festival is a Milwaukee landmark, The Milwaukee Art Museum's Lubar Auditorium situated in the world famous Calatrava. Located on Milwaukee's lakefront area.
Friday October 25th, Opening Night.
6:30 pm Lubar Auditorium, MAM
A World of Difference by Gerald
Guthrie Hurricane Bonnie by Linda Cieslik Life by Lasse
Lorenzen It Was Wonderful by Timothy DeWitt Spaghetti für Zwei by Matthias Rosenberger Girls Season 38 by Gail Lerner Snowglobe by Tony Porter Rock Doc: Die Kreuzen by Bill Schulz & Gary
Porter Love You Still by Michael Viers
We'll also honor this year's recipients of the Pace-setter award, Dan Wilson & Susan Kerns.
Oct 25th MIFS Feature Film Screening
9:15pm Lubar Auditorium, MAM The Wayward Sun by Jozef K. Richards
Saturday October 26th
12 pm Lubar Auditorium, MAM The Librarian and The Banjo by Jim Carrier
1: 30 pmWorld View
To Dream Away by Si En Tan Bishtar Az Do Saat by Ali Asgari Le Herisson De Verre by Jean-Sebastien Bernard Rojo by Miguel Najera Junggesellin by Anna Linke To Hell, With Love by Gavin Michael Booth Lean on Me by Gavin Butler 蜜月套房 (Honeymoon Suite) by Zao Wang
3:15 Show
Foreclosure by Vassi Slavova Unknown Caller by Matthew Huebsch Once An Afternoon by Tony Oliveras Donna Ray by Omar McClinton White Carpet by Jordan Fein Gun Point by Darby Kern While it Lasts by Marc Kornblatt Why Fly- A Hot Air Affair by Roger Bindl Super Fun Sunshine Gun by Craig A Knitt
5:15 pm Show
A Hard Life by Rubin Whitmore II Lumininosity by F-Stop Won Coffee or Tea by Lucien Jung Temenos by Adriane Little People Aren't All Bad by Matthew Hashiguchi Tlaoc by Sabrina Doyle Into the Tangerine Parlor by Vito Valenti Catalyst by Matt Troge Hide and Go Seek by Eli Hayes Six Letter Word by Lisanne Sartor
7pm Juried
Olivia by Ryan Bloomquist Night in A Hotel by Daniel Kontur Le Train Bleu by Stephanie Assimacopoulo Parfois by Jaclyn Tyler Poeschl Atlantic Avenue by Laure de Clermont Melon Head by Andy Fortenbacher Mitt Forra Liv by Sebastian Linblad Mason Jelly Jar by Van Campbell III The Cucaranchula by Kate Balsey From The Darkness Theatre by Michael Viers Time 2 Split by Fabrice Bracq
9:15 Show TBA
The website will be updated this week and online ticket will be ready by October 5th.
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