MSFF

MSFF

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

2026 Advance Tickets

 

Purchase Tickets:

To buy advance tickets you have to go to the website of the Avalon theater. And scroll down to near the bottom of the page. The Avalon will be handling all ticketing for the festival. 

avalonmke.com/
*clicking on pics and links take you to the page for tickets.

There are four blocks of programs. Voices Heard, Juried Part 1, and Part 2, plus the 50th Anniversary Screening of The Giant Spider Invasion. Please be sure that your friends and family know the program block that your film is in. 

Below are each of the blocks, and they link to the blocks on the Avalon's site.

Also, please be sure to tell them that the Avalon has a strict policy on refunds and exchanges.   

TICKET REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES - The Avalon Theater/Neighborhood Theater Group Refund Policy.

Tickets are valid only for the film, theater, showtime and date specified. Refunds and exchanges are available in person at the theater for which the ticket was purchased before the showtime and date on that ticket.
 

Purchases made online can additionally be refunded and exchanged in person before the showtime and date on the ticket. Refunds will not be provided after the showtime and date specified on the ticket.

We are suggesting everyone to arrive up to 30 minutes earlier. Our shows have sold out in the past and you want to be sure that you can sit with your group. 

Prices:

The Avalon has priced the tickets at a reasonable $11.00, a price lower than the average ticket price in the city. But if you purchase a ticket online there is a surcharge of $1.00. 

Parking:

The Avalon does not have their own parking space. It is all street parking. Please come early.  Again, we are suggesting everyone to arrive up to 30 minutes earlier since our shows have sold out in the past. 

More info on the filmmakers are on our Facebook page, our Instagram account, Blue Sky account, Threads page and our Youtube Channel, including filmmaker interviews and trailers to select films.  

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September 11th
The Giant Spider Invasion


FEATURE FILM | R | 90M with Q/A and Award Presentation

The Giant Spider Invasion, the cult film classic that put Wisconsin on the map, is officially getting a reimagined reboot. In a historic Hollywood first, the original director, Bill Rebane, returned to film new sequences for the 50th anniversary. This production is a loving homage to Wisconsin's culture, landscape, and people, featuring local actor Dan Davies interacting with original cast members, Alan Hale Jr., Barbara Hale, Leslie Parrish, and Steve Brodie.

The Milwaukee Independent Film Society will be hosting a one-time-only screening during the MKE INT Short Film Fest, at 6:30PM on September 11th at the historic, Avalon Atmospheric Theater. After the screening and Q/A, hosted by Jon Adler of 88 Nine Radio Milwaukee, we'll be honoring Bill Rebane with the Pace-setter Award for his contributions to Wisconsin filmmaking.

Presented by Outpost Natural Foods Co-op, WUWM, Pizza Shuttle, and Fractured Imagination.


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September 12th
Block 1: Voices Heard, 1PM




SHORT FILMS | R | 105M with Q/A

The Milwaukee Short Film Festival celebrates diversity in filmmaking with the eleventh year of "Voices Heard", the only film event in Milwaukee spotlighting the work of local filmmakers of color. This wildly successful program returns this year to screen nine films from talented local, multicultural filmmakers.

Sherman Park by Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara



Brief Q&A to follow after the films with attending filmmakers.

Click here for more information on the films, or on the title of each film.

TICKETS

Presented by Outpost Natural Foods Co-op, FM102/1, WUWM, Pizza Shuttle, and Fractured Imagination.

After this block of films, Voices Heard will hold a free panel at venue's lounge.

Navigating Festivals

Whether you are a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out, navigating the festival circuit can be daunting and expensive. We are here to help you develop a strategic plan to maximize your film's success.

Join us to learn which festivals are the best fit for your work, which ones to avoid, how to build a professional EPK, and whether you should keep your film online. Get direct insights from festival programmers on what they are truly looking for in a submission.

Featuring:

Award wining Filmmaker/Festival Director, Ross Bigley.

Voices Heard member Clarence Aumend

This will be at 3:15PM in the Avalounge.

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September 12th
Block 2: Juried Part 1, 4:30PM



SHORT FILMS | R | 100M with Q/A

More thought-provoking films that'll entertain you. A great mix of the avant-garde, comedy, drama, animation, social commentary, and some horror.

Brief Q&A to follow with attending filmmakers.

Click here for more information on the films, or on the title of each film.

TICKETS

Presented by Outpost Natural Foods Co-op, FM102/1, WUWM, Pizza Shuttle, and Fractured Imagination.


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SHORT FILMS | R | 120M


The last block of the night has more films to excite you, with local horror, drama, comedy, music, animation, and human connections. 

The night closes with the awards presentation after the Q/A.

Order of films:

Extraordinary Rob by Adam Szudrich

Mawu by Glen Popple



Brief Q&A to follow with the Awards ceremony after the films with attending filmmakers.

Click here for more information on the films, or on the title of each film.


TICKETS 


Presented by Outpost Natural Foods Co-op, FM102/1, WUWM, Pizza Shuttle, and Fractured Imagination.


The Awards ceremony will take place after the films have screened in our Juried part 2 7PM block. This includes the Voices Heard Films. 






2026 Film: Hunger

Hunger by Michael Viers & Ross Bigley
Milwaukee, WI (World Premiere/Out of Competition)
Running Time: 7 minutes
Experimental

September 12th 
Juried Part 2, Block 3 7PM + Awards 
Avalon Atmospheric Theater
2473 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207



A woman (Drea Ivy) falls into a rut, she craves both physical sustenance and a mental hunger for knowledge. At the end, she finds that a small journey is very satisfying.
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