Things I Learned From the MILWAUKEE SHOWCASE (Milwaukee Film Festival)

On October 1 (Day 8 of the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival), I managed to find a seat at the completely packed MILWAUKEE SHOWCASE, a presentation of short films made by Milwaukee filmmakers. (The image at right is from the lovely and brilliantly executed animated film BIRD, by Michael Hawkins-Burgos.)

The energy in the theater that night was fantastic! It was great to see all that hometown pride and enthusiasm for the work of our local filmmakers. The Festival's program director, TJ Fackelman, introduced each filmmaker after his or her short was played, asking a few key questions to get the ball rolling for some quick Q&A between the audience and the filmmaker.

The showcase featured 10 short films in all, representing a variety of genres and styles -- from live action to animation, narrative to the surreal, and documentary to mockumentary. Here are some things I learned:

• House flies hate clowns. (HOUSE FLY, by Paul Foonchy)
• A man who has it all can't really be considered a success if he can't use chopsticks. (SIMPLE, by Keith Michael)
• If your way of dealing with job frustration is by drinking alone at home at night, you'd best take your boss off speed-dial. (THE QUITTER, by Karen Erbach)
  

Did you catch the MILWAUKEE SHOWCASE at the Festival? Which short film was your favorite, and what did you learn? Share your thoughts in the comments.

>>See more Things I Learned From the Milwaukee Film Festival posts.