The Milwaukee Film program book will be distributed beginning tomorrow at the Made in Milwaukee festival, but I got a look at it this week. As expected, there is a wealth of exciting cinema on tap at the annual festival, which runs Sept. 22-Oct. 2 at the Oriental, Downer, Ridge and North Shore theaters.
You will be able to find the complete schedule at mkefilm.org once the book is out. But, as a taster, here are some of the films I'm most excited about.
"The Salt of Life," Friday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., North Shore. The new film from "Mid-August Lunch" director Gianni Di Gregorio, "The Salt of Life" is the festival opener at North Shore.
"The Interrupters," multiple screenings. This documentary about former gang members who become violence interrupters, defusing gang fights and foiling murder plots, is part of the festival's tribute to Kartemquin Films.
"The First Beautiful Thing," multiple screenings. This is the new film from Paolo Virzi and it's the story of a mother and her rocky relationship with her son.
"Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life," multiple screenings. Serge bio-pic. Nuff said.
"On Tour," Sunday, Oct. 2, 7:15 p.m., Oriental. This is the festival closer at the Oriental and it's a French film about the semi-washed up entertainment manager who promises his American burlesque troupe. Instead of the Parisian stages they expect, they travel from one provincial hamlet to the next.
There's so much more on tap at this year's event, that I encourage you to get a copy – digital or printed – of the program guide and plan to spend a lot of time watching great films in Milwaukee later this month.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
