{"id":13051,"date":"2026-04-01T11:35:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu\/?p=13051"},"modified":"2026-04-01T11:39:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:39:05","slug":"2026-wff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu\/index.php\/2026\/04\/01\/2026-wff\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Wisconsin Film Festival: WCFTR Friends, Sponsored Films, and Looking Back with the WCFTR’s Wisconsin Film Festival Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friends of the WCFTR at the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival!<\/h3>\n

This year\u2019s Wisconsin Film Festival<\/a> starts here in Madison next Thursday, April 9, kicking off a week full of fantastic film screenings that lasts until Thursday, April 16. The Festival program is filled with the best of brand new international and American independent cinema, as well as an always-excellent lineup of retrospective films from around the world. Many friends and supporters of the WCFTR have films in this year\u2019s Festival, and we\u2019re excited to share a few highlights here. If you\u2019re in the Madison area, get out there and see some movies!<\/p>\n

Veteran film and television director Ken Kwapis<\/strong> is known for The Office<\/em>, Malcolm in the Middle<\/em>, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants<\/em>, and so much more, and the WCFTR is home to his archival collection<\/a>, including scripts, storyboards, and correspondence, with more additions to come soon. Stay tuned for more news about his collection, and check out his feature documentary debut We Are the Shaggs<\/em><\/a> at the Wisconsin Film Festival! With his signature attention to complicated characters and memorable stories, Kwapis uncovers the history of cult rock ‘n’ roll girl group the Shaggs.\u00a0Kwapis will participate in Q&As following both screenings: Saturday, April 11, at 3:45 PM at the Chazen Museum of Art and Sunday, April 12, at 7:00 PM at Music Hall. And, when we aren\u2019t watching movies that weekend at the Festival, we will be streaming the new comedy,\u00a0Malcolm in the Middle: Life\u2019s Still Unfair<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Kwapis directed all four episodes of this highly anticipated reboot, which premieres Friday, April 10 on Hulu!<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Acclaimed documentary and avant-garde filmmaker Michelle Citron<\/strong>, whose papers are archived at the WCFTR (finding aid coming soon!), will also appear at this year’s Festival. Her groundbreaking 1978 feminist film Daughter Rite<\/em><\/a> explores mother-daughter relationships through home movie footage and a verite-style narrative about two sisters returning home and discussing their complicated experiences with their mother. A presentation of Daughter Rite<\/em> on 16mm will be preceded by Citron’s 2014 short documentary The Leftovers<\/em><\/a>, which tells the story of a lesbian couple who lived in Chicago for decades. Citron will join the audience to discuss the films after the screening on Saturday, April 11, at 11:00 AM at the Chazen Museum of Art.<\/p>\n

Stalwart WCFTR volunteer Vincent Mollica<\/strong>‘s new animated short Bob, Paul… Byrd and Pete Go to the Movies<\/em><\/a> is part of the experimental program titled “Algorithmic Nudes and Other Experimental Shorts from Wisconsin’s Own,”<\/a> showing Sunday, April 12, at 1:30 PM at the Chazen Museum of Art. Vincent and the other directors with films in this shorts film program will participate in a Q&A after the screening. And our pals from the Chicago Film Archives are presenting “Love It\/Leave It: Tom Palazzolo’s America,” <\/a>a block of Chicago legend Palazzolo’s experimental documentaries, on Sunday, April 12, at 11:00 AM at the Bartell Theatre. Don’t miss the chance to see some excellent films and support friends of the WCFTR at this year’s Festival!<\/p>\n

WCFTR-Sponsored Films at the Wisconsin Film Festival<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Four<\/a><\/div>\n

In addition to We Are the Shaggs<\/em><\/a> and Daughter Rite<\/em><\/a>, the WCFTR is sponsoring four other films at the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival. From a restored 35mm screening of\u00a0Stella Dallas<\/em> (1925), with live piano by David Drazin and a conversation with MoMA’s Katie Trainor, to ’90s NYC vampire film Nadja<\/em>, we’ve tried to support a little something for everyone. Here are the details:<\/p>\n

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Deaf<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n