from the 2010 Wisconsin Film Festival

Tar Creek
dir: Matt Myers
USA | 2009 | DVD | 75 min

Sat.4.Sep | 2010 | 8:00 pm
Outdoors at Willy Street Co-op, 1221 Williamson St. | Madison | free
The Tar Creek area in northeastern Oklahoma was home to one of the largest lead and zinc strikes on the planet. For a while it was terrifically profitable, especially when it was subsidized for wartime mining. This personal, affecting documentary introduces us to the people living in that part of American’s heartland, now one of the worst environmental disasters in the country. More than a chronicle of the waste and danger generated by the mine, this is the story of the neighbors trying to make things right, or buy their way out, and the many layers of government and scientific organizations that are involved in the mess. It’s also a story of the Quapaw Tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which ordered mining companies to dump enormous mounds lead-laced waster rock on Quapaw land. First-time director Matt Myers narrates the film with uncommon warmth and familiarity, helping us understand the science behind the mine, the ramifications for the community, and keeps the voices of the community front and center. Original music by Watermelon Slim.
film site

Milwaukee Film Festival
23.Sep – 3.Oct | 2010 | Milwaukee
milwaukee-film.org

from the 2010 Wisconsin Film Festival

NONAMES
dir: Kathy Lindboe
USA | 2009 | digital video | 108 min

Wed.20.Oct | 2010 | 7:30 pm
Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St. | Madison | check listings

with producer Robin Van Ert, co-producer Nicholas Langholff, and actor Darron Burrows attending | “My dad once told me I’d never make a name for myself if I stayed in this town. I never believed him. He said we’re all products of our environment, and sometimes places like this are impossible to make a great escape from, no matter how hard you try. But we should try.” NONAMES is an exquisite story of the strength that comes from lifelong friends, and how a close-knit community can both support and suffocate. Kevin (James Badge Dale from HBO’s The Pacific) is navigating the responsibilities of becoming grown man, something that hasn’t come easy to him after his mother died. He’s got his buddies, a scruffy pack of fellow ne’er-do-wells in this central Wisconsin town, who become a new kind of family after his dad and sister move away. Broadening into one of the finest ensemble casts in recent Wisconsin-based films, these guys are forced to confront the consequences of a violent act against Kevin’s girlfriend CJ which slowly builds into a conflagration. Filmed entirely in central Wisconsin, NONAMES explores small-town affections (Kevin and CJ setting up house together; Simon’s affair with a married woman who everyone knows; the favorite tavern; a loyal dog) and the risks we take to protect those we love. Also starring Gillian Jacobs (Community), James McCaffrey (Rescue Me), and Darren Burrows and Barry Corbin, both of Northern Exposure.
film site + trailer

Midwest Ski Film Festival
Oct | 2010 | Milwaukee
mwsff.com

Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival
21–24.Oct | 2010 | Milwaukee
uwm.edu/arts/programs/film/lgbtfilm

Edgerton Sterling North Book and Film Festival
22–23.Oct | 2010 | Edgerton
edgertonbookfestival.com

Flyway Film Festival
21–24.Oct | 2010 | Pepin
flywayfilmfestival.org

Milwaukee Short Film Festival
29–30.Oct | 2010 | Milwaukee
milwaukeeindependentfilmsociety.org

Central Wisconsin Film Festival
5–7.Nov | 2010 | Stevens Point & Amherst
accepting submissions to September 1; check their web site for details
cwfilmfest.org

Big Water Film Festival
5–7.Nov | 2010 | Washburn
bigwaterfilmfestival.org

Beloit International Film Festival
17–21.Feb | 2011 | Beloit
beloitfilmfest.com

Wildwood Film Festival
Apr | 2011 | Appleton
UW Fox Valley Communication Arts Center
wildwoodfilmfest.com

Milwaukee Underground Film Festival
Apr | 2011 | Milwaukee
filmmilwaukee.org