Record breaking number of films in this year's Milwaukee Film Festival starting Thursday, September 24th through October 8th

The Milwaukee Film Festival will set a record in its 7th year with 304 films to be screened.

60 of them have Wisconsin and Milwaukee connections.

Jonathan Jackson, the Artistic and Executive Director of the festival, was a special guest on the CBS 58 News at 4 p.m.

He told CBS 58's Michele McCormack that the Milwaukee Film Festival is not trying to be the Sundance of the Midwest.

"We're not striving to premiere films," explained Jackson.  "We're striving to show the best. To provide Milwaukee an unparalleled opportunity to see great cinema with the filmmakers there and have a one of a kind experience. That's a bit different from a festival that's striving to premiere films. And one of the great things about that is all the films are good. When you premiere films, you usually find some duds in the mix. I can guarantee the films at our festival, second to none." 

Several historic venues will screen the films from the Landmark Oriental, the Landmark Downer, Avalon Theater, Times Cinema, and the Fox-Bay Cinema.

The festival also hosts a series of parties, the biggest being on opening night.

The Opening Night Party will take up the entire Kenilworth Building on the UW Milwaukee Campus at  1925 E. Kenilworth Place. Thursday, September 24
from 9:00 - 11:30 PM

Featured Performances will be by the  Florentine Opera Company™ and Tigernite.

Admission to the party is free with a film festival ticket stub or to MFF  2015 pass holders.  $13 for Milwaukee Film Members, $15 for the general public.

Jackson says the festival draws some 64,000 movie goers. 

 "That puts us on the scale of a top ten film festival in the United States," said Jackson. "That's on par with film festivals that have been doing it for decades. We're so thrilled the community has embraced this and this festival has grown as much as it has."

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