Wisconsin Film Festival Through the Years

Number of Films in Festival: 25
Attendance at Festival: 3,000
Film Venues:
Campus: Vilas Communications Hall, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Memorial Union Play Circle and Wisconsin Union Theater

Interesting Facts:
The 1st Annual Great Wisconsin Film Festival had free admission to all of its films.
It was originally intended to be a very glamorous, red-carpetesque event.

All viewing venues are located on campus.

Number of Films in Festival: 70
Attendance at Festival: 12,000
Film Venues
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle
Downtown: Madison Arts Center, Orpheum Theater

New to the Festival:
The addition of the Orpheum Theater as a downtown venue
The "Wisconsin's Own" Series which features films with ties to Wisconsin begins. This year, 28 films are chosen from this category to be in the film festival.
Mary Carbine becomes the official Director of the Wisconsin Film Festival this year.

General increase in attendance.
Two venues on campus, two venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 110
Attendance at Festival: 14,000
"Wisconsin's Own" Series Films: 20
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle
Downtown: Madison Arts Center, Orpheum Theater, Majestic Theatre, Wisconsin Veterans Museum

New to the Festival:
The Wisconsin Film Festival gains attention as a place to premiere films
Addition of the Majestic Theatre and the Veterans Museum as screening venues
A competition within the "Wisconsin's Own" series begins which awards prizes to the Wisconsin filmmakers and students who enter their films
The festival is more than just films. This year, many films are introduced, have Q and A sessions afterwards with people who have worked on the film, and they have talks and seminars from visiting filmmakers.
This year the program "Light in the East: New Asian Cinema" is introduced to the festival

Increase in Attendance
Two venues on campus, four venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 138
Attendance at Festival: 18,500
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: 50
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle
Downtown: Madison Arts Center, Orpheum Theater, Majestic Theatre, Bartell Theatre

New to the Festival:
The Bartell Theatre is added as a downtown venue
The Film Festival is awarded a programming grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Student participation increases because two intern positions become available this year- the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee Festival Intern and the Festival Design Intern.

Increase in attendance.
Two venues on campus, four venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 150
Attendance at Festival: 21,000
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: 50
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle
Downtown: Madison Arts Center, Orpheum Theater, Club Majestic, Bartell Theatre, Madison Civic Center and University Square Theaters

New to the Festival:
80% of screenings sold out in advance
Addition of more international films/documentary films
University Square Theaters, Club Majestic and Madison Civic Center become additional downtown venues

Number of Films in Festival: 140
Attendance at Festival: 24,000
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: 45
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle, University Square Theaters, Hillel
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Club Majestic, Bartell Theatre

New to the Festival:
This is the first year for online ordering of tickets
Addition of the Hillel as a campus venue

Increase in attendance.
Four venues on campus, three venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 151
Attendance at Festival: 24,000
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: 65
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle, Hillel, University Square Theaters
Downtown: Overture Center for the Arts, Orpheum Theater, Club Majestic, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace

New to the Festival:
The addition of two downtown locations-the Overture Center for the Arts and the Monona Terrace
Audience awards are introduced, so the audience is allowed to vote for the best Narrative and Documentary films
Films that won awards as other festivals, both in the U.S. and internationally, are brought to the Wisconsin Film Festival.
Estimated student attendance: 9,600 (or 40%)
The Student Shorts competition is added to the festival which gives Wisconsin students a chance to enter their films (if under 60 minutes) and win prizes.

Attendance remains the same, students are about 40% of attendance.
Four venues on campus, five venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 177
Attendance at Festival: 26,000
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: 50
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle, University Square Theaters
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Club Majestic, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace,
Madison: Hilldale Theatres

Increase in attendance
Three venues on campus, four venues downtown, one venue slighly off campus in Madison

Number of Films in Festival: 183
Attendance at Festival: 28,700
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: UW Cinematheque, Memorial Union Play Circle, Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Union Theater
Downtown: Overture Center for the Arts, Orpheum Theater, Bartell Theatre, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Monona Terrace

Increase in attendance
Four venues on campus, five venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 200
Attendance at Festival:
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union Play Circle, UW Cinematheque, Chazen Museum of Art
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Majestic Theatre, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Increase in attendance.
Four campus venues, five venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 199
Attendance at Festival: 32,645
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union Play Circle, UW Cinematheque, Chazen Museum of Art
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Majestic Theatre, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Increase in attendance
Four campus venues, five venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 192
Attendance at Festival: 34,539
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union Play Circle, UW Cinematheque, Chazen Museum of Art
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Monona Terrace, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Increase in attendance
Four venues on campus, three venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 211
Attendance at Festival: 35,858
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union Play Circle, UW Cinematheque, Chazen Museum of Art
Downtown: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Orpheum Theater, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace,

Increase in attendance
Four campus venues, four venues downtown.

Number of Films in Festival: 101
Attendance at Festival: 28,553
“Wisconsin’s Own” Series Films: not listed
Film Venues:
Campus: Marquee Theater (Union South), UW Cinematheque, Chazen Museum of Art
Downtown: Orpheum Theater, Bartell Theatre, Monona Terrace, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art,
Off Campus: Sundance Cinemas

Decrease in attendance.
Three venues on campus, four venues downtown, one venue off campus, but still in Madison.

Information not yet available as the Film Festival this year has yet to happen!