If a director left the Wisconsin Film Festival a dollar richer than when he arrived, he probably found the bill lying in the street.
The festival, celebrating its 10th year beginning today, has never been about filmmakers trying to secure big distribution deals or move that next rung up the career ladder. It’s been about audiences, programmers and filmmakers who appreciate challenging and eclectic movies coming together in the dark for a few days.
But in spite of that spirit, or maybe because of it, the Wisconsin Film Festival has hosted some films and filmmakers who went on to achieve some real notoriety beyond the festival.