51ÁÔÆæ

Several feature films and shorts by Peck School alumni and faculty will screen at 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival

A closeup of Bob Uecker as he leans back and smiles.
"Ueck" is the opening night film of the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival, playing on two screens at the Oriental Theatre. It was co-directed by alum Michael T. Vollman, who is expected to be in attendance for a panel discussion. | All photos courtesy of Milwaukee Film

As one of the nation¡¯s largest film festivals, cinephiles from all over are flocking to the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival screenings, panels, and community events. With a long history of talent emerging from the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres, filmmakers with strong ties to the Peck School of the Arts are well represented in this year¡¯s festival lineup.

The connections to the Peck School start on opening night with ¡°Ueck,¡± a documentary about the late MLB Hall of Famer and sportscaster Bob Uecker, who passed away in January 2025. 

Co-directed by?alum Michael T. Vollmann, the film is described as a testament to Uecker¡¯s legacy, giving audiences an intimate look at the star as a person. Festival goers, Milwaukeeans, and baseball fans alike are excited to see this?likely sold-out?tribute to the sports legend.?

Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara will present ¡°Sherman Park,¡± a horror thriller that follows a group of Black teenagers trying to survive a zombie outbreak in the Milwaukee neighborhood that shares the film¡¯s name. 

In a recent interview with CBS 58, Milwaukee-native Bugembe-Kuwahara said it was important to have their film based in the city they call home. At its core, the ten-minute action-packed short is a story about recidivism and its impact.  

Alum Sky Hopinka¡¯s feature-length film ¡°Powwow People¡± is a verit¨¦-style documentary about contemporary Native living. The film focuses on the cultural aspects of powwows and the traditions packed within them. 

In addition to directing and producing, Hopinka also organized the powwow featured in the film, inviting Indigenous performers, vendors, and community members to participate in the creation of the documentary and giving them a space to share their own stories.

And the connections to Peck School alumni and faculty don’t stop there. We’ve pulled together a list of films with PSOA-affiliated directors and producers at the helm.

Roundup of Films

This list is as comprehensive as possible at the time of publication. If we missed a director or producer, please accept our sincere apologies! Contact us and we¡¯ll gladly update the article. 

An Indigenous man wearing regalia dances.
Sky Hopinka’s Powwow People will screen on April 25 and April 28, 2026.

Feature Length Films

  • Now! More! Yes! | Producer Christopher Thompson (BFA 2006, Film) and Producer Andrew Swant (BFA 1999, Film)
  • Intoxicated Rain | Producer Tate Bunker (Teaching Faculty I, FVANG) 
  • The Fisherman | Producer Korey Jackson (BFA 2004, Dance) 
  • Flytrapper | Director, Producer, Screenwriter Drew Britton (MFA 2017, Performing Arts) 
  • Ueck | Director Michael T. Vollmann (BFA 2006, Film)
  • Powwow People | Sky Hopinka (MFA 2016, Performing Arts)
A brown sign with dark yellow letters: "Sherman Park; Milwaukee County Park System."
Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara’s Sherman Park will screen during Milwaukee Show I on April 21, 2026.

Milwaukee Show I

  • Learning from Learning from Las Vegas | Directors Gillian Waldo (MFA 2024, Cinematic Arts) and Samuel Taffel (MFA 2023, Cinematic Arts)  
  • Las Animas | Director Matthew Feldman (Current MFA candidate) 
  • Sherman Park | Director Paulina Lule Bugembe-Kuwahara (Lecturer, FVANG)
A pale woman eats a chicken dish, sloppily.
Yinan Wang’s ÌðÄåÄå Thick & Sweet will screen during Milwaukee Show II on April 27, 2026.

Milwaukee Show II

  • Placeholder | Director Jesse McLean (Associate Professor & Chair, FVANG) 
  • ÌðÄåÄå Thick & Sweet | Director Yinan Wang (Lecturer, Film & BFA 2017, Film) 
Four men in golden submarine suits walk past corals towards a whale's open mouth.
Thomas Simms’ Don’t Go Overboard by Fuzzysurf during the Milwaukee Music Video Show on April 28, 2026.

Milwaukee Music Video Show

  • pangea pt. 3 (hibernation) by oak you | Director Cole Quamme (BFA 2010, Film) 
  • Singing Never by Caley Conway | Director Joshua Evert (BFA 2011, Art) 
  • ±õ&²Ô²ú²õ±è;¶Ù´Ç²Ô¡¯³Ù&²Ô²ú²õ±è;²Ñ¾±²Ô»å by Hughes Family Band | Director Ryan Thomas Reeve (BFA 2011, Film) 
  • Africa Enough is Enough by Traore | Director Tate Bunker (Teaching Faculty I, FVANG)
  • Don¡¯t Go Overboard by Fuzzysurf | Director Thomas Simms (BFA 2011, Art) 
  • Banjo Song by Health Club | Director Ryan Nels Pontillo (BFA 2021, Film) 

In addition to directing and producing films, countless artists from 51ÁÔÆæ are represented behind the scenes and on screen this year. Plus, about two dozen alumni and current students work for Milwaukee Film, the nonprofit organization that runs the two-week festival and operates two historic arthouse cinemas year-round in Milwaukee. 

The 2026?Milwaukee Film Festival opens April 16 and runs through April 30.?Screening times and complete details?can be found?on?the??

Story by Payton Murphy ’27 (BFA Film)