First Look at the Fest

Attention film fest fanatics and button gluttons (you know who you are): The First Look at the Fest is a jump-start on finding out what’s going to be onscreen at this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival, a day in advance of the printed guide appearing in Isthmus. There are trailers, snacks and drinks, and the option to buy up to two tickets for each screening of your choice before tix go on sale to the general public on March 9. Plus there are plenty of like-minded folks to chat with about film. This year First Look takes place at Flix Brewhouse, where the stylish lobby is also a comfy bar featuring craft beer brewed onsite. If you’re an East Towne newbie, it’s easy to park at the front entrance of the mall and walk straight down the central corridor to Flix.

media release: The Wisconsin Film Festival kicks off its 26th season with First Look at the Fest, 7pm on March 6, at our new eastside location, Flix Brewhouse!  Sponsored and hosted by Isthmus and Flix Brewhouse, attendees will get first crack at the Festival’s Film Guide before its public release in the March 7 edition of Isthmus, enjoy food, drink, and the ability to buy tickets on the spot, before the general public on-sale date of March 9. 

Wisconsin Film Festival’s director of operations, Ben Reiser, explains that First Look at the Fest is an incredibly unique evening of food, drink, and coming attractions for films that will screen at this year’s Festival. “First Look at the Fest is always a lot of fun, it is quite a sight, seeing 150 people poring over our annual film guide, the smell of fresh ink in the air, pencils circling screenings on the Festival schedule grid as patrons try to map out their Festivals before acquiring tickets. And this year is our first year at Flix Brewhouse, which we are really quite excited about. If people haven’t been to Flix they are sure to be wowed by the top-notch sound and projection at this venue. This year it’s not only First Look at the Fest, but also First Look at Flix.”

Admission to First Look at the Fest is $50 in advance and $60 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit wifilmfest.eventive.org/welcome.

The 26th Wisconsin Film Festival will be presented April 4-11, 2024. Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, March 9 at noon CST. General admission tickets are $12 each. All-Festival passes are available for $325. Visit wifilmfest.eventive.org/welcome to purchase tickets and passes.

Since 1999, the Wisconsin Film Festival has curated, promoted, and exhibited programs showcasing the art and the history of world cinema. Currently presented under the auspices of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Communication Arts, the Festival supports UW’s teaching, research, and public service mission by exposing the campus and the greater Madison community to films and filmmakers from Wisconsin and beyond. As cinema is an essential art form that enriches the human experience and enhances one’s knowledge of a variety of cultures, the Festival seeks to create a strong sense of community through curating a vast body of films and through the creation of gatherings before and after screenings that welcome diverse communities. With the ever-evolving technology of the film industry, the Festival strives to screen movies using state-of-the-art projection and sound while creating opportunities for younger students to experience cinema from around the world through field trips, special presentations, and community outreach.