Wisconsin Film Festival now accepting "Wisconsin's Own" entries for 2015

(photo courtesy of Ben Reiser and the Wisconsin Film Festival)

Woop woop.

Earlier today via press release and various social media outlets, the Wisconsin Film Festival opened the floodgates for next year’s twin “Wisconsin’s Own” programs.

Per the festival’s press release:

The Wisconsin’s Own section of the festival is for films or filmmakers with “Wisconsin ties,” meaning either the film has significant portions of it shot here in state, and/or a primary filmmaker or cast member is a resident, was born here, or attends/attended school in Wisconsin. The Festival welcomes narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films or videos of any length.

The “Wisconsin’s Own Student” category is limited to aspiring student filmmakers with Wisconsin’s ties, and all student submissions are due by December 31, 2014. “Wisconsin’s Own” proper is extended to any and all Wisconsin-based creatives with an earlier deadline of December 1, 2014.

As the festival’s only programs determined via open submissions, “Wisconsin’s Own” films make for a tremendous showcase of homegrown talent. Of course, the exact criteria that determine those state connections can get a bit technical, so aspiring applicants should take note of the festival’s guidlines.

Each year, the best of the chosen entries are awarded the Golden Badger award by a select panel, and as I’ve written at length about in the past, the choices are often right on the money. This past year’s “Wisconsin’s Own” selections included a typically diverse surfeit of short films, a celebration of The Lumberjack‘s centennial, and Brandon Colvin’s Sabbatical. And hey, you can see at least one of those in the next month. *Nudge nudge*

The 2015 Wisconsin Film Festival runs from Thursday, April 9 through Thursday April 16