Did you know that over the course of its two weeks, this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival will have screened 131 features and 169 shorts? For the math heads out there, that’s a whopping 300 titles filling the 2024 event’s program. Even for a cinephile with unlimited time and energy reserves, seeing every single one isn’t an option. That’s why we’re here.

"We" is, of course, Kpolly and Dori — AND returning for yet another Milwaukee Filmtastic episode is the organization’s programing director, Kerstin Larson. If you missed our last installment, Kerstin joined our ’Buds to provide the kind of recommendations you might expect from the person responsible for picking the films that show up in the fest. 

But that was just week one. We have a whole second week to tackle, and you can hear the trio’s must-see movies in this episode.

Produced and edited by Marcus Doucette

Dori Zori and K-Polly are joined by Kerstin Larson of MKE Film to breakdown some highlights from week one of The Milwaukee Film Festival. Things get pretty Footloose in a hurry ...

Produced by Marcus Doucette

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher talk about the next installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, Frozen Empire. In this one, the Spengler family returns to the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have taken ghost-busting to the next level. When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher get local! They speak with Wisconsin filmmaker Martin Kaszubowski about his movie, Earlybird. The flick is about a desperate theater owner who resuscitates his struggling business with off-the-wall productions, all the while losing sight of why he chose this life at all.

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori and Kpolly talk about the George Clooney-directed film 'The Boys in the Boat' — but they don't stay a duo for long. Joining them to provide a unique perspective are two relatives of the movie's main character Joe Rantz: Jennarose (his daughter) and Matt Murdaugh (his grandson).

Synopsis: During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing team at the University of Washington get thrust into the spotlight as they compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.


Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher say 'Ooh, la la' for the French film, "The Crime Is Mine."

Set in 1935 Paris, a young actress has just been acquitted of murdering a famous French Producer. However, is she really innocent? Or has she gotten away with murder?

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher get a little emotional about the 2023 film, "All of Us Strangers". It's about a screenwriter who has a chance encounter with his mysterious neighbor which disrupts his everyday life. As their relationship develops, the screenwriter finds himself drawn back to his childhood home where his parents are living -- although they died 30 years ago.

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher talk about one of the most impactful movements in music. It's the 2024 film, "The Greatest Night in Pop," a behind-the-scenes look at the 1985 effort that pulled in some of the industry's biggest stars as they recorded "We Are the World" for aid in Africa.

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher chop it up about "American Fiction". It's the Oscar-nominated film (2023) about a respected, yet frustrated, Black novelist who's fed up with an establishment that profits from relying on offensive tropes about the Black community. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write his own outlandish "Black book" that, much to his chagrin, ironically becomes a critical success.

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank

On this episode of Cinebuds, Dori & Kristopher talk about the 2023 remake of The Color Purple. The new and original films (1985) are based on the 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning book, by Alice Walker, of the same name. Also... this episode has a special guest: HYFIN Music Director Element Everest Blanks!

Produced & edited by Kim Shine
Theme music by Newski
Sponsored by Associated Bank