Hey MFF, Where's The Sci Fi?

 

The Milwaukee Film Festival begins today, and once again, it has snubbed the science fiction genre.

I'll give credit where credit is due, they've presented a great lineup of outstanding films yet again. But when it comes to genre-specific films, the MFF doesn't seem too concerned.

Yes, I know, it's difficult for an indie film to get any special effects into a limited budget. And yes, I also know that doing special effects is daunting, even for professionals. And yes, doing special effects with only 90% proficiency is a perfect formula for ruining an otherwise brilliant script. But everyone has the means to produce an independent film in one's pocket already. We even use CGI to put cute mouse ears and funny faces on our friends for fun. We put our own faces on famous artists' music videos for the hell of it.

If the brilliant people at the MFF don't have something this year, when will it ever happen?

And it's not like they didn't have great sci fi indie films to choose from. At Sundance back in February, some great genre-specific films were shown, including Ben Wheatley's In the Earth, about a post-apocalyptic band of survivors trying to find an underground research facility. Or How It Ends, about the planet coming to an end by a meteorite strike. Or how about Strawberry Mansion, about a man who invades people's dreams to fish out tax evasion?

All were given a pass at the MFF.

There was one notable exception. The Pink Cloud is featured this year. The Earth is suddenly wrapped up in a strange, pink cloud, and people must suddenly quarantine (feels familiar, no?). A woman who had a one night stand suddenly finds herself stuck with a partner for many years. The movie is one of the few I will make it a point to watch.

There is also a docu-drama called Red Heaven, about a research project stationed near the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, the purpose of which is to find out how prolonged isolation affects humans in preparation for a possible colony on Mars.

Cerebral dramas and docu-dramas, human interest stories and heartfelt depictions of underappreciated communities have their place. They're good. The MFF has plenty of them.

They're also boring.

A great independent science fiction film stirs things up! It generates HUGE interest! It guarantees that the Milwaukee Film Festival makes a real splash.

So why do we never, ever bother?

I get it, giving sci fi its proper due isn't easy. But there's nothing lacking in the Milwaukee-area brain-trust. The movie Mars et Avril proved that great, high-quality science fiction is possible on a low budget, if given enough time.

We have time. But when, oh when, will we ever step things up?


Eric

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