Milwaukee Film‘s third annual Dialogues Documentary Festival, presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel, is set to take place September 24-27.
“Our audiences love to immerse themselves in the true stories and contemporary conversations started by new documentaries, as evidenced by the documentaries that have won the Audience Award at past Milwaukee Film Festivals,” Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film’s Artistic Director and lead documentary programmer, said.
Many of the films will be followed by in-cinema talkbacks with special guests including visiting filmmakers and local experts. All-access Passes are on sale now, with early bird discounted pricing available through September 7.
“Milwaukee audiences are curious and deeply engaged, and we look forward to satiating that hunger for nonfiction storytelling with a great set of fresh documentaries at this year’s Dialogues Documentary Festival that are sure to inspire,” Ogburn said.
Friends & Family Preview Event
Audiences can join Milwaukee Film’s programming team, staff and partners for a Friends & Family Preview event on Tuesday, September 8th, at the Oriental Theatre.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7:00 p.m. This event is FREE and open to the public.
First Film Selections Announced
The organization has unveiled the first batch of films in this year’s lineup, which will include over 30 documentary programs screening at Milwaukee Film’s historic cinemas, the Downer and Oriental Theatres.
The complete lineup of films for the 2026 Dialogues Documentary Festival will be revealed online the week of August 31, with individual tickets on sale starting September 8 for Milwaukee Film Members and September 9 for the general public.
“Heavy Is the Crown” (dir. Sean Kafer, 2026, USA)
“Heavy Is the Crown” follows charismatic Milwaukee community activist Vaun Mayes as he works alongside those most affected by cycles of violence, systemic neglect, and polarizing policing.
Mayes reveals the resilience and care that sustain a community from within, empowering everyday community members to build programs and practices that nurture positivity in our city.
The feature will be preceded by “Dear Milwaukee,” a short film made by youth at Arts@Large exploring similar themes and ideas.
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (dir. David Greaves, conceived by William Greaves, 2026, USA)
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves delivers a final surprise with “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.”
Drawn from a 1972 gathering, the film unites surviving luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance (Arna Bontemps, Noble Sissle, James Ven Der Zee—to name a few) in electric conversations about art and legacy.
Hailed as a “triumph” by The Hollywood Reporter and poised for awards season, this treasure offers a vivid, firsthand encounter with a movement that reshaped American history.
“Sara Bareilles: Good Grief” (dir. Josh Alexander, 2026, USA)
For the first time in seven years, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles returns to the studio with close friends to begin recording her most intimate album yet, born of profound personal loss and grief.
This cinematic portrait explores the most private corners of Sara’s creative process and personal life. What unfolds in front of the camera is the incredibly raw experience of mining one’s own pain to create art, and the hope that carries an artist forward.
“Time Warp” (dir. Allison Berg, 2026, USA)
Fifty years after “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” became a queer rite of passage, the film’s message of “don’t dream it, be it” feels more potent than ever.
In conservative Rock Springs, WY, 25-year-old Kenny Starling launches the town’s first drag and queer theater company, staging their own shadowcast of the cult classic.
“Time Warp” follows Kenny and the determined troupe as they give themselves over to the absolute pleasure of chosen family and radical self-expression.