• A WORD FROM THE MAYOR OF MILWAUKEE •

Welcome to the Milwaukee Spotlight Student Film Festival. For the third consecutive year, Milwaukee Spotlight will give the youth of the city the opportunity to showcase their filmmaking talents in a variety of categories, win valuable prizes, and collaborate with professional organizations from our local community. This festival is Wisconsin’s only youth-focused talent showcase for filmmakers. Cities like Chicago, New York, and San Diego have long offered youth film festivals. Now we can boast the same.

Students in the first two years submitted short documentaries about relationships and multiculturalism, silent pictures, historical dramas, original music videos, short animations, and more. Some worked with their teachers, many with friends and family, most worked alone. The films were of amazing quality, considering that most students were working with limited equipment and editing capabilities, and all had to juggle their studies with their filmmaking. As Wisconsin rapidly becomes one of the best places in the country for filmmakers to develop their craft, the festival offers students an opportunity and an invitation to build their careers here, keeping valuable and youthful creativity in this state.

Have a wonderful time at the festival this year!

Sincerely,
Mayor Tom Barrett