Day One: STUMPED/Opening Night Party

Film fanatics unite: we have now entered the most wonderful time of the year, a cacophony of cinematic delight that will take us in as bright-eyed, bushy-tailed cinephiles, and spit us out the other end bleary-eyed, film-drunk lunatics. Every year we here at the Milwaukee Film Festival start out the festivities with a doozy and this year is no exception, as we’re bringing you STUMPED, a remarkable documentary about a remarkable man faced with remarkable circumstances, the remarkable people who surround him, and the (dare we say) remarkable medical journey he undertakes.

Attendees of the 2014 MFF’s Stranger than Fiction shorts program might remember a short of the same name that tackled the unforgettable story of Will Lautzenheiser - a quadruple amputee as a result from a bacterial infection, a man who then turned to the world of stand-up comedy in an effort to reclaim his life after such an unimaginable setback, learning to navigate this new reality with the help of his loving partner Angel.

What couldn’t have been predicted then is the fascinating new direction Will’s story would go in. As the short film was traveling the festival circuit, news arrived of an experimental medical procedure and the possibility of new hope - a rare double-arm transplant that offers Will the opportunity to reclaim his independence. STUMPED is an incredible story - equal parts moving, hilarious, and nerve-wracking. And in true MFF tradition, the cherry on top of this screening is that director Robin Berghaus, producer Kevin McCarthy, and Will himself will all be in attendance! Tickets are still available!

And since you’re already going to be out with us taking in this incredible story, keep the night going by attending our Opening Night Party! Your movie ticket guarantees you entry (and a first drink courtesy of us, on account of how close we are) to a night of festivites: live music, DJs, drinks, snacks, camaraderie, and general holistic sense of well-being that will carry you like a will-o’-the-wisp through the remainder of #MFF2017. You won’t want to miss this.

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