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Weekly posts from film curator and critic James Kreul in Madison, Wisconsin

Have you been looking for more information about what film culture in Madison, Wisconsin? Would you like to read locally written instead of syndicated reviews? Would you like to hear what one of Madison’s film programmers is working on for future series and screenings? Would you like a weekly list of what is playing at commercial and alternative venues on Mondays, when you’re planning out your week?

Hello! I’m James Kreul, and I’ve been involved in Madison’s film culture dating back to the 1990s. With Moving Image Madison, I will keep readers up to date about upcoming screenings, including my own.

I currently curate three film series in Madison. Mills Folly Microcinema is a monthly experimental film series at Arts + Literature Laboratory; MMoCA Cinema (including the Rooftop Cinema summer series) showcases recent independent films, international cinema, and documentary features at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; and Duck Soup Cinema screens classic silent cinema with live Barton Organ accompaniment in the Capitol Theater in the Overture Center.

I don’t always get a chance to discuss the films I’m curating before or after the public screenings. That will change with Moving Image Madison. I also want to call attention to non-mainstream cinema that pops up at Madison’s alternative venues and commercial theaters. Moving Image Madison will be a happy place for me, where I hope to have fun writing about films that I think you should know about.

For now, the free subscription to Moving Image Madison will deliver every Monday (hopefully!) a review from the weekend or a preview for that week. When possible, I’ll add an additional post later in the week, usually Thursday or Friday.

Previews for films that I’m curating will not be objective reviews (you already know I want you to see these films!) and more like in-depth program notes, sometimes in multiple installments as the screening dates approach. I may also write about films I have curated after their public screenings. This might seem counterproductive, but I’m writing to have fun and to engage with the films that intrigue me, not to meet publicity deadlines.

I have opened up paid subscriptions after receiving a few pledges (thank you!). I plan to introduce paid subscriber benefits by Summer 2025. Here’s what I’m thinking; tell me if you have additional features that you’d like to see!

• Advance access (one month) to video posts with interviews, film analyses, and video essays.

• Opportunities to attend private theater-rental screenings with other Moving Image Madison readers.

• Previews and advance registration for Film Conversations online class via Arts + Literature Laboratory (Winter 2025)

Founding Members will also have an opportunity to vote on titles for Paid Membership private theater-rental screenings.

Please enjoy Moving Image Madison, and subscribe so that you don’t miss future posts.

[About page updated 3/16/25]

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