Milwaukee is known for its variety of ethnic events, and is one of the only cities in America to host a Muslim Film Festival. Over the past four years it has paved a way for award-winning motion pictures to be discovered by a local audience, while offering creative filmmakers the attention they deserve.

The Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival ended on May 7 after a two week run of nearly a dozen screenings. The 7 films ranged from the Academy Award nominated documentary about Syria’s Civil War to a biographical comedy-drama about the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria and her Indian Muslim servant.

For 2018, admission to all the movies was free in an effort to encourage attendance and open accessibility. The 7 films were also shown only in academic theaters, to help facility talkbacks and engage the public after the screenings. UW-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Alverno College, and Stritch University were the participating venues in the Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival. These pictures were taken from April 22 through May 7 at nearly all the showings and their talkbacks.