A DECADE OF HORROR. From March 5-8, MidWest WeirdFest – hosted at the Downtown Micon Cinema (315 S Barstow St., Eau Claire) – will once again bring together cinephiles and fans of the paranormal, now in its 10th year. The first eight films part of the 2026 itinerary will feature both international and regional premieres. (The 2025 MidWest WeirdFest, pictured)

A decade of Midwest oddities has culminated to this moment – bringing together fellow lovers of terrifying horror, dark comedy, unsettling documentaries and independent short-film buffs alike. This week, MidWest WeirdFest has announced its first programming wave of 2026 – which also marks 10 years since its debut in the Chippewa Valley.

From March 5-8, the independent festival – hosted at its tried and true Downtown Micon Cinema venue (315 S Barstow St., Eau Claire) – will once again foster a cinematic celebration of the paranormal and welcomes curious cinematographers from around the region and beyond.

This spring, Dean Bertram, the festival’s director and mind behind MidWest WeirdFest’s inception a decade ago, said this season will offer a film selection to satisfy whatever strange appetite for the “weird” the audience may possess.

“I'm constantly humbled and amazed by the support and loyalty of the festival's ever growing audience here in the Chippewa Valley,” Bertram said. “The first 10 years of bringing weird cinema to Eau Claire has been one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life.”

Eight films have been revealed in the first wave, with narratives ranging from blood-drenched serial killer thrillers, mind-bending found footage films which blur the line between reality and terror and – yes – a musical.

"From experimental and avant-garde to paranormal documentaries. A broad, if shadow filled, tent, for all cinematic creations weird and wonderful."

DEAN BERTRAM

MIDWEST WEIRDFEST DIRECTOR, ON WHAT FOLKS CAN EXPECT FROM THE FEST'S 10TH YEAR

Productions including “Incubation” (dir. Joshua Land, Victor Fink), “The Philip Experiment,” (dir. Thomas Eliot) and “Sunset Strip Killers” (dir. Chad Ferrin), among others, will be in the collection of films making their premieres at the Midwest festival. Viewers who venture through the entire festival's itinerary will be transported to the glittering lights of the Sunset Strip, back in time to a 1972 parapsychology experiment and other occult settings.

“Visiting filmmakers adore Eau Claire, the Micon, and the fest audience, as much as I do,” Betram said. “We've had hundreds of filmmakers who have attended, to present their films, over the last decade. They always express how much they love the downtown area, the cinema, and our welcoming and engaged audience.”

Of course, as with previous years of MidWest WeirdFest, a central focus lies on the talents of Wisconsin- and Midwest-based short films, documentaries, animations and more.

“Whatever way your predilection for the weird swings, we have films to satiate,” Bertram added.

Additional films in the 10th iteration, complete scheduling and filmmaker special guests will be revealed in the coming weeks, Bertram shared.

As he reflects on nearly two decades of continued advocacy efforts and festival curation, Bertram believes his fascination for oddities remains tethered to his earliest memories.

“Just as my love of film extends back to the distant memories of youth, my fascination with the weird has been with me for as long as I can remember,” Bertram shared with MidWest WeirdFest fans online.

An image of MidWest WeirdFest attendees this past spring in 2025; Last year, full season festival passes, as well as individual day passes, sold out, Bertram said.

Festival passes are currently on sale for a discounted rate. Bertram encourages horror-curious locals and regular attendees to secure tickets quick; in 2025, full season festival passes and individual day passes sold out.

“We have several folks who have been buying season passes, every year, since 2017 – and every year since, new faces have discovered the festival,” Bertram said. “Many of them also become regular pass holders in the years that follow. This growing collective of wonderful weirdos is why the passes, now, always sell out.”

As more films are released in staggered waves until March, individual tickets to each film will also go on sale through the festival's webpage; online and in-person ticket sales through the Micon Downtown Cinema.

Film festivals – including MidWest WeirdFest – celebrate not only the independent purveyors of cinema, but welcomes all types of underground creatives to the Eau Claire downtown cinema each year, Bertram believes.

“After our wonderful first nine events – all filled with the type of films which I had dreamt of finding and curating when we launched MidWest WeirdFest – I can speak for the entire festival team when I say that we can't wait to see what wonders await in MidWest WeirdFest's 10th season of festival submissions,” Bertram said.

So, come get weird with us Chippewa Vallians and uncover the mythical beasties that lurk in the shadows... or between the cushions of the downtown theater seats.

To read more about each of the eight films released in MidWest WeirdFest's 2026 festival, visit midwestweirdfest.com. Weekend-long festival tickets are on sale now for $65/person; Friday passes for $17/person; Satruday and Sunday passes for $28/person. Tickets can be purchased online through filmfreeway.com.