Sam Slowik, now a junior at Brookfield Central, continues to make a name for himself in the world of student filmmaking as his latest stop-motion project earns recognition on the film festival circuit once again. This year’s stop-motion film Facade allowed Sam to build out his skillset by studying camera angles, transitions, and shot composition to make the animation feel more cinematic while building detailed sets to create more realistic scenes.

For the second year in a row, Sam’s work has been officially selected for the Milwaukee Film Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious film events in the region. The 2026 festival runs April 16-30, giving local audiences another opportunity to see the work of one of Elmbrook’s rising young filmmakers on the big screen.

His newest film is also gaining attention beyond Wisconsin, with selections at several additional festivals this year:

Official Selections & Screenings

• Milwaukee Film Festival – Official Selection (April 2026) – Second year selected
• Lake County Film Festival – Official Selection (Lake Forest, IL) – Third year selected
• New York Short Animation Festival – Winter Online Festival – Official Selection, with annual in-person awards event in New York City – Second year selected
• Savoy Lumière Film Festival – Official Selection (Champaign/Urbana, IL) – Second year selected

More festival decisions are expected in the coming months.

At the local level, Sam also recently achieved a three-peat at the Elmbrook Film Festival, continuing his streak of success. “It feels amazing,” he said, noting the encouragement he’s received from family, friends, and festival judges along the way.

Sam’s stop-motion films are created through a meticulous frame-by-frame process, and with his newest project he pushed his filmmaking even further by experimenting with techniques used in live-action movies. “The most valuable lesson that I’ve learned is that patience and focus pay off,” Sam reflected. “Stop animations take a lot of time, and if I had given up halfway through because I did not want to spend my time doing it, I would not be where I am.”

Looking ahead, Sam hopes to continue submitting his work to festivals while expanding into new styles of filmmaking.

“I want to start making live action films for the future and keep submitting to film festivals,” he said. “I hope screening my films gets my work in front of more people and leads to opportunities in the film community.”

After high school, Sam plans to pursue studies in film, video production, animation, or motion graphics, building on the skills he’s developed through years of dedicated filmmaking.

With multiple festival selections and three consecutive wins at the Elmbrook Film Festival, Sam Slowik continues to establish himself as one of the district’s most accomplished young filmmakers - and a name to watch on the festival circuit.