The Milwaukee Film Festival's 2011 program will be officially released Saturday and they're available all day at the Made in Milwaukee event at Cathedral Square Park.

Until you can scan the schedule of movies running from Sept. 22 through Oct. 2 at an expanded number of area movie theaters, I've had an advance look at the lineup and I've selected a handful of films that are on my list.

Starting off is the opening night film, "Natural Selection," an indie comedy that's sure to be lighter than last year's heavy story of a disintegrating romance, "Blue Valentine."

"Natural Selection," screening at 7 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the Oriental, stars Rachael Harris, who has been all over TV, including guesting on "Modern Family," as a woman who finds her husband has a son, the product of a sperm bank deposit. That son turns out to be an escaped convict. The movie, from first-time director Robbie Pickering, picked up a slew of awards at South by Southwest.

Here's a trailer for "Natural Selection":

Last year's big documentary screening was "Waiting for Superman," a timely film on public education. This year it will be "The Interrupters," which opens at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Oriental, with two additional screenings during the run of the festival.

It's a look at Cease Fire, a group that tries to target the roots of street violence in Chicago, and tells the story of trio of Chicagoans who've seen life inside gangs and have spent time in prison, and now are working to defuse the situations that lead to crime.

The film – directed by Steve James, who made "Hoop Dreams – is already considered a contender for the best documentary Oscar. "Hoop Dreams," by the way, will screen the afternoon of the 24th at the Oriental.

Here's a trailer for "The Interrupters":

A quirky-looking documentary about teen magicians, "Make Believe," opens Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Ridge Cinema (with three additional screenings during the festival.) It tells the story of half a dozen young magicians gathering at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas.

It's already been dubbed "a charming documentary" by Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert.

Here's a trailer for "Make Believe":

This year's festival will feature the first to showcase a series of films from the subcontinent with "Focus: India." Among the movies is "Marathon Boy," with screenings at 5 p.m. on the 24th at the North Shore and 4:3o p.m. Sept. 30 at the Oriental.

It tells the story of a pint-sized marathon runner in the crowded streets of urban India and echoes "Slumdog Millionaire."

Here's the trailer for "Marathon Boy":

There's also an expanded "Take One: Milwaukee Children's Film Festival" at this year's Milwaukee Film Festival. It's headlined by a number of features, including the animated "A Cat in Paris," opening at 11:45 a.m. Sept 24 at the Oriental, with two additional screenings.

It's a Dutch, Belgian, French and Swiss co-production, but this story of a cat burglar who's actually a cat is presented in English.

Here's a trailer:

Don't wait up for Jerry: The publicist for Jerry Lewis tells NPR that there's absolutely no chance that Lewis will pop up at this weekend's "MDA Telethon."

There had been talk that he'd sing at the close of the show in a recorded version of his trademark, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

The annual Labor Day weekend telethon has been dramatically changed this year, airing from 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday night. Locally, it's moved from Channel 58 to Channel 6, which had carried the TV event until the late 1990s.