There’s the marathon of Oscar contenders, opening on area screens starting Jan. 1. Then there’s the reopening of the Union Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in late January. In February, it’s all about the Oscars. And then the countdown begins to the Wisconsin Film Festival, which has become a staple of the local move calendar, returning to a half-dozen venues throughout Madison during the first weekend in April.

Something about this year’s more-than-predictable Oscar race - honestly, was anyone surprised that "Slumdog Millionaire" walked away victorious two weeks ago - has left me looking forward to the Wisconsin Film Festival even more than usual. I started hunting for information a couple of weeks ago, and it turns out that the real countdown begins today. Early this morning, the official slate of festival titles was to be unveiled at wifilmfest.org, and starting Saturday morning tickets will go on sale via the Web site and at ticket booths across Madison.

Some news has already been announced in regards to special 2009 picks. The noir thriller "Winter of Frozen Dreams" will screen as part of the event, a movie that’s based around one of Madison’s most notorious murder cases. In fact, the movie is adapted from the book of the same name written by Madison author Karl Harter. Also scheduled to screen as part of this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival is a revival of "Stroszek," Werner Herzog’s 1977 film about an alcoholic in Germany who teams up with his elderly friend and a prostitute to flee Berlin for a better life in Wisconsin.

Herzog, who was nominated this year for an Oscar with his Antarctica documentary "Encounters at the End of the World," is one of the more eccentric filmmakers at work today, and "Stroszek," employing both the scenery, and the residents, of Plainview, is one of his most curious concoctions. Its revival at this year’s festival will surely be a treat.

But I know from touring some of the world’s festivals last year what a wide swath of titles have never made their way to Wisconsin. Sometimes they pop up at the Oriental or the Downer, and occasionally they cruise through the Union Theatre, but the Wisconsin Film Festival serves an essential purpose in our local film community, giving us access to stories and filmmakers who we otherwise might only get to through DVD.

The Wisconsin Film Festival is only a few weeks away, and for anyone who loves art house, local, foreign or experimental films, don’t miss your chance to start ordering tickets this weekend.

E-mail: SnyderReviews@hotmail.com

At a glance

What: 11th annual Wisconsin Film Festival

When: April 2 to April 5

Where: Madison

Tickets: go on sale Saturday

More info: www.wifilmfest.org

Who: official selections announced this morning