Angels Of Dirt with Award-Winning Director Wendy Schneider

Join us for an evening with award-winning director Wendy Schneider at her east side production studio Coney Island for an intimate gathering of conversation, storytelling, and exchange. Designed for a small group (seating limited to 30), the evening offers an opportunity to step inside the lived experience of a longstanding, independent producer.

Drawing from 35 years as an independent filmmaker and musician in the Midwest, Wendy Schneider will share production stories from a learn-as-you-go evolution—what it means to build a body of work outside traditional systems, the price of tenacity, and the resilience required to keep going when the path isn’t clear. The heart of the evening will focus on the 17-year journey behind her most recent documentary, Angel Of Dirt, including the practical, emotional, and creative realities of sustaining a long-term project.

The conversation will explore the strengths gained by choosing to “go it alone”- creative freedom, voice, and self-reliance – alongside the limits of independence and the essential importance of reaching out, asking for help, and collaborating. The evening will be open and conversational, with time for questions, reflection, and shared experience among those in the room.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
5:30 – 6:00 PM Networking/Appetizers
6:00 – 6:10 PM Announcements & Introductions
6:10 – 7:30 PM Presentation & Q&A

Location:
Coney Island Studios
2025 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704

Pricing:
MMP Members Free (Register in advance)
Guests $15
Student Guests $5
($5 more at the door/be sure to register in advance)

A bit more about Wendy:
Wendy Schneider is the creative force behind a range of projects including an audio documentary on the Civil Rights Movement, an award-winning CD compilation of songs protesting the Iraq War, the ground-breaking documentary, “CUT: Teens and Self Injury”, winner of the “Best Wisconsin Film” award at the Beloit International Film Festival, and “The Smart Studios Story,” debuting at the 2016’s SXSW and currently in-release. “The Smart Studios Story,” marks the culmination of an involvement with music production which began when she was still in high school. After getting a job as a messenger for a multimedia production company, within eight years she had become the company’s creative director of audio, producing soundscapes for major clients including the National Geographic Society and the International Center for Photography. Wendy transitioned away from the corporate world and started her own company, Coney Island Studios, in the 1990s, and is still running it now. Her most recent documentary, “Angels Of Dirt”, released digitally in September of 2025, after being in production for 17 years. “Angels Of Dirt” has toured across the United States and Europe, gaining recognition including Winner “Best Documentary” at the 2024 Wisconsin Film Festival and Winner of “Excellence in Filmmaking” at the 2024 Driftless Film Festival.