Oscar winning director John Ridley at Milwaukee Film Festival: "It's always hard to make a movie better than your last"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A big Hollywood name returns home tonight, October 4th. Milwaukee native John Ridley wrote the screenplay for "12 Years a Slave." The home grown talent has returned to show us his new movie!

"You know, it's always hard to make a movie better than your last," said Ridley.

Larherta Cole and her son were outside, hoping to get a ticket to see John Ridley's new film, "All Is By My Side."

"I am hoping to get tickets, yes, I am hoping!" said Cole.

Cole is not alone, hundreds lined up to get the last few tickets, others who already did. Cole is an aspiring actor, drawn in my Ridley's recent success.

"I just got into film-making, into the film industry. So right now I am following him. I did not know anything about him until 12 Years a Slave," said Cole.

That film earned Ridley an Oscar for best adaptive screenplay. Ridley and his Jimi Hendrix bio picture were not originally on the schedule for the 15-day festival.

"At the last minute I did not know if was going to be able to make it, but again the festival did everything they could to help me come down here and it is an honor and a pleasure to be here," said Ridley.

Ridley's art house film opened last weekend and continues to pick up screens across the country.

"The film is getting fantastic reviews and great word of mouth, and I tell you Andre's performance and the lead actors are phenomenal," said Ridley.

It's a film the rest of Milwaukee has a chance to see next weekend, but for Larhetra Cole and her son, they had seats tonight.

"Someone gave me free tickets for the movie. We were in the rush line and then we upgraded to the ticket holder line! I am very excited, I was yelling and screaming all the way to the back of the line," said Cole.

Tonight was John Ridley's last time personally showing his new film, "All Is By My Side."

The Milwaukee Film Festival goes until October 9th.