Posted Sunday, October 14, 2012 --- 1:54 p.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Film Festival saw an uptick this year in attendance.

The 15-day festival, which ended on Thursday night, has a 40 percent increase over last year with more than 50,000 tickets sold. They also had more sold out screenings this year at 77 compared to last year's 22.

Organizers added four more days this year, with 225 films from 47 countries.

The centerpiece of the festival was the U.S. premiere of Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney's documentary, "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God." It was about the clerical sex abuse scandal, concentrating on four students at St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis.

Gibney was among the 107 filmmakers and film industry guests who attended throughout the festival.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.