Milwaukee Film Will Take Over Downer Theatre

The lights will soon be back on at the Downer Theatre.

The two-screen cinema went dark in September, with longtime operator Landmark Theatres pulling out.

But Milwaukee Film will fire up the projectors again on April 12 for its annual festival. “Regular cinema operations” for the Downer will then resume on April 26, the nonprofit announced.

The Downer was Milwaukee’s oldest operating theater until the time of its closure.

“This is a story of what dedicated supporters can do,” said interim Milwaukee Film CEO Anne Reed in a statement. “By stepping forward to support Milwaukee Film, our community is saving another historic cinema, and all the moments of story and connection that can happen there again.”

The move wasn’t entirely unexpected. Rumors started to fly almost as soon as the theater closed. Philanthropist Andy Nunemaker suggested on social media that a fundraising effort was underway and Milwaukee Film put out a statement with the Downer Avenue Business Improvement District and property owner Bridge33 Capital that neither confirmed, nor denied anything was imminent, but not-so-subtly suggested something was afoot.

The theater, 2589 N. Downer Ave., opened in 1915 and had been operated by Landmark since 1989. It had long been an anchor institution on the Upper East Side commercial street, with Landmark dividing the cinema into a two-screen setup, but maintaining much of its historic integrity. It has 465 seats in its current configuration.

In many respects, Milwaukee Film set the ball in motion for a takeover in 2017 when it acquired control of the Oriental Theatre, replacing Landmark. The organization successfully led a $10 million capital campaign to renovate the three-screen complex, which originally opened in 1927. It now operates the theater, long the flagship of its festival and member programming, with a mix of first-run movies and classic, foreign, documentaries and indie films.

“The Downer Theatre, with its storied past and charm, has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. Milwaukee Film and its board are thrilled to bring life back to the theater and cinema back to the neighborhood. Our mission has always been to make cinematic experiences possible for as many people as possible, and expanding our footprint in this way is a key next step in doing that,” said Milwaukee Film board chair Susan Mikulay.

“Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” artistic director Cara Ogburn. “When the Downer closed last year it meant that many films could not show on screens in our city. Adding these two screens to our footprint will allow us to better serve our community with high quality films year-round.”

And despite the apparent growth of adding a second movie theater to its offerings, Milwaukee Film hasn’t been without recent financial difficulties imposed in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has lost several senior staff members since last fall, including founding executive director Jonathan Jackson.

A “Save The Downer” webpage on the Milwaukee Film website asks for people to donate to support the theater’s operation, attend the upcoming festival and become a Milwaukee Film member.

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival runs from April 11 through April 25. A full list of films and venues is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Bridge33 acquired much of the Downer Avenue commercial strip, including the Downer Theatre space, in 2020 for $11.25 million.

To read more about the history of The Downer, see our earlier coverage.

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