The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival Wraps Up with Exciting News and Numbers: Unveiling Festival Award Winners and a Significant Leadership Update

MILWAUKEE – Thursday, May 2nd – The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival, presented by Associated Bank has come and gone, and Milwaukee Film is honored to announce the 2024 Jury Award Winners, and reveal the 2024 Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Award Winners.

Additionally, Milwaukee Film is pleased to announce that Interim CEO Anne Reed has officially accepted the title and role of CEO of Milwaukee Film, moving into a permanent place of leadership.“After careful discussion and deliberation, the executive committee offered the job of Milwaukee Film President and CEO to Anne Reed, effective immediately.” Said Susan Mikulay, Milwaukee Film Board Chair. “I can’t tell you how excited we are with Anne’s enthusiasm, leadership, and stellar expertise in jumping into this position as she has done and navigating a path for us through these past months. The executive committee is confident that Anne is the best individual to help take our organization to the next level.”

CEO Anne Reed stated, “In my tenure as Interim CEO, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of Milwaukee Film’s work: the Milwaukee Film Festival, which has become a treasure in our city; our year-round programming celebrating film’s variety and depth; and our programs with kids and filmmakers.” She continued, “It is a privilege to lead such a dynamic organization that stands at the heart of Milwaukee’s cultural life.”

MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL BY THE NUMBERS

Over the duration of the 15-day festival, the energy and momentum were tangibly felt by audiences and the community at large, with attendance of 32,624 across the screenings and events on offer. “This year’s festival was a joyous celebration of independent and international cinema,” noted Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film’s artistic director. “From a packed Downer cinema on a sunny day to watch Frederick Wiseman’s latest to the return of our 500 person dance party for Stop Making Sense, the festival felt like a true celebration of cinema and community,” she enthused.

OVERALL

• 301 Films: 132 feature films, including 62 documentary features and 70 fiction features, and 169 short films. Over 55% of feature films were directed by women or nonbinary filmmakers.
• $113,893 was raised through the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival Reel Impact Campaign, with $10,000 of those funds being generously matched by Joan Lubar, and an additional $10,000 of those funds being generously matched by Donna and Donald Baumgartner/Kelly and Jeff Fitzsimmons. Thank you for the community support!

ATTENDANCE 

• • 379 Public Screenings (and 3 Private Screenings, including our Super Secret Members-Only Screenings!)
• 32,624 Total Attendance
• 4 Venues – The Oriental Theatre, Downer Theatre, Avalon Theater, and Times Cinema
• 90 Filmmaker & Industry Guests + countless local filmmakers

2024 JURY AWARD WINNERS

Luminaries Jury Award – La Chimera (dir. Alice Rohrwacher)

Luminaries Jury:

Andria Wilson Mirza

Andrew Peterson

Daphne McWlliams

Emerging Fiction Jury Award – Femme (dirs. Ng Choon Ping, Sam Freeman)

Special Mention: If Only I Could Hibernate (dir. Zolijargal Purevdash)

Emerging Fiction Jury:
Rebecca Green

David Siev

Kate Markham

Emerging Documentary Jury Award – Desire Lines (dir. Jules Rosskam)

Special Mentions: Another Body (dirs. Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn), Seeking Mavis Beacon (dir. Jazmin Renée Jones)

Emerging Documentary Jury:

Merrill Sterritt

Madsen Minax

Mike Gibisser

Cream City Cinema Jury Award – Decoupling 脱钩 (dir. Yinan Wang)

Cream City Cinema Jury Award – Out of the Picture (dir. Mary Louise Schumacher)

Cream City Cinema Jury Award – A Sweetness of Lapse (dir. Bashir Aden)

Special Mentions: Why My Dad Loves (dir. Nkaujoua Xiong), Corridor (dir. Johnathon Olsen), The Last Lordship (dir. Atesh Atici)

Cream City Cinema Jury:

Kathy Susca

Caitlin Mae Burke

Gray Rodriguez

Shorts Jury Award –  Essex Girls, dir. Yero Timi-Biu

Special Mention: Estela, Is It You? (dirs. Victor Martin, Fabian Martin)

Shorts Jury:

Kayla Myers

Tim Gordon

Eric Kleppe Montenegro

Kids’ Choice Jury Award – What’s Up With the Sky? (dir. Irene Iborra)

Special Mentions:

• Cutest Character – Beanboy (dir. Emily Hanning)
• Best Cultural Representation – Boat People (dirs. Kjell Boersma, Thao Lam)
• Best Visuals – Head in the Clouds (dir. Rémi Durin)
• Most Relatable – Cold Lunch (dirs. Insun Park, Jin Pei Lua)

2024 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Attendees voted to determine the Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Awards. This year’s winning feature and short films were:

• Best Feature – Remembering Gene Wilder (dir. Ron Frank): This loving tribute to one of Milwaukee’s legends shines a light on an essential performer, creative and all-around mensch as it tracks his career from start to finish.
• Best Short – Dead Cat (dirs. Danick Audet, Annie-Claude Caron), part of Shorts: Surprise, Surprise!): “You know your cat’s dead, right?”

DIALOGUES DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL

Not letting the festival spirit die down this September, Milwaukee Film is excited to launch a brand new film festival, dedicated solely to starting conversations utilizing the power of documentary. Dialogues Documentary Festival will take place September 26 – 29, 2024.

2025 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL DATES
We are pleased to announce the dates for The 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place April 24 – May 8, 2025. So save that date now!

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.