Milwaukee Film Festival posts 10% increase in attendance, names Anne Reed permanent CEO

Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
The 2023 Milwaukee Film Festival saw a 58% increase in in-person attendance from the previous year's event.
The 2023 Milwaukee Film Festival saw a 58% increase in in-person attendance from the previous year's event.

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival showed a 10% gain in attendance from last year, and the festival's operator gained a permanent CEO.

Milwaukee Film, the nonprofit that runs the 15-day film festival, announced late Thursday that Anne Reed, who was named interim chief executive in January after the resignation of longtime CEO Jonathan Jackson, is taking the "interim" off her title, effective immediately.

“It is a privilege to lead such a dynamic organization that stands at the heart of Milwaukee’s cultural life," Reed said in a statement issued by Milwaukee Film.

When Reed, who retired as president and CEO of the Wisconsin Humane Society in 2022, was announced as interim CEO of Milwaukee Film, the nonprofit said it planned to start a nationwide search for a new head for the organization in six to eight weeks.

Attendance numbers, award winners, 2025 festival dates

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival, Reed's first with the organization, reported attendance of 32,624, up 10% from the 2023 festival's tally of 29,718. Unlike the 2023 festival, which had a limited virtual component, this year's festival was all in-person, with screenings at the Oriental Theatre, the Times Cinema, the Avalon Theater and the Downer Theatre, which was reopened by Milwaukee Film in time for the festival.

In addition to Reed's status and attendance numbers, Milwaukee Film announced the award winners from the 2024 film festival. Among them: "Remembering Gene Wilder," a documentary portrait of the actor and Milwaukee native, won the audience award for best feature film, while "Dead Cat" took home the audience award for best short. ("Remembering Gene Wilder" is showing in "best of fest" screenings this week at the Oriental Theatre.)

Milwaukee Film also unveiled the dates for the 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival: April 24 to May 8. The nonprofit also confirmed the dates for its inaugural Dialogues Documentary Festival: Sept. 26-29.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Film Festival posts 10% attendance gain, names permanent CEO