Milwaukee Film to take over recently shuttered Downer Theatre

From the Article:

A little over five months since the Downer Theatre unexpectedly closed, the organization behind the annual Milwaukee Film Festival said it will assume operations of the movie theater next month, starting with the 2024 running of the film festival followed by regular movie showings afterward.

The Downer Theatre, at 2589 N. Downer Ave., was the city's oldest operating theater when it closed in September 2023. It was operated by Landmark Theatres, and the building is owned by Bridge33 Capital LLC of Seattle, which owns 61,000 square feet of building spaces on both sides of Downer Avenue, which house businesses including Cafe Hollander, Stone Creek Coffee and Boswell Book Co.

In a press release, Milwaukee Film did not disclose the nature of its business arrangement with the theater, whether it is being purchased or leased. An organization representative did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival is scheduled for April 11 through April 25 and will include screenings at the Downer Theatre, Milwaukee Film’s Oriental Theatre, and two other local theaters, the Avalon Theater and the Times Cinema. The festival will revive the Downer starting April 12.

Susan Mikulay, chair of Milwaukee Film’s board of directors, said the Downer has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee's cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. After the closure, Milwaukee Film made its interest in the theater public.

"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,” Mikulay said in a press release.

Beginning April 26, the Downer will offer a year-round program of first-run independent, foreign and documentary films, curated by Milwaukee Film's programming team.

“Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” said Cara Ogburn, artistic director at Milwaukee Film. “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.”

The Downer will become the second former Landmark Theatre to be acquired by Milwaukee Film. In 2017, the organization took control of the Oriental Theatre on Milwaukee's east side and embarked on a multiyear, multimillion-dollar restoration project. At that time, the organization also publicly expressed its interest in the Downer Theater.