This morning, Milwaukee Film announced the official dates for the upcoming eighth annual Milwaukee Film Festival, and for any fans of the festival, they won't come as a surprise. Once again, the annual Milwaukee celebration of all things cinema will land on the last week of September and the first week of October, running from Thursday, Sept. 22 through Thursday, Oct. 6. 

In addition, Milwaukee Film announced that sponsors Donald and Donna Baumgartner renewed their support for the film festival, pledging $600,000 toward the event through 2020. The renewed contribution – which will go toward the Spotlight Presentations Program, where big showcase screenings, like "Youth" and "Raiders!" from last year's festival, are featured – serves as the largest and longest-term gift the organization has received. 

"Donald and Donna’s belief in Milwaukee as a world-class destination for arts and entertainment has fueled our growth and the growth of Milwaukee as a center for film culture," said Jonathan Jackson, Milwaukee Film artistic and executive director, in a press release. "It is through the support of individuals like the Baumgartners and other organizations in this city that the Milwaukee Film Festival has become one of the highest attended film festivals in the country."

It would seem we'll have many more of these yearly festival date announcements to look forward to in the future.