Bayside resident Mark Metcalf is an actor who has worked in movies, TV and on the stage. He is best known for his work in "Animal House," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Seinfeld."

In addition to his work on screen, Metcalf is involved with the Milwaukee International Film Festival, First Stage Children's Theater and a number of other projects, including the comedy Web site, comicwonder.com.

He also finds time to write about movies for OnMilwaukee.com.

FIRST OF THREE PARTS

We begin with a disclaimer: I have had a very close association with the Milwaukee International Film Festival since its second year. What follows are my recollections of the history of that festival. I have worked closely with all the participants at one point or another. But, as always, my personal bias informs, or infects all things.

In the year 2002, Louis Fortis, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Shepherd Express, and his arts and entertainment editor, Dave Luhrssen, had a brilliant idea. That idea became the Milwaukee International Film Festival.

Because they knew very little about film festivals they went to Jonathan Jackson, a Cleveland native and a graduate of the UWM film program. In the three years prior, Jackson had re-energized the UWM Union Theatre as its program manager, breaking attendance records and screening more films and programs than ever before.

Rubina Shafi, a Milwaukee native, was hired as managing director for the 2003 festival. Shafi had experience with several film festivals in New York City. Working with a staff of two full-time employees, plus a miraculous assortment of volunteers and interns for the first few years, the festival grew quickly.

What started as an admittedly ambitious 11-day festival with more than 100 films and 8,000 attendees in 2003 evolved into a smooth-running, important regional festival with more than 140 films from 50 different countries and more than 30,000 attendees in 2007.

In the past two years alone, the attendance at MIFF doubled. The Milwaukee International Film Festival became a showpiece for Milwaukee, a moment of great pride in the early fall, when filmmakers from around the world and around the country came to this city to see and show their films and talk about movies with both industry insiders and fellow film lovers.

The most influential people in the city and in the film industry, myself included, have celebrated the original idea and the two men who had it. Fortis, in particular, and Luhrssen, as his aide, have been celebrated much the way Richard Nixon is celebrated for his trip to China in 1972. Despite all that came after, Richard Nixon is still known as the man who opened the doors to the East.

An international film festival in Milwaukee was one of those ideas where you slap your forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

In retrospect, it was a no brainer.

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6 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by astortheater on Aug. 21, 2008 at 9:44 p.m. (report)

Louis Fortis started the International Film Festival taking initive to pull off the impossible. David Luhrssen really was the person that I time and time again found running the organization. One year I lent lots of old film equipment for the reception for the filmmmakers. David was my contact. I would remember that. We finally got the equipment back here at about 2:30 in the morning. Another time I got a call from David. He wanted to hold the volunteers orientation here. I said that was impossible. He said that I had no choice. Every space that they normally used was not available. We pulled off the impossible with live web streaming editing on the big screen. That's not that easy even with fiber optic internet connections. Again, David was the contact. If I had a question over the years, I always called David Luhrssen. I could list quite a bit more. Milwaukee owes Louis Fortis and David Luhrssen much for bringing to Milwaukee an important facet. I am disappointed in Chris Eberle and feel bad that we will not have the IFF this year. Jim Searles Astor Theater

Posted by jtl on Aug. 19, 2008 at 9:28 p.m. (report)

Fortis and Luhrssen must be reading something else as there's no criticism of Julia Taylor, Greater Milwaukee Committee, or the Mayor in Metcalf's article. There's no doubt Fortis is the ultimate party responsible for its demise; the DA and/or state are bound to step in, but it wouldn't be unlike Fortis to pull political strings. The funders were smart to pull back their support. Who would fund this project again? The Shepherd 's phone sex advertisers? The Shepherd claimed in May that "there will absolutely be a 2008 Milwaukee International Film Festival, and 2009, 2010, 2011you get the idea." Now they're saying they'll be back in 2009 which is most likely a stall tactic hoping movie lovers will forget anything ever happened. They say they've put $100,000 into the festival to pay off bills, so WHERE'S THE REFUND ON MY MEMBERSHIP?

Posted by MIFF on Aug. 19, 2008 at 4:33 p.m. (report)

First of all we'd like to thank Mark Metcalf for his efforts on behalf of the Milwaukee International Film Festival. He became involved during year two of the event. His enthusiasm for the idea of the festival was easy to spot and his most notable contribution was to organize the Student Screenwriters Competition, one of MIFF's many successful educational programs. A few of the points Mark is trying to make require some additional perspective. The festival was a success by all standards except for financial viability. To criticize the efforts of Julia Taylor at the GMC or the mayor of Milwaukee is not productive. They both worked very hard to help sustain the festival. But at the end of the day, it was the Shepherd Express that paid the bills when there was no money. For example, with the 2007 festival, we were led to believe that the expenditures were in line until the festival was over, when we were informed that there were $50,000 in unpaid bills that were never entered into the system.. Since the 2007 festival ended, the Shepherd Express put over $100,000 into the festival to pay off bills and to continue paying staff salaries until May 2008. At that point we finally laid-off the staff but continued to pay their health insurance. In 2002 we developed a clear vision for an international film festival Milwaukee could take pride in. Unfortunately, the success of MIFF as a cultural event attracted some negative attention. One of the donors worked behind the scenes to cut off funding for 2008 in a bid to set up his own festival. Despite the rancor that ensued, we are convinced there will be a festival in Milwaukee in 2009. It is important for the city that a festival of the sort we created continues to flourish. Louis Fortis David Luhrssen

Posted by JWarshy on Aug. 19, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. (report)

Yes. the real questions is WHY??? Am I the only one who thinks that Fortis created this "not for profit" festival in order to raise money and create "profit" for the Shepard Express? And maybe some people caught on to this and that's why he pulled the plug. Maybe I'm being too cynical.

Posted by filmlover on Aug. 19, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (report)

In my opinion, this is the first informed behind-the-scenes perspective on what seems to have happened that caused Louis Fortis to cut ties with the festival he originally founded. Other reports have left out one key point of the five journalism questions, why? And, this gives a brief hypothesis as to why that may be. There is likely to be additional back story about the dissolution of the ties between the festival and the founder that we may never learn. In any case, I hope that we can look forward to an organized and successful Milwaukee film festival in 2009, even if it has to have a different name. A rose is still a rose, and all that. Good luck to the staff and their stalwart, steady supporters! I think Milwaukee audiences also look forward to next year's excellent films.