Forty-eight of the major cities in the U.S. had film festivals. The independent film movement spawned by rambunctious individuals in all parts of the country and brought to a focus by The Sundance Institute and the film festival that grew out of it, had made small, inexpensive but carefully-crafted films a major market in what had become the largest cash producing export of the United States -- entertainment.

A city the size of Milwaukee, with the tremendous diversity of its population, and with city managers who understand that for a civilization to truly aspire to greatness it must celebrate itself through the arts, a city like that not only deserves a good sized film festival but it requires one.

I was asked in 2004 by Dave Polacek, at that time the managing director for the festival, to speak on their behalf at a press conference. Mayor Tom Barrett also spoke. The mayor had been a great supporter of having a major film festival in Milwaukee from the beginning and remains so today. Fortis also spoke, as did Luhrssen. There was a small contingent of press present. Not as much as I had imagined. The festival itself was quite good and the attendance was, though uninspiring, quite adequate.

What inspired me at the 2004 festival was the staff of Jackson, T.J. Fackelman and Kyle Heller, and especially Michael Wautier, who seemed to be everywhere acting as a film festival guru to everyone involved.

Wautier had many years experience working at the Seattle International Film Festival, a 34-year-old festival that draws a lot of attention to that city. Fortis and Luhrssen had asked Wautier at our festival's inception to function in the role of executive consultant.

He wasn't a paid staff member but, because of his extraordinarily generous nature and knowledge in the field, everyone recognized him as executive consultant, as "the main man" in building and shaping the festival. He was everywhere, providing direction wherever there was a need to get anything done, from stuffing envelopes and licking stamps to helping guide the festival's marketing campaign.

The rest of the staff, led by Jackson, was just as committed and easily as hard working. I did an Outward Bound course many years ago, and in the wilderness they train you to make all decisions that affect the group by consensus. You talk, and argue if necessary, until everyone agrees. No bosses, just some advisors. You survive and are more successful if the group functions as an organic whole. Corporations throughout the country use these Outward Bound courses to train management.

It's an interesting theory on paper, but when it works it's a real joy. This small group of people, who put on a very smart and fun 11-day film festival (no small task) worked just that way.

In the beginning, Heller, still finishing his studies at UWM, was the festival's lead intern and assistant to the managing director. Fackelman had taken on the role of hospitality coordinator after volunteering during the 2003 festival.

Their commitment paid off because they were hired as the second half of the staff the following year. They had a passion for what they were doing and they wanted to learn. They also, each in his own way, took the initiative and were very creative. You have to be creative when you are building something from the ground up and doing it with very little capital.

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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.