Susan Kerns

Great night at the theater with @miadcollege animation students! There’s just nothing better than seeing students grow into their own talents. I’m so happy @mkefilm can be a small part of their journey and huge congratulations to all of these folks graduating today! 💖

Not a great pic but I am obsessed with the baby bunny living in our yard, snacking on our pesticide-free weeds.

Executive Director Susan Kerns @ssk8 talks about the growth of Milwaukee Film @mkefilm and why Ueck was the perfect opening night film. From supporting local filmmakers to building a national presence, the festival is leveling up. Full interview live now. #MilwaukeeFilmFestival #MilwaukeeFilm #FilmCommunity #IndependentFilm #KickinItWithTyree

Gary had to do a film intro with me today after a quick visit to the vet. He got positive feedback and a few scratches but decided napping at home is still better. #milwaukeefilmfestival #chihuahua #seniordog

If you ever wondered what it looks like backstage at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee. #milwaukeefilmfestival #milwaukeefilm

Had a great first weekend of the Milwaukee Film Festival but was missing this guy. Maybe I’ll bring him in to do some intros with me this week?

The 18th Milwaukee Film Festival officially starts TONIGHT! I chatted with Milwaukee Film head (and all around amazing person) Susan Kerns ahead of the festival. Link in comments to an article that shows why she’s the perfect person for the job! #milwaukee #milwaukeefilm #milwaukeefilmfestival #mff26 #mff2026

Susan’s long awaited and highly favored list of top picks for the upcoming @mkefilm festival presented by @associatedbank It’s been a wild ride leading up to the festival so trust that our programming this year packs a punch. For our organ lovers in the audience, make sure not to miss Fred’s Basement Bijou and for those of us missing the 90s of it all, we better see you at We are Fugazi: mkefilm.org/mff #fugazi #milwaukeefilm #topfilms

Spending my Sunday morning on local news. One unexpected perk of my job is watching people report the weather live. Takes me right back to being wowed by weather reporting technology during an elementary school class trip. #wisn #kwwl #mkefilm

I feel very honored to be part of WUWM's Yours Truly campaign and to help connect arts organizations like Milwaukee Film with such an important media outlet. Public radio exposed me to SO much film, art, literature, and music growing up in Iowa that I never would have heard of otherwise, and eventually to news that felt lived in, like it was the stories of people, not just headlines. I'm grateful my parents were devoted listeners and supporters and instilled that value in me. I hope you can join me in supporting the public radio stations that are so special to our communities, including our own WUWM.

As we continue celebrating women leaders on the East Side this Women’s History Month, we’re excited to spotlight Susan Kerns, the Executive Director of Milwaukee Film. 🎬 Susan’s connection to @mkefilm goes all the way back to 2004, when she first joined the programming committee as a graduate student, and back when festival submissions were still arriving on VHS tapes. 📼 Over the years, she volunteered, helped shape programming, and later served as Milwaukee Film’s Education Director before spending a decade in academia as a professor of cinema and television arts. 🎥🎞 Now, she leads the nonprofit behind the Milwaukee Film Festival, as well as the historic Oriental Theatre (@orientaltheatremke ) and Downer Theatre (@downertheatremke ). A filmmaker, scholar, and festival organizer (including co-founding the Chicago Feminist Film Festival), Susan brings deep experience and big ideas for the future of Milwaukee’s film community. Kerns is already making big moves in her new role. Just recently, Milwaukee Film announced it has purchased the historic Downer Theatre, securing the long-term future of one of the East Side’s most beloved cinemas. 🚨 And the timing of this spotlight couldn’t be better: the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival is just ONE MONTH AWAY, returning April 16-30 with another incredible lineup of films, filmmakers, and community events across the city. 🚨 As Susan continues to be focused on building a strong, sustainable future for Milwaukee Film while continuing to grow the city’s reputation as a place where filmmakers and audiences come together to celebrate the art of cinema. 🎟 Early bird ticket packages and passes are available for Milwaukee Film Festival at mkefilm.org/mff 🍿✨ 📸 Image of Susan Kerns by @cjfoeckler 📸 Milwaukee Film Festival Artwork by @northernground #eastsidemke #milwaukeefilmfest #mff2026 #mff #orientaltheatremke

Big day for Milwaukee Film! We bought the Downer Theatre so the next 110 years of cinephiles can love it as much as we do! #historictheatre #milwaukee #historicpreservation