The former head of the Wisconsin Humane Society, Reed was named interim CEO in January following the departure of the nonprofit’s longtime president and CEO, Jonathan Jackson.

Jackson had led Milwaukee Film since its 2008 inception, first as artistic director, and then as executive director, before assuming the role of CEO in 2020. Calling his decision to leave the nonprofit “bittersweet,” Jackson didn’t provide much explanation for the move other than to say it’s time “to begin a new chapter.”

Reed is assuming the role of permanent president and CEO immediately, Milwaukee Film board chair Susan Mikulkay said in a press release.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are with Anne’s enthusiasm, leadership, and stellar expertise in jumping into this position as she has done and navigating a path for us through these past months,” Mikulkay said. “The executive committee is confident that Anne is the best individual to help take our organization to the next level.”

In her tenure as interim CEO, Reed said she has witnessed firsthand the “transformative power of Milwaukee Film’s work,” including the Milwaukee Film Festival, the nonprofit’s year-round programming celebrating film’s variety and depth, and its programs for kids and filmmakers.

“It is a privilege to lead such a dynamic organization that stands at the heart of Milwaukee’s cultural life,” she added.

Film Festival numbers

Chief among the nonprofits efforts is its annual Film Festival, which just wrapped up its 16^th year.

Over the duration of the 15-day festival, which ran from April 11-25, more than 32,624 people attended 379 screenings across the city.

“This year’s festival was a joyous celebration of independent and international cinema,” said Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film’s artistic director. “From a packed Downer cinema on a sunny day to watch Frederick Wiseman’s latest, to the return of our 500 person dance party for Stop Making Sense, the festival felt like a true celebration of cinema and community.”

More than 300 films were shown during the festival, including 132 feature films, 62 of which were documentaries. More than half of the feature films were directed by women or nonbinary filmmakers. The festival also screened 169 short films.

About $114,000 was raised for the nonprofit through the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival Reel Impact Campaign, with $10,000 of those funds matched by Joan Lubar. An additional $10,000 of the funds were matched by couples Donna and Donald Baumgartner and Kelly and Jeff Fitzsimmons.

MILWAUKEE – A 30-year-old Milwaukee man is charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash on the city’s northwest side on Tuesday, April 30. Four-year-old Zekani Hymes-Wilson was killed in the crash. Her mother, 27-year-old Gloria Hymes, suffered serious injuries. 

The accused is Donald Crayton – and he faces the following counts: 

• Hit-and-run resulting in death
• Knowingly operating a motor vehicle while suspended causing death
• Hit-and-run resulting in great bodily harm
• Knowingly operating a motor vehicle while suspended causing great bodily harm
• Obstructing an officer
• Solicitation of fleeing/eluding an officer

Adriana Merkel, 21, is also charged in the case with fleeing/eluding police and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. 

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Police say the hit-and-run crash happened around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on N. Teutonia at Vera — just south of Good Hope. Hymes was crossing the street with her 4-year-old daughter when they were struck by a driver.  

Late Tuesday, police arrested a 30-year-old man and 21-year-old woman in connection to the hit-and-run after they crashed out during a police pursuit in Wauwatosa. 

Before the arrest, a car was found dumped along the railroad tracks at Calumet and 81st — six miles from the crash site. After the crash, cameras caught them running toward the victims before speeding away.

FOX6 News learned Crayton was convicted in 2018, of knowingly operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license that caused death.

This is a developing story.
 

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee County judge sentenced Vincent King on Wednesday, May 1 to 13 years in prison plus an additional eight years of extended supervision in connection with a fatal crash at Fond du Lac and Congress in August 2022 in which speeds reached 100 miles per hour.

King was originally charged with the following criminal counts: 

• Second-degree reckless homicide
• Second-degree reckless injury
• Possession of a firearm by a felon

But as part of a plea deal revealed on Wednesday, King pleaded guilty to a second-degree reckless homicide charge. The other two charges were dismissed – one by a prosecutor’s motion and the other by the court. 

Case details

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded to a fatal crash at Fond du Lac and Congress around 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12. Police said a 71-year-old Milwaukee man was headed west when he was hit by another vehicle, driven by King. The 71-year-old, later identified as Joseph Papia, was taken to the hospital and died from his injuries.

The complaint indicates King suffered a broken leg and fractured hip in the wreck. His passenger suffered a broken arm.

Police recovered surveillance video from the Taco Bell on W. Fond du Lac Avenue. While it did not capture the actual collision, the complaint against King says it did capture “events before and after the collision.” It was apparent King’s vehicle “had been traveling at a high rate of speed,” the complaint says.

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Police spoke with a firefighter who was on the crash scene. That firefighter “stated that while he was attempting to extract the driver, Vincent King, from the Charger, he located a firearm under the driver’s butt.”

On Aug. 13, the airbag control module was recovered from King’s car. The data recovered from that module indicates King’s “vehicle steadily increases in speed to 100 miles per hour” and “the accelerator remains at or near 100%” immediately before the wreck, the complaint says. The posted speed limits on W. Fond du Lac Avenue where the crash occurred is 35 miles per hour.