Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens series is programmed this year by Peck School of the Arts alum Ty Williams (BFA 2020, Film). Williams, who is also an assistant cinema manager, has worked with MKE Film since 2019 while he was a student at UWM. Prior to that, Williams worked at UWM’s Union Cinema.
The ongoing series is a favorite among viewers of all backgrounds but aims to showcase diverse identities and perspectives from the Black community.
“The major goal of Black Lens is to highlight the fact that there are so many Black stories out there,” said Williams. “There are so many Black lives who have contributed to their communities… and their stories are important and deserve highlighting.”
Williams described that Black Lens aims to highlight Black filmmaking on a global scale, with work from Black filmmakers across America, Europe, and Africa.
When curating the lineup for Black Lens during Black History Month, Williams sought to select films from multiple genres, including romance, thriller, and documentary. He explains that this was done to ensure that everyone can enjoy a film this month, regardless of their genre preference.
“I was looking at a lot of different types of films,” said Williams. “I wanted to create a group of films that are accessible to all types of people so that anybody who looks at the grouping of films has at least one thing they like.”
This year’s lineup includes well-known films such as Do the Right Thing, Get Out, and Malcolm X. When asked about his personal favorite, Williams opted for Obsessed, a 2009 horror romance starring Beyoncé and Idris Elba.
“I keep describing it as an elevated Hallmark movie,” said Williams. “It’s cheesy and corny, but it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day movie.”
During Williams’ time as a PSOA student, he was involved with the Milwaukee Underground Film Festival (MUFF), where he first went through the process of curating a film festival lineup. During this time, Williams learned how to take an unbiased approach to film curation.
“MUFF was a really good experience all around in getting to know how the film festival process works,” said Williams. “It really changed my perspective on looking at curating films as an art form, which I hadn’t previously considered.”
As the February Black Lens lineup nears the halfway point, Williams reflected on how grateful he is that these films help bring people together.
“The feeling of being out with people in your community and experiencing something together through the love of film is a really fun thing,” said Williams. “You get to share something with other people who you may or may not have ever thought that you would interact with.”
To read more about Black Lens and their current Black History Month lineup, visit the Milwaukee Film website.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25