Student-led podcast about radical cinema featured on Riverwest Radio
A podcast produced by and featuring students enrolled in this semester’s Radical Cinema course was recently featured on WXRW Riverwest Radio.
The course, taught by Portia Cobb (Professor, Film), examines global art movements, politics, cultural movements, social issues and historical events through film. This semester, students explored radical Brazilian cinema.
The podcast, titled “These Films May Wreck You,” discusses two landmark Brazilian classics: “Quilombo” (1964) by Carlos Diegues and “Pixote” (1980) by Hector Babenco.
Student participants were Jette Anderson, Jonathan Evans D’Auria, Jack Ellinger, Emma Lynette Kipp, Zachary Milan Micka, Faraja Mikome (2nd moderator), Elijah K. Ashburn Pesavanto, Meghan Catherine Schlicht, Jace Sharkey (1st moderator and board operator), Bowman Burkey Simon, Samuel Holden Tills, Melissa Rose Ulate, William Thomas Weber (camera operator and presenter), Reagen Trinity Wilmert, and Donovan Thomas Yesbeck.
Photos of students at Riverwest Radio | Submitted photos
Urban Milwaukee: A Showcase for World-Class Guitar Virtuoso
Distinguished Professor René Izquierdo (Guitar Area Head, Music Department) will close Milwaukee Musaik’s 2025 spring season with a full chamber orchestra as part of a program called “Guitar Grandmaster.”
In the article written by Michael Barndt for Urban Milwaukee, chamber director Sasha Mandel explains the classical and medieval influences of Izquierdo’s upcoming performance.
UWM alum returns to Wisconsin to perform in ‘Carmen’
Soprano Kathryn Henry (BFA 2016, Music) returns to Wisconsin after making a name for herself in the opera world, namely at New York City’s Metroplitan Opera House. She returns to perform at Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera in their production of “Carmen.”
Her return has received media attention, with a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article by Jim Higgins and a segment for WISN detailing her upcoming performance. Henry is to play the role of Micaela, a role she is reprising from 2019.
Notably, Henry’s manager at global talent organization IGM is also a PSOA alum. Devere Burnett earned his Music BA in 2012.
First Stage premieres stage adaptation by PSOA professor
A new play adapted for the stage by Alvaro Saar Rios (Associate Professor and Area Head, Theater Practices) had its world premiere in Milwaukee this month. “Esperanza Rising,” based on the novel by Pam Muñoz Ryan, premiered at First Stage. The production also features original music by UWM alum Dinorah Márquez (MM 2021, Music).
The coming-of-age drama follows Esperanza, a young girl in 1930s Mexico forced to flee to America due to political unrest. First Stage’s production was recently reviewed by Russ Bickerstaff for Shepherd Express and Jim Higgins for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bickerstaff called it “an impressively complicated adaptation of the children’s book that engages both adult and child actors,” while Higgins praised the clever use of narrators to tell the story.
Two PSOA faculty expand work thanks to UWM CLACS fellowships
The UWM Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) awarded fellowships to two PSOA faculty members for the 2024-25 academic year. Simone Ferro (Professor Emerita, Dance) and Dr. Alex Wier (Assistant Professor and Area Head, Percussion) both received fellowships that helped them expand research and strengthen international teaching.
Wier traveled to Puerto Rico, and Ferro made plans to travel to Brazil for the fall. In both instances, this travel is used to further ongoing research projects. We caught up with them both to hear more about their research.
Simone Ferro
For much of Simone Ferro’s academic life, she has been immersed in researching Brazilian culture. This research has long been supported by CLACS, with Ferro first receiving funds in 2008.
Ferro was most recently awarded by CLACS in the 2024-25 academic year to assist in the further development of her 17-year-long research project based in Maranhão, Brazil.
“CLACS has always believed in this project and believed once again to help me and provide aid in this research,” said Ferro.
This project studies folk and popular dance rituals, with CLACS supporting the organization of this research into a digital archive. Ferro’s evolving work will soon be part of the Latin American and Caribbean Special Collections archive at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
CLACS facilitated the connection with PSOA film major and Portuguese minor Lucca Marcello as an intern through the Portuguese 489 course. CLACS will sponsor a community-oriented campus event this fall.
“It has been really nice working with Lucca,” said Ferro. “For me, coming from dance is full circle. I have worked for so many years with students from the Peck School, so I’m really grateful that at this moment we can work with him.”
In addition to this research, Ferro has also been studying leadership roles of women in Brazil through CLACS funding. Specifically, she has been doing on-the-ground field research and interviewing more than 60 women to create podcast episodes to illuminate the stories of female leaders.
Ferro taught at PSOA for 22 years before retiring. While some may assume that retirement is a time for faculty to remove themselves from large-scale research work, Ferro has used this as an opportunity to dive deeper into the research she is passionate about.
“You have more time to prioritize your time to things that you believe in,” said Ferro. “This research is something that I truly believe. CLACS support allows this research to continue blossoming.”
Alex Wier
The PSOA Department of Music has also benefited from CLACS support, with Alex Wier using his fellowship to continue to grow World Percussion Night.
The popular annual event aims to connect students with community groups to interact with international stylings of music. Wier’s support from CLACS supported the purchase of new instruments and brought international musicians to campus to work with students.
Among them is Beto Torrens, a Puerto Rican musician Wier connected with during his CLACS-funded trip to Puerto Rico, where he studied the music, culture, and history to further develop his World Percussion Night teachings.
“Having a native of Puerto Rico and an outstanding musician present some of those classes to students is as good as you can get in terms of presenting that information and that music,” said Wier.
Wier is also putting CLACS funding to develop a K12 summer camp through UWM’s College for Kids & Teens program. This program will teach different styles of Latin, Latin American, and Caribbean music.
Through the variety of ways Wier has used CLACS funding, his goal of expanding young musicians’ musical and cultural vocabulary has been consistent.
“I would argue not just as music students but as people, the more awareness you have of other cultures will make you a more compassionate and well-rounded human being,” said Wier. “In musical studies, you grow and develop when working on a different style of music outside of the Western Canon.”
Wier is grateful to see the impact of CLACS funding on his program and across PSOA.
“The support of CLACS has been very helpful for having guests on campus and offering educational opportunities for our whole campus community,” said Wier. “Peck has been very supportive of growing these offerings… That partnership with PSOA and CLACS helps these things come to life.”
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Senior Abby McBee takes her love of theatre and dance to Disney as an entertainment performer
Senior musical theater student Abby McBee accomplished her childhood dream of working in entertainment at Walt Disney World. McBee was selected for the Disney College Program (DCP), a paid internship that provides higher education students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a Disney cast member.
Having dreamed of working for Disney since she was little, McBee was ecstatic to learn that she was selected out of an estimated 1,500 applicants to be part of the entertainment portion of the DCP. Combining her love for theatre, dance and Disney, McBee is looking forward to what is ahead.
“There was a sort of magic growing up as a Disney kid which made me have a dream of growing up to be a cast member,” McBee said.
Days after closing PSOA’s production of “Dames at Sea,” McBee made the trip to Atlanta to audition for the program. Drawing on the skills she learned at PSOA and encouraged by the environment created by the Disney casting team, McBee says she felt confident in her ability to succeed.
“I feel like the biggest thing I learned is probably how to be present in the audition setting,” said McBee. “My training at PSOA has taught me that an audition begins even before you enter the audition room. You always want to put your best foot forward when entering a space, as you never know who you may interact with.”
Due to contract restrictions, McBee is unable to provide additional information regarding job details, but she can confirm that she’ll be able to continue to pursue her passion for dance in the role.
As graduation approaches, McBee reflects on the opportunities presented to her while attending Peck School of the Arts, including involvement in the greater Milwaukee theatre community.
“I will greatly miss the friendships and connections that I’ve made during my time here,” said McBee. “I’ve grown very close to my classmates in the program.”
Although she will miss Milwaukee and its theater community, McBee is looking forward to starting her dream job in June.
“I’m really grateful to people like Sheri Williams Pannell, Vanessa Webber, Steve Decker, Bill Watson, and Christal Wagner for their endless support of my continued education,” McBee said. “I cannot stress enough how beneficial my participation in Milwaukee theater was to my overall experience and success at PSOA”.
Story by Payton Murphy ’27
Theater faculty Robin Mello joins UK-based education group
Robin Mello (Professor, Theatre) recently partnered with Innoplay Studio, housed at the University of Exeter, in the UK. This program is focused on creating playful and story-rich classrooms to drive innovation. This new role will allow Mello to engage as faculty at InnoPlay in conjunction with her faculty role at PSOA.
Through her work at Innoplay, Mello hopes to further promote the concept of a “playful university” by continuing to develop creative practices and skills that are also shared here at UWM.
Playful universities and Innoplay
A playful university is best understood as emphasizing engagement and exploration in higher education. Robin Mello considers this a call to create learning environments that push against the paradigm of the stereotypical classroom environment.
Playful universities are meant to break away from rules and didactic methods–to make things more collaborative, creative, and enjoyable.
“If we apply the human response to play, to imitate, to engage, we create a much more vibrant, inclusive, and productive environment for learning,” said Mello. “This idea of having a playful university means you get to change things and embed what we call playful practice into a serious learning experience.”
Innoplay promotes creativity of this nature for students and teachers across a variety of educational and professional fields. It bases its work on the science of play and has been creating workshops and resources for engineers, businesses, medical facilities, and community centers.
“The more that we can get people to engage in material and knowledge building in a way that reduces stress, engages intuition, and introduces some ambiguities and challenges, the better off we are,” said Mello.
Mello was introduced to Innoplay back in 2019 when she met with founder Dr. Maarten Koeners at Stanford University. The two formed a professional relationship over Zoom, using Dungeon and Dragons to experiment with how to introduce play and storytelling into the classroom.
Mello then traveled to Exeter in England in October 2023 to lead a weeklong course on incorporating storytelling through playful means for instructors and faculty in higher education. She was also able, as a guest artist, to teach the practice of juggling, tying it into health and wellness.
Mello collaborated with Innoplay again this winter, teaching a virtual short course on how story and play are beneficial for diverse learners. After this workshop she was invited to be a faculty at Innoplay.
An example of Mello bringing play into her UWM classrooms is when she asks her students to play the roleplaying-based game called “For the Queen.”
“I challenge people to play the game but with qualifications that make it difficult to end things in a predictable fashion,” said Mello. “It helps weave storytelling into curriculum to teach resilience and creativity.”
Tie-in to UWM
With this new role, Mello will play an advisory role with Innoplay and also continue to collaborate on workshops and research-based projects. She will also remain as a full-time faculty member at UWM.
Mello describes her work as supporting UWM’s mission to creating experiences for students that are “robust and interactive,” while also being fun and driven by wellness. She views UWM as encouraging students to succeed by communicating and valuing good storytelling.
Part of Mello’s enjoyment of working with Innoplay is to expose her students to an educational approach that promotes freedom.
“We are lacking play and the ability to story tell in order to build knowledge,” said Mello. “My dream is that we become a storytelling playful campus opening up spaces and allowing more freedom of exploration into our classrooms.”
Innoplay and UWM have been strong partners in giving Mello a space to further her craft as an educator.
“Something I really appreciate about Innoplay is that they always act as co-collaborators. When I work with them they promote UWM and note that this is ‘in conjunction’ with Peck,” said Mello. “They have been so generous and inclusive. We have a real presence over there with this very unique thing.”
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Alumni to premiere new film “All That Glitters” in the Milwaukee Film Festival
PSOA alum Noah Meister (BFA 2021, Film) is set to screen his debut film “All That Glitters” at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival.
“All That Glitters” follows a high school student named Christopher as his life is turned upside down by a drug deal gone wrong. Meister and his cinematographer, Evan Sawyer (BFA 2021, Film), sat down with Tiffany Ogle and Molly Fay on TMJ4’s The Morning Blend to talk further on the subject.
“I wrote this story about an important time of my life,” Meister says. “I think this is an important time of a lot of people’s lives.”
To watch the show or read the article, visit TMJ4.
Musical theatre head Sheri Pannell awarded with Black Excellence Award
In February, Sheri Williams Pannell (Associate Professor, Theatre; Area Head, Musical Theatre) received a Black Excellence Award in the “Women in Music” category, being recognized for her decades of contributions to the musical theater community.
Black Excellence Awards
Every year, the Black Excellence Awards honors extraordinary African Americans in Milwaukee across arts, education, business, and more.
“I was absolutely elated,” said Pannell, reflecting on receiving her award. “There are so many African American women who are doing great work in musical theater. To be selected was just so uplifting.”
The organization was founded in 1985 by Nathan Conyers, Louvenia Johnson, and Luther Golden, who were instrumental to Pannell’s love of musical theater.
Specifically, Pannell considers Golden her “stage father” as he encouraged her to perform in her first professional theater experience, a production of Showboat at Washington Park in Milwaukee.
“He saw something special in me and he encouraged me,” said Pannell. “He took my hand and we went out to perform. A spark was lit, and he was a part of that.”
These founders made a lasting impact on Pannell, making this award even more meaningful.
“Knowing now that I’m a part of their legacy through the Black Excellence Awards is something I could never have dreamt,” said Pannell. “I’m grateful that I’m able now to impact young artists as a member of the faculty at the Peck School of the Arts, as they did for me.”
Pannell’s career and education approach
Throughout her illustrious career, Pannell has made significant contributions to Milwaukee’s Black and musical theater communities. Among them was Pannell’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Skylight Theatre in 2006. This marked the first time Skylight hired a Black director, she recalls.
“I felt a pressure to make sure that whatever I did was performed with excellence,” said Pannell. “Sometimes when you’re the first, you’re opening the door and holding the door for the next person, so you want to do it well.”
Another career highlight, Pannell noted, was in 2017 when she was commissioned to write a play about Milwaukee’s African American community titled Welcome to Bronzeville.
All her experience has been brought back to PSOA, where she mentors members of her community both on and off stage, encouraging young artists to “go all out” and learn as much as possible.
“When I find students who have that passion and drive and a really fine work ethic, I will always get behind them and promote them,” said Pannell. “I love seeing them develop and grow not only while they are here at PSOA but when they graduate, being able to fulfill themselves and work full time as an artist.”
Serving as a UWM faculty member has been a perfect fit for Pannell, as she recognizes that PSOA is the place for the next generation of performers and creators to hone their craft and achieve great things.
“I believe in making yourself accessible and available to the students so that they get a chance to get to know you beyond the classroom,” said Pannell. “They have an opportunity through their training at Peck School of the Arts to really fulfill their dreams.”
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Complex staging brings “Curious Incident” to life for PSOA Theatre Department’s season closer
The Peck School’s 2024-25 theatre season ends this week with “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a critically acclaimed Tony and Olivier Award-winning play by Simon Stephens based on the novel by Mark Haddon.
Directed by Ralph Janes (Teaching Faculty III, Theatre Education & Directing; Area Head, Theatre Education), this play features a complex staging that immerses the audience in the mind of the main character, Christopher, and allows theatre students to enhance their skills as performers.
The staging of “Curious Incident”
The stage setup of “Curious Incident” is a large part of PSOA’s approach to telling this story and navigating its complex topics.
“There’s a lot of ‘tech’ to do with this show, and part of that is because the show comes from Christopher’s mind,” said junior JoHannah Wiggins. “There are a lot of different moving pieces and a lot going on.”
The tech Wiggins is referencing includes a collection of TVs that hang above the stage, five screens with projections surrounding the stage, and a large ramp that extends from stage left to the audience.
Throughout the show, the screens show what is happening on stage from different perspectives, including Christopher’s via a body cam. Actors operate the rest of the cameras that capture the show on stage.
“We’re taking a lot of the tech stuff into our own hands,” said Wiggins. “Almost all of us are almost always on or near stage and always engaged in it… It’s been a long time since a contemporary, tech-heavy show has been on Mainstage.”
Skylar Staebler in rehearsal | Photo by Cameron Wise ’26 (BFA Film)
This setup has provided a fresh experience for the cast and crew, with Wiggins noting how it has been a positive opportunity for everyone to learn and grow.
“While it’s uncomfortable at times, we’ve really jumped in and embraced it,” said Wiggins. “There are a lot of different people collaborating to bring this together.”
With so many set pieces for actors to get comfortable with, the crew has played a vital role in ensuring a smooth production. Junior Autumn Gill, who plays Christopher’s teacher Siobhan in the show, specifically praised the work of the stage managers in bringing this show together.
“The stage managers are amazing,” said Gill. “They’ve made sure that we know our blocking so when we went into the space, I was like ‘Oh, I know this.’”
“Curious Incident” has also benefited from an excellent director in Janes, whom Gill has also been highly appreciative of through this process.
“Ralph is one of my favorite people to work with,” said Gill. “He has genuinely been the best guiding hand in this crazy theatre world… He took time out of his day to do accent work with me. You can’t really get that one-on-one time anywhere else.”
Preparing to work with the tech
To mirror the professional theatre world, students did not step on stage and work with the show’s technological aspects until two weeks before opening. While this can prove stressful for some, Gill and her fellow cast members were taught to be well-prepared to ensure a smooth transition.
“This is the most prepared I’ve felt for a show,” said Gill. “We were off book by spring break, which was only two weeks into production… It’s felt like I could go on and do a Broadway show tomorrow.”
Gabe Rodriguez in rehearsal | Photo by Cameron Wise ’26 (BFA Film)
To help prepare, theatre students had the stage setup taped out in their rehearsal space so they could get used to the staging. Sophomore Zane Kurs, one of the actors who plays Christopher, described how these preparations were crucial to getting familiar with the production.
“Finally getting onto our set, there’s a sense of familiarity,” said Kurs. “It’s less strange for me than one might expect because while this is my first time on this ramp, I feel like I’ve walked it hundreds of times.”
For many, including Kurs, the professional atmosphere of this production has made the whole experience more exciting and fulfilling.
“We’re doing this as close to the way as it’s going to be in the field while still being given the chance to learn,” said Kurs. “We want to get prepared for that professional practice while still learning, as that’s what we’re here to do… I find it really helpful.”
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” opens on April 30 and runs through May 4, 2025, at the Mainstage Theatre. For more information and tickets, visit the PSOA events calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Dance alum Davalois Fearon premieres new work at 2025 Vision Festival in New York City
PSOA alum Davalois Fearon (MFA 2016, Dance) is set to premiere her new dance piece “Up/right” at the 2025 Vision Festival in New York City.
In an article written by A.A. Cristi for Broadway World, Fearon gives more depth about her newest dance piece and the inspiration behind it. As part of her Finding Herstory Project, “Up/right” explores how racial segregation impacts the art of dance in America, featuring cross-cultural movements and non-Western African diasporic forms.
The piece incorporates many elements of Black culture and art, being heavily influenced by Fearon’s sociocultural background and Afro-Jamaican-informed contemporary dance style.
Guest choreographer Katy Pyle brings a fresh and positive approach to ballet to Springdances 2025
Springdances: Revel & Reckon opens on Thursday, April 24, and features work from NYC-based artist and choreographer Katy Pyle alongside UWM Dance faculty.
Pyle is an accomplished dancer and the founder of Ballez, a New York City ballet company that restages classical dances to promote LGBTQ+ narratives. They visited UWM in the spring semester to work with our dance students ahead of Springdances.
‘Four days in which everyone was all in’
Springdances proved to be a perfect opportunity for Pyle to reset a work they created during the pandemic, which was previously only presented via livestream from an empty theater.
Reworking it in 2025 was a positive experience for Pyle. They feel this new version reflects the chaos a lot of students may be feeling now.
“Because of the current moment… I condensed all the audition solos into one chaotic mad scene in which everyone is auditioning at once,” said Pyle. “This feels more like this moment, when everyone I know feels threatened.”
When dance students work with guest artists, they typically have a condensed schedule. While some could perceive this as difficult, Pyle stays productive and uses the finite time together as a way to bond with students.
“I think there’s something really precious and sacred about a condensed work period, in which everyone’s sole focus is on what we’re creating together,” said Pyle. “It was only four days, but it was four days in which everyone was all in!”
During their four-day workshop, Pyle reunited with former colleague, Dawn Springer (Teaching Faculty I, Dance), whom Pyle met during an informative period at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon returning to New York, Pyle entrusted Springer to continue preparations with PSOA students.
While Pyle was grateful to have a trusted advisor to continue their work, they also placed trust and confidence in the PSOA dancers, all of whom impressed Pyle.
“I loved getting to work with the dancers, to play, to experiment, and to connect,” said Pyle. “These are really generous and receptive young artists, and I’m very grateful to them!”
Katy Pyle (left) works alongside student dancers | Submitted photo
‘Art is a necessity‘
Much of Pyle’s work through Ballez and beyond seeks to update classical ballets. This approach was brought to PSOA as Pyle worked with students to see ballet in a positive light.
“We were able to share stories both good and bad about ballet, and I think that really helped with performance quality for the dance itself,” said junior dance student Isaac Robertson. “To me, Katy’s work is all about radical self-expression and love for your community.”
Robertson expressed gratitude for working with Pyle, believing that the opportunity to work alongside guest choreographers can have lasting impacts on a student’s career.
“Not only do we get to work with more diverse artists, but we make connections, sometimes life-long connections,” Roberston said. “The people you meet in college can sometimes be the most important.”
Another student who expressed gratitude in their working relationship with Pyle is junior dance major Brooke Allison “BA” Parkinson.
Similar to Robertson, Parkinson’s past with ballet became a major part of the process in working with Pyle, which helped them feel more comfortable about the piece.
“Though the process was fast, Katy took the time to discuss our personal experiences with ballet in relation to our identities,” said Parkinson. “They placed how the choreography looks and how it feels to embody dance on the same level, encouraging us to think about how we can make ballet both physically and mentally as comfortable as possible.”
Parkinson praised Pyle for promoting the limitless possibilities that are available in the arts.
“Art is a necessity, it’s not some frivolous thing we do or see to pass the time; it’s created to express oneself and connect with others,” said Parkinson. “Not only can guest artists lead to future career opportunities, they give us exposure and insight as to what is possible in the arts.”
Springdances: Revel & Reckon premieres five bold new dance works that capture the beauty and contradictions of contemporary life with choreography by Katy Pyle and UWM Dance faculty Dr. Mair Culbreth, Maria Gillespie, Ishmael Konney, and Gina Laurenzi. Springdances: Revel & Reckon opens April 24 and runs through April 27 at Kenilworth Square East.
Alum Kathryn Henry named one of 10 finalists in 2025’s Paris Opera Competition
Kathryn Henry (BA 2016, Music), a soprano, was named one of 10 finalists in 2025’s Paris Opera Competition, a biennial competition devoted to discovering and helping promote early-career opera singers.
Henry began auditioning for the competition in late 2024. After months of preparation, she was announced as a finalist, one of only two artists from the United States to be selected among the international pool of applicants. She is set to perform for the Paris Opera Competition in November.
docUWM documentary among the many PSOA connections to Milwaukee Film Festival lineup
Several alums, students and faculty are screening films this spring as part of the 2025 edition of the Milwaukee Film Festival. The Peck School of the Arts is excited to highlight the incredible work that our filmmakers and artists are bringing to the Milwaukee community. We’ve rounded up some PSOA connections among the festival selections.
Brady Street: A Portrait of a Neighborhood
One of this year’s most anticipated offerings is Brady Street: A Portrait of a Neighborhood, a feature-length documentary made by docUWM. The film chronicles the rise, fall, and rise again of one of Milwaukee’s most popular neighborhoods.
Brady Street was directed by Sean Kafer (Teaching Faculty II, Film; Program Director, docUWM) in collaboration with Brady Street Business Improvement District. More than 80 students and alums worked on this project as part of PSOA’s docUWM program, an endeavor that Kafer describes as “energizing.”
“It wasn’t just about making a film; it was about building relationships with each other and with the Brady Street community,” said Kafer. “That collaborative spirit is what made the storytelling so rich and meaningful.”
One of Kafer’s standout collaborators was Emanuel Zander, who worked on the film while a student. After two years in the making, Zander is excited for the documentary to resonate with the festival audience.
“I really hope the audience takes away the sense of community. Not just the community that is shown in the film, but connections that they have of their own,” said Zander. “I hope they seek out ways to make those connections stronger to make our communities stronger.”
Kafer also collaborated with Georgia Didier, a student who felt a personal connection to the film as she was living in the Brady Street neighborhood while the film was being made.
“Brady Street is such a gem in the Milwaukee community,” said Didier. “It’s the place where I grew as a filmmaker. For me, this film is very personal, and I’m just so happy I get to share a part of my growth with the rest of my community.”
Brady Street: A Portrait of a Neighborhood will screen at the Oriental Theatre on May 2 and at the Downer Theatre on May 4 and 7.
All That Glitters
Noah Meister (BFA 2021, Film) is bringing his feature debut, All That Glitters, to the Milwaukee Film Festival.
This coming-of-age film follows Christopher, a high schooler whose frustrating suburban life accidentally leads him to a drug deal gone wrong. Christopher must face the consequences of his dangerous actions.
All That Glitters screens at the Downer Theatre on April 29 and 30 and the Oriental Theatre on May 1.
Fresh Values
Fresh Values is a short film co-directed by Drew Durepos (MFA 2018, Film) and Isaac Brooks (Lecturer & Technical Assistant, Film).
The film, set in the near future, follows an urban food co-op that adopts AR technology in an effort to save their struggling store. The strategy proves too successful.
Fresh Values screens during The Milwaukee Show II.
Full Out
Sarah Ballard’s (Lecturer, Film) short film follows high school cheerleaders fainting en masse as the result of a nineteenth-century hospital in France that hypnotized patients to reproduce the symptoms of hysteria for public audiences. Full Out is the first in a suite of films that investigates historical accounts of mass hysteria.
Full Out screens before Baby Doe.
Heart Shaped
Co-directed by Grace Mitchell (Lecturer, Film) and Sofia Theodore-Pierce (MFA 2021, Cinematic Art), Heart Shapedexplores seven guests staying at a themed hotel.
Heart Shaped screens during The Milwaukee Show I.
Home-land: Hmong American Women
Directed by Pader Xiong (BFA 2024, Film), Home-land: Hmong American Womenis a stand-alone short film related to the Home-land video installation exhibition. Xiong’s short explores the identities of Hmong American Women.
Home-land screens during The Milwaukee Show I.
Mandatory Bathroom Break
Directed by Alyssa Sue Borkowski (BFA 2021, Film), Mandatory Bathroom Break is a short film about a moving truck employee awaiting the most important call of his life while actively on the job.
Mandatory Bathroom Break screens during The Milwaukee Show II.
The Phalanx
The Phalanx is a lyrical, experimental film that explores utopian aspirations from the point of view of a community guided by principles of harmony. Directed by Ben Balcom (Assistant Professor, Film), this short film was shot on the former site of Ceresco, a nineteenth-century agrarian commune in Ripon, Wisconsin.
The Phalanx screens during The Milwaukee Show II.
Black Lens Series
The popular Black Lens Series presents genre-varying short films that reflect the relationship between Blackness, tension, and conflict. Ty Williams (BFA 2020, Film) is the lead programmer for Black Lens and selected the short films that will be shown this year.
The Milwaukee Film Festival runs April 24, 2025 to May 8, 2025 at the Oriental and Downers theaters.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
EDITOR’S NOTE: This list is accurate and as comprehensive as possible at the time of publication. If we missed a PSOA connection, please accept our sincere apologies! Contact us, and we’ll gladly update the article.
Future FVANG student named emerging artist by local publication
Ben McMillen, a senior student at White Bear Area High School entering PSOA’s Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres this fall, was recently featured as an emerging artist by Press Pubs.
In the article written by Logan Gion, McMillen speaks on his preparation and dedication to pursue his dreams of directing. He also shares how theatre helped him get to where he is today.
“As I go into a career doing this sort of thing, it’ll be a lot of help to get this early experience,” McMillen said.
