MILWAUKEE — The historic Downer Theatre will live once more.

Milwaukee Film announced Tuesday it will take over operations of the space, starting with its annual film festival April 12. Regular operations will resume in the space April 26.

“The Downer Theatre, with its storied past and charm, has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. Milwaukee Film and its board are thrilled to bring life back to the theater and cinema back to the neighborhood. Our mission has always been to make cinematic experiences possible for as many people as possible, and expanding our footprint in this way is a key next step in doing that,” said Susan Mikulay, chair of Milwaukee Film’s board of directors, in a press release.

The Downer Theatre closed in September of last year under unclear circumstances. Its closing surprised many neighbors in the area and marked another hurdle for Wisconsin’s small theatres.

“Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” said Cara Ogburn, artistic director at Milwaukee Film, in the release. “When the Downer closed last year, it meant that many films could not show on screens in our city. Adding these two screens to our footprint will allow us to better serve our community with high quality films year-round.”

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival runs from April 12 to 15 and will feature screenings at the Downer Theatre, as well as Milwaukee Film’s Oriental Theatre, Avalon Theater and Times Cinema. Leaders said they expect to have “a diverse lineup of local, national and international films” this year. Early tickets are on sale now.

Milwaukee Film said it hopes to screen first-run independent, foreign and documentary films year-round at Downer. They will be curated by members of its programming team.