The summer movie season is officially underway in theaters right now, but for Brew City cinema lovers, the most exciting film news isn't coming out this month or this season, but almost a year away: the 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival, which today announced its official dates. 

Next year's festival will once again hit screens in the spring, shifting slightly up in the schedule to April 21 through May 5. But perhaps best of all, the Milwaukee Film Festival announced that it intends to return to in-person screenings and events with "a responsive-to-audience interest virtual component" as well. 

So here's to returning to the Oriental Theatre next year – and actually even sooner, as anyone who watched a movie during this past Milwaukee Film Festival knows, Milwaukee Film plans to reopen the renovated East Side cinema in August. 

Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more updates on the return of the Oriental Theater. And until then, be sure to catch Milwaukee Film's Pride Month mini-festival program – running through the end of June – as well as the selections at the organization's Sofa Cinema virtual platform, both available at Milwaukee Film's website. For more information on the Pride Month celebration, click here.