Dr. Susan Kerns on the Milwaukee Film Festival & 2026 Lineup (Hour 2)

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Here's Pete and Greg.

Welcome back to Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach here on the Civic Media Network.

We're coming to you live all over Wisconsin.

The Yadar Hey Triangle.

We call it from Racine at Radio Park where I'm at upstate in Christmas City, USA with Marinette and then all the way over in Madison at HQ with Dom Lee on the ones and twos.

You could always be

part of the conversation by

Kearns.

Yes.

Dr. Susan Kearns, who is the executive director of Milwaukee film to talk about the Milwaukee film festival starting this Thursday.

And yeah, I mean, it's been a great program so far.

What do you think guys?

Yeah, we're crushing it, man.

Tom, you're still in one piece.

There's no, uh, it's like apathetic confidence.

Like,

yeah.

So we're, I

don't get too excited about anything.

And I don't get

too

down, Greg.

I'm middle of the road.

You're

like a

lukewarm water.

Exactly.

Daniel sports highlights on the stream texts every Tuesday.

Dom makes tacos every Tuesday.

Yeah.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Where's, where's the X files?

I told Dom a long time ago that I wouldn't play song.

I wouldn't play.

There it is.

You ready?

Yep.

There it

is.

Ready.

There you go.

I told him, cause I'm sitting in radio park right now with a full gear set up and I can play music as well.

And I said, I won't do that cause I don't want to scare.

His job is to do that.

And I don't want to be like inserting my personal choices, being like, well, I'm pointing this anyway.

So thank you, Dom, for being prepared.

I got nothing.

I could sing Def Leppard if it came to that, but I wouldn't flick that on anybody.

I mean, I'm here for it.

Do a full segment of

that.

That'd

be fun.

There you go.

Do a photograph.

I would say start early.

Yeah.

Photograph would be really good.

Rock of Ages.

That'd be great.

While you're deciding on what you want to put on your Deaf Leopard set list.

it's time right now speaking of the Milwaukee Film Festival with uh we'll be talking to Dr. Kerns about that in just a little bit it's time right now once again for the win your way into the Milwaukee Film Festival text win contest this week the stakes are even higher folks because we're giving away an all-access pass that will get you into

Every single show at the film festival including ones that are sold out We'll talk actually more about that all-access pass with Susan Kerns when she's up here in just a few minutes But now is your chance to get your device ready to text in the keyword that could get you that all-access pass to the 2026 Milwaukee film festival.

Can I get some timpani's?

The keyword for this whole hour short

S-H-O-R-T.

The word is short as in check out these film shorts or a short film or I love Martin short.

S-H-O-R-T is the keyword for this hour.

Good luck.

Text that in right now for your chance to win an all access pass to the Milwaukee Film Festival beginning this Thursday.

Good luck.

The word is

short.

We should probably reintroduce the question of the night because I think people are out there now They want to text in short we can also get them ready while they're thumb

moving and they got

their

blood

pumping They can be part

of

the show and answer tonight's question of the night.

What do you say, Dom Lee?

Let's do it

What's your favorite

Game show, call or text 8557 5248 4285575 civic.

You can leave a comment on the live stream.

We're currently streaming on Facebook, YouTube and the platform.

We still call Twitter, but what is your favorite game show?

Let us know.

There are no wrong answers, as we said earlier, and we'd love to hear from you.

So feel free to drop a comment.

Let us know.

Pete, what about you?

I was going to ask if you wanted to go

first tonight.

Too

late.

I don't ask.

I just go

for it.

You do.

You take the bull by the horns.

I'm going to say family feud

because

I like jeopardy.

I like prices.

Right.

Some of the more classic ones and not that family feud.

It's right up there.

But I'm I like seeing what America says if they really even do that.

And it's fun watching families fold under pressure and some of the blue.

Her families just can't get it together or can't answer the questions are hilarious.

So I'll say family food.

Okay.

I mean, I feel like now that show just exists.

So Steve Harvey can make weird faces and do that slow walk and the diss.

Okay.

You got a problem with that?

I get

it's because

I'm not a

huge Steve Harvey fan.

I mean, I'm, I'm also not either.

I feel like he's, he said some things in the, his past and I don't know if he is recanted or changed his mind, but things about, you know, we'll not get in there.

Funny.

I mean, I don't think he's funny.

And I, when someone will say a line instead of saying something witty, he'll just look at the crowd.

Like, no, say something.

You're the host.

You're supposed

to be

able to add something here.

No, he looks off.

He looks off into the middle distance.

He walks away slowly.

And then he has a fun quippy comeback.

It's just great.

Well, at least he's not just forcefully making out with the women in the family.

Like, you know, what was it?

Len, not Len, uh, um, Richard Dawson, Richard Dawson, man, he would get.

Handsy.

It was weird.

It was like a make-up session with some it's so how is that ever acceptable?

I mean it was Pete Pete it was it was a different time back then.

It was just a different time Dom what about you?

What

is your favorite game show?

Are you ready for the question?

Yeah, I am ready for the question this is boring This is gonna be a boring one, and I gotta go Jeopardy I know most people are probably gonna say similar, but I just I still watch Jeopardy I'm I go on Hulu and watch Jeopardy every now and then as well So I gotta go Jeopardy.

How do you do?

When you answer the questions, you hang in there, I hang in there and also I'm not really good at answering the questions.

So I, that's why I let the people that are actually on the game show do the game show.

And I just sit back and relax.

That's fair.

Just takes in all the knowledge.

I have found that when I was younger, I was really good at Wheel of Fortune and awful at Jeopardy.

And now that I've gotten older, I'm much better at Jeopardy.

I'm not like a champion.

I'm not going to go on this show.

But I watch Wheel of Fortune and it could be like, it could be, it could be airy Christmas.

And I'd be like, I don't know what it is.

What's the other letter?

I can't figure this out.

This is stupid.

I hate this game.

But yeah, I just, for some reason, I've become completely inept when it comes to Wheel of Fortune.

Interesting.

And I kind of get what you're saying because I think as you get older, you just,

naturally gain knowledge.

So you, you fare a little bit better at Jeopardy.

Like I used to feel like a dunce in my early twenties, you know, but now I'm like, okay, I get some of these.

That's fine

wheel of fortune too.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Do we have any texts?

We have, we have some texts both for this and beyond.

Yeah.

What do we have in the text line going on right now?

Yes.

Um, we have Brett from brown deer talking about the, uh, favorite game show is favorite game show of all time is the gong show.

I've never, um,

Oh, that show, that show was chaos and

30 minutes, it was pure and utter chaos, but it's hilarious.

I would just say this dumb, if you have a chance tonight, just go on YouTube and look up best of the gong show.

I don't know if you can properly describe it Pete.

I feel like

anything

we try, anything we do to try to give him an idea of what this show is about, there's no, it's, it's.

just 70s chaos.

They're still

like big

winners and losers though, right?

Is it like there's a still like a big win sort of thing or?

You just got to see it.

If you get

the gong,

I'll just leave

it at that.

You check it out.

Yeah.

If you, you know, okay.

Can we go back?

I want to make sure we get, we get Brett texted in earlier in the show too.

He says, if it wasn't for taxes, I could never have gotten to serve in the army.

That's a great point too.

Right?

Yeah, we were talking about that earlier and appreciate that, Brett.

And thank you for your service.

And I know that he a great guy.

Love when Brett

jumps

in on anything too.

So really appreciate that.

I did see something from Matt Nocler.

There was just says Matt EC.

So Matt, I'm not sure if we got the entirety of your message.

If you want to let us know what you're thinking, feel free to text us again.

But what else do we got, Dom?

Oh, we also got Dana or Donna from La Crosse.

Sorry if I'm name.

Dana?

Dana.

Yeah, Dana.

If you get the tag.

Tic and Tac will give you the dough.

It's got to be

Wink, Martindale, baby.

That is, that is one of my favorites.

Tic-Tac dough.

That's great.

Loved Tic-Tac dough.

It was those,

those, those reruns have to be on somewhere because we're Martindale.

Not only did he have the best game show name,

it was the way

he said it.

Wink, Martindale.

Like he just, it was, it

was beautiful.

Yeah.

I love it.

I love that one.

What's the other one?

Press your luck.

No whammies.

That^?

one was so like anxiety inducing.

You just like, it's the luck.

You never know.

You got the whammy and then that, that sniveling little whammy comes out and takes all your money.

They actually just made a movie about it about some guy who watched it so much.

He, he didn't rig it.

He figured out.

the patterns, essentially.

He figured out how the little lights went, and he knew exactly when Abu Ami would come.

It's very interesting.

They're making a lot of these game show movies where people are breaking the system, but I love that one and Tic Tac Do.

I love those.

Those are great.

Another one that's more recent is who wants to be a millionaire?

I think

they

had to go up the pyramid.

I thought that was kind of cool.

I like my pyramid with $64,000.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

No

argument here.

It's a fine pyramid.

In fact, in fact.

Do we have any other text messages there Dom?

Yeah, we have a few more and it was about the most it was with with Donald and it was

Brett

from brown deer want to get Americans to like fluoride it changed the name to tea dazzle it's all about Call it

call it mega dazzle call it mega dazzle And

then same thing Jack from air Mack also talking about the recent guests that we had on for what it's worth the current emphasis on fluoride is simply more in incitement of fear hate and anger

its purpose, in his opinion, is just another way to divide Americans and continue the attack on science.

It's more MAGA disruption of America.

Absolutely.

There you go.

Doesn't sound like a very fun game show.

No, actually, it's a terrible game show.

It's a terrible game show that's called America right now.

Where did it land?

Where did it land?

Higher gas prices.

Ah,^?

man!

I'd^?

like to solve the puzzle.

Bankruptcy, you win.

Done and done.

And then we have one more.

John Murray from Madison says, I can't find my cookie cutters.

And then Fred says to Aunt Esther, just press your face into the dough and make gorilla cookies.

Sanford and Sud never disappoints.

Oh, yeah.

But I

believe that

all in the family can't be touched with 10-foot poles from any direction.

Archie Bunker rules.

There we go.

He rules for a certain reason.

I love that Carol Carol O'Connor played them who was like the

absolute opposite of Archie Bunker.

The most

progressive guy

ever.

Oh my gosh.

And like, I love those grizzly guys too.

It's like, oh, is that an actor?

Do you just get off of work at a warehouse or a factory or something?

But do we have any, before we have to go to break, do we have any Facebook comments?

We do.

I'll see if I can jam through these.

Mike Desital says, what is jeopardy?

Appreciate the effort.

Thank you, Mike.

There

you go.

Tim Baker

says tic-tac-doe.

Another^?

vote for tic-tac-doe.

Dan Davy says, wedgie fever.

I think that was an SNL.

That's just a few more here.

Boris Hamilton says the back to back jokers wild.

I forgot about

that was the other one.^?

That was the other one too.^?

Oh man.^?

That was awesome.

That was a great show.^?

Totally.

And then we got Sean Boyce says Jeopardy.

Jay Campbell.

What was that one from the seventies where they brought a business man with his wife and secretary then quiz the women to find.

Oh, the dating game.

Oh.^?

That^?

was

a good one.

I loved it anytime when they just said, making whoopee.

That was the word they used in place of having sex.

It was making whoopee.

And who was that?

Chuck, what was his name?

Wasn't Chuck Woolery?

Okay.

Oh, I thought it was.

Who dated, who dated?

You look that up.

I'll get through these rob layman's of jokers wild on Facebook.

John Kelnhofer says price is right, but only with Bob Barker.

Joe Tom check says jeopardy.

All right.

Outstanding texts everybody.

There we go.

It says Jim Lang hosted it from 65 to 73.

And that's about all we got, but.

When we come back, we're going to be talking to Dr. Susan Kearns, the executive director of Milwaukee Film, about the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival.

Text in the word short for your chance to win an all-access pass.

Stay tuned.

Stay closer.

You're listening to Nightlight with Pete and Greg.

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Welcome back to Sanford and Son.

We renamed the^?

show?

No, where did that come from Dom?

I like it, but I'm

just sad.

I don't know.

I just felt it in my bones.

I felt it at the right time.

I can dig it.

I love

it.

This is actually Night Light with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach and Dom Lee spinning the tunes in Madison.

It is great to have you with us tonight, folks.

Before I bring our next guest on, I want to say that our All Access Pass giveaway to the Milwaukee Film Festival, which gets you an All Access Pass, that is an incredible value to this year's Milwaukee Film Festival, which starts Thursday of this week.

This hour's keyword is short, S-H-O-R-T, short.

So text that in on the app and you are eligible for that incredible value in All Access Pass to this year's

Milwaukee Film Festival, which starts April 9th.

It goes for two weeks.

So it's an outstanding festival and a great time.

You should go or not.

Even if you don't win, go to the Milwaukee Film Festival.

It's tons of fun, right, Greg?

It's great.

Small correction.

April 16th starts April 16th.

I'm sorry.

April 9th was last week.

April 16th for two weeks.

That's where we're at.

Time is an illusion, Pete.

It's an absolute illusion.

And who's laughing at us right now, Pete?

Someone is laughing at us and I don't appreciate it.

I think it was Dom.

Oh, it was down.

I thought it was our next guest.

It may have been me.

Yep.

You might be

in

my own life right now.

I live a week previous.

That's just kind of how I roll.

I'm stuck in the past.

The very near past, though.

All right.

That is the voice or the laughter from our next guest.

She is the executive director of Milwaukee Film.

Does an outstanding job there.

She's been on the show many times.

She has no stranger to nightlight.

Dr. Susan Kearns joins us to discuss this year's

Milwaukee Film Festival.

Hi Susan.

Hello.

How are you tonight?

I'm doing okay hanging in there considering the festival starts in just two days.

I love talking to Film Festival people that when it's like a day or two out and they are just frazzled.

I don't even know how you can have a conversation frankly but it's great to have you here.

Thank you for taking the time.

Let's just jump in.

Give us your thoughts on this year's festival.

You've been with Milwaukee Film a few years now.

Tell us about this festival and give us an overview if you can.

Yeah, so actually this is just my second festival back.

I've only been in my position for a year and a couple of months, but I will say that this year is so exciting.

It's our 18th year and I'm very, very happy that your listeners have a chance at an all-access pass because

This year we are opening with the documentary Uke, which is about beloved celebrity Bob Uker.

That opening night, we actually had to add a second screening on opening night because it sold out so fast.

And then the second screening also sold out very, very quickly.

So right now the only way to be sure to get into the film is if you have one of those passes.

So that's a great, great deal for your listeners.

It's

also an incredible value too, like for what you can get.

Yeah, so we have two full weeks of movies.

We have almost 250 movies in the festival altogether.

And having the pass is amazing because it allows you to kind of pick and choose as you are feeling it that day.

So we literally will have people who come to like four or five films every single day, they will keep track of everything they see.

And with that pass, you can kind of wander in and out.

I don't know that this

is the

best way to approach it.

but there are some folks who will go to like the first 20 minutes and be like, eh, not feeling it.

And then go to something different.

And that's also, a pass gives you that flexibility.

That said, we have lots and lots of single tickets available too.

And just so many incredible films that we're just, honestly, we're just ready to share them with everybody.

That's fantastic.

For you as Susan Kearns, not the executive director, not the doctor of English literature, but as a film lover who enjoys going to movies, what is one movie, we have a couple of minutes left in this segment, what is one movie that you, the film lover, is really looking forward to?

So

I will tell you.

On this Friday night, we are showing Mario Bava's Bay of Blood.

This is an Italian Jalohora film.

It will be Midnight Severin will be there.

They will have like Blue Rays and things like that for sale.

They will have souvenir barf bags.

But the reason I am excited about this film is because Italian Jolli Films, they're so beautiful.

They're as much as it will be bloody because it is a band of blood.

these films knew how to use color.

So it will be the most beautiful red you have ever seen.

It will be beautiful blues and greens.

They just knew how to light movies.

And so they have, you know, to have that on the big screen is gonna be so much fun.

I think the audience is gonna be a hoot for that too.

So I think that's gonna be a good time.

And I love that that's a midnight showing too.

That's just perfect.

And I bet you're going to get a crowd that just absolutely loves seeing that.

Will that be the Oriental?

Yeah.

So that is at the Oriental Theater.

Yeah.

All right.

Fantastic.

So we're going to talk.

We've got a lot.

We've got about 30 seconds before we have to do a quick break, doctor.

And then we'll come back.

But think about if, like Greg said, if there's one movie you should see,

We'll ask you about some of the movies when we come back.

And what else?

I know you have a big closing night film too.

We'll ask you about some of the speakers and the guests and the Q&As, all of that stuff.

So think about that.

And just a reminder that our all excess pass, we're giving away, and you gotta get in on this, folks.

The Milwaukee Film Festival starts April 16th.

That's this Thursday.

And the pass we're giving away gets you into anything.

And this hour's keyword is short.

SH-O-R-T as in film shorts.

I'm sure you have a lot of those, Susan too, playing at this year's festival.

And that's a great place to see short films.

So this hour's keyword is short, SH-O-R-T.

Text that in on the app, right, Greg?

On the app.

Okay.

You

can text on the

app.

Text on the app.

And we'll do that.

And we'll talk more with our guest, Dr. Susan Kearns from Milwaukee Film.

That is all coming up next on Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach on the Civic Media Network.

you

Welcome back.

This is Nightlight with Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach.

I am coming to you live from beautiful northeast Wisconsin.

Greg is sitting just downstate at Radio Park in Racine and the kid, Dom Lee.

Dom Lee, as we refer to him sometimes as working the board in Madison.

It's the Yatterhay Triangle, folks.

And you are here on a perfect time for this show because we're talking to Dr. Susan Kern.

She's the executive director of Milwaukee Film.

The Milwaukee Film Festival starts this Thursday, April 16th.

kicking off with Yook, as Dr. Kerns mentioned right before the break.

Have you seen that film?

I have, yeah.

I've actually been lucky enough to see a couple of different versions of it.

Oh, really?^?

Okay.

Yeah.

So it's, I mean, it's been, uh, it's so charming.

Like I did not grow up in Wisconsin, but Bob Uker was such a big presence in my life because I saw major league and watched, you know, the tonight show.

And it's just, it really does justice to his legacy.

He is a national figure, even though, and that's what makes it.

It's so much more special.

He did it all from Milwaukee.

I remember reading a book he wrote as a kid in Chicago.

And I know he was on the Tonight Show, like you mentioned.

He's just a national treasure, really.

But will there be, that's opening night.

That's going to be just a great atmosphere.

Is there a Q&A after that with the filmmakers?

Yep.

So there will be a Q&A at opening night.

We'll have the co-directors, both of whom are from Milwaukee, and then at least one of the producers and who knows, we might have another special guest where we're not quite sure.

So,

yeah.

Oh, okay.

I know.

Teaser.

Secret.

Yeah, I like

it.

And for that person who wins that all-access pass, you could be a part of that.

So,

you know,

texting that word, texting the word short, S-H-O-R-T right now to have your chance to win.

Dr. Kerns,

What are other films that you, you know, you want to highlight while you're with us right now that the, you know, there's a lot of sold out shows, the ones that folks, films that folks can catch.

What are the ones that are really getting you excited for people to see this year?

Yeah.

So, I mean, honestly, like we have so many great documentaries this year.

You opened with a Prince song.

And so that immediately reminded me of the film paralyzed by hope, the Maria Bamford story.

So Maria Bamford is,

Perhaps my favorite

comedian.

Yeah, so smart.

She's so funny.

She's from Duluth, which is why I made that that Minnesota connection.

But this film is just incredible in that it really looks at her comedy and how her comedy career changed over time as she was dealing with her mental illness.

She's again, she's just so smart and it's

just a really like hopeful film and also fun to watch even though it's dealing with serious topics.

So we'll have the director in for that to do Q&As and just, I think that's gonna be really, really great.

Greg, since you're wearing your son's studio T-shirt, I also should push the last critic, which is about rock criticism.

And we're gonna have Jessica Hopper in town for that to talk about music criticism.

It's

just

a really, really good film.

The music films we have this year are amazing.

Newport and the Folk Dream is going to be just awesome.

Like all of these incredible performances by musicians that you probably have not seen before.

A Fugazi documentary that's all like crowdsourced material

is going

to be awesome.

And we're going to have a panel talking about music journalism, music criticism.

you're one of the screenings of the Fugazi doc too, which is gonna be super cool.

So just some really, really good stuff in terms of that world this year.

In addition to our Closing Night film, which is called Power Ballad, starring Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd, and it's by the director of Once, which people

really

love.

Yeah, it's so good.

And this is sort of Paul Rudd,

is like a musician who has gone the way of wedding singers and starts to hang out with Paul and Jared Nick Jonas.

They start to write music together and you know Nick Jonas's career takes off and Paul Rudds does not and you can kind of imagine where that goes.

You mentioned the Q&A after the opening night film as well as some other films.

Do you have any personal appearances that you could tell us about?

Anyone showing up at the festival this year that people will definitely not want to miss?

Yeah, so one of the actually one of the programs that we're doing that I think is is just incredible is that we're showing a pilot called Exonia's Mild Kingdom.

And the writer or co-director of this writer co-director of this pilot is Christopher Brown.

He is actually the writer producer of the original Beavis and Butthead.

So a lot of folks know my judge's name, fewer people know his name, but he's going to be there to show this pilot and really

talk about, you know, comedy writing and maybe show a little sneak, you know, a little film that has not been shown publicly much if ever.

So that's going to be a really neat experience too.

But we have over 80 guests.

So they will be at many, many, many films throughout the festival.

That's fantastic.

Our guest tonight is Dr. Susan Kern.

She is the executive director of Milwaukee film.

The Milwaukee film festival starts on Thursday, goes until the 30th.

And there are still tickets available for some shows.

You can go to mkefilm.org to check out the lineup.

And if you want to possibly win an all access pass text in the word short right now, S-H-O-R-T for your chance to win an all access pass.

Great, great value.

You can see shows that are sold out because you have that access pass.

Susan.

You are the executive director of Milwaukee film and I think I asked you this before but I want to reiterate the point The film festival is two weeks and it's great and it's what you are known for but Milwaukee film is a year year-round program or year-round company and what do you say to people when you you know like What are the value of joining Milwaukee film buying a membership and being part of that family both within the festival and outside of it as well

Yeah.

So during the festival, we actually have a secret member screening that is not open to people who have the all access pass.

You have to be a member.

So that is one perk.

We don't tell anybody what it is until they're actually in the theater.

So that's one thing that our members really look forward to every year during the festival.

But for our Milwaukee film members, we have at least one free screening every month of the year.

And so it's not just a great way to support

Milwaukee film and kind of, you know, help ensure our survival.

But it's also really rewarding in that you get discounts on tickets and concessions and merch, and you get this free screening every month.

So truthfully, it pays for itself very, very quickly if you are a person who goes to the movies at all routinely.

And it's honestly just a great community of people.

Like we know folks who are members who, you know, they, they meet each other once, they go have coffee, they become friends over time.

It's just a really lovely community.

That's a great answer.

And I want to piggyback on that.

If you haven't been to a film festival, I highly recommend you go.

The movies are one thing, but it's the community you build while you're there talking to people in a rush line or as you're going in and about other films you've seen and hearing from other festival goers, what they've seen.

What would you say to someone, Susan, who has not been to a film festival?

Obviously the movies are great.

Would it be you can watch movies with other people, other serious movie watchers?

It's a different kind of crowd, right?

It is a different kind of crowd.

I think one thing I would say to people is try not to be intimidated by it, because I think sometimes people who haven't been to a festival feel like they have to do a lot of planning or something like that.

And it's really as easy as going to the website, finding a movie that you think sounds interesting, buying that ticket and showing up.

You'll kind of learn the rest as you're there.

So I hope that people don't feel like there's a barrier to entry for this.

But the other thing is exactly what you said.

Everybody who's there wants to be there to celebrate movies.

So you talk to people in line, you meet people.

Also, a lot of these movies never go to streaming.

They never come back to the theaters.

So this might be the one chance that you ever have to see this film, not just on a big screen, but like ever.

The international films, a lot of times just aren't getting like international distribution outside of festivals anymore.

So we will have some films that will just, you know, you'll see it and you'll try to tell your friend about it and they'll go and look for it.

and be like, I missed it.

So you just, you don't want to miss out.

Great

point.

So you said, you said that this is, you know, this is your, your second year as the executive director of the film, of Milwaukee film.

Is there a movie, you know, like, of course there are a lot of movies out there that are like very not well known or not come out, but is there a classic movie that you would love to bring to a fest one of these days where you're like, all right, this year is locked, we're set, our lineup is good, but next year I want to work on this movie.

Cause you have a lot of

fun movies, is there one in your mind where like, I want to bring that here because I want us to have a blast at midnight or close it out or something that's just on your list of films to procure for an upcoming festival?

Oh, that's that's a great question.

Um, one of the things that I that I love, I love weird silent movies.

And so I have like a list of silent movies that I would love to find an excuse to show to an audience, you know, with a, um, like with a live score.

So, um, one of my favorite films is a Todd Browning film called, um, The Unholy Three, uh, where it is Laun Cheney is a venture

Triloquist and then he's friends with a strong man and also friends with a little person and they basically dress up and

Rob people And then eventually there's a monkey and you know anyway But it's it's very hard to describe and it is not one of the heavy hitters in the silent film world So it's not what they hear about over and over I would love to be able to bring something weird like that to the big screen for audiences Because it is unforgettable if you see it you will never forget that you have seen this movie

That is outstanding.

I also would encourage people like we were talking about before go see short films because there are some short that usually they're in a block and Those are movies you'll never be able to stream most likely Occasionally one of the streaming platforms has a shorts thing or whatever, but some of them are so well done.

I don't know how they get made I don't know how filmmakers go to people and say give me money to make a short film No one is ever gonna see but they do and they're outstanding

Before you get out of here and tidy up the place, can you tell us about this big cheese documentary?

This sounds really fun.

It's very Wisconsin too.

Yeah, so this is a competition documentary about cheesemongers, the competitive world of cheesemongering.

And this is one that we were not expecting.

You know, we didn't know that it was necessarily out there in the world.

Saw it and we're like, this is a perfect movie for Wisconsin.

We are also very excited to be partnering with Wisconsin Dairy.

So we will have cheese samples at all of the screenings.

And we also have

One of the folks from the film who will be there to talk about not just you know the the world of choose mongering and But also the process of making this film and you know, just he is a character In every sense of the world.

So anyway, we're really excited.

That's gonna be a ton of fun.

I

can't think of a more fun competition program in any facet that

It involves cheese.

I would love it.

I'm sure the experts would be like, you're not taking this seriously.

I'm like, this is free food.

This is what I'm taking seriously.

Thank you very much.

Susan, as always, you're so much fun.

Thank you.

You're informative.

This is great.

Best of luck with this year's festival.

We'll be keeping an eye on it.

Hopefully we'll be there.

And it just sounds like an absolute blast like it is every year.

Thank you so much and break a leg.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

This is fun.

Always.

All right, folks, if you want to text in that keyword one more time, here it is, short, S-H-O-R-T.

That is the word to text in.

On the app that you could, if you texted in, you could be the winner of an all access guest pass to the past.

Right, I said past.

Guess pass to this year's Milwaukee Film Festival and Outstanding Value short SHORT.

Text that in now on the app.

We are coming right back here on Nightlight for the nightcap.

This is Pete Schwabba and Greg Bach on the Civic Media Network.

You're listening to Civic Media.

Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website,

civicmedia.us.

four eight four two eight five five seven five civic leave a comment on the live stream we are currently streaming on facebook youtube and the platform we still call twitter hello everybody on the live stream right now there's so many people we really appreciate you being a part of the show be a part of the party and uh just as a reminder folks you still have a few minutes if you haven't already text in the word short s h o r t for your chance to win oh yes sorry i thought it was wednesday

Sorry, I

know^?

I just had a moment right there, Pete, where I just stopped.

I had to reboot.

I'm like, wait, I've been saying the wrong word the whole time.

No, today is Tuesday.

The word is short.

S H O R T your chance to win all access pass to the Milwaukee Film Festival 2026.

My whole brain just melted and rebuilt itself in the matter of like two and a half seconds.

And that when there's a $600 plus

a bonus prize there.

That's a lot.

So

I'm glad you

paused and you got it right.

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh.

Well, tomorrow we'll be back here on Wednesday, not only with another keyword, the final keyword, because the whole thing starts on Thursday.

So we'll have one last chance for you to possibly win an all access pass to the 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival.

Also, we'll be talking to Logan Wargi.

I think I'm saying that right.

Rogi, Logan Rogi.

Yeah, my apologies communication specialists for travel Wisconsin talking about all the great stuff we'll be seeing in the spring and summertime.

Wisconsin's a gorgeous place.

Wonderful place to visit.

Take a vacation.

Even if you live in Wisconsin, visit Wisconsin.

I'm not being paid by anyone to say that, but that's going to be tomorrow's show.

And, uh, and also do not forget our.

Nightlight Movie Club selection is when Harry Met Sally, the rom-com classic, will be talking about that film in the second hour on Thursday.

So watch it, catch up, be part of the conversation.

Do we have any other last-minute text messages or Facebook comments on our question, what's your favorite game show?

We do.

We actually have Anna from Madison.

It says, Hi, Pete, Greg and Don.

My favorite game show is Jeopardy.

Very good answer.

On April 10th, 2008, I saw a taping of the Jeopardy!

college championship.

at the Cole Center in Madison, of course, hosted by Alex Trebek.

It was exciting to see the game in person.

That's really cool.

Wow.

That is

really, really

cool.

Nice.

Yes.

I love that.

I

love that so much.

And then we also have a few from John Murray in Madison, says, sorry, fellas, just got back from a time travel and sent an old message that was a little bit ago, not exactly on tonight's

topic.

Is he referring to the Sanford and Sun?

Because if he did,

He had no way of knowing we were going to use that as bumper music.

Is he traveling back in time or is he a fortune teller?

You know, John from Madison, just great stuff.

All right.

One more from John.

There we go.

What are you saying?

Oh my god, gotta be the butt bob.

And then the needle scratched all the way across the record, saw it live and died laughing.

Wow.

I

don't get that.

I don't know what that means.

Okay.

Cool.

But I love that he is at the

center with Anna.

Yes.

Maybe.

I don't know.

I have no idea.

But I love that John's having fun.

I love that John's listening and having fun with us tonight.

Are there any other Facebook comments we have before we get out of here, Pete?

No, we're good

on Facebook comments.

There we go.

All right.

I do have a, you know, Alex Trebek was in the same little league league my son was in.

was a few celebrities in there.

And

I was wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,

your

Alex Trebek was in the same little league as yours.

How old is your son?

Is your son 75?

Oh, God.

Sorry.

Okay.

So, okay.

But I was like, like I had heard he could be very arrogant.

Like I some of the other guys you just talked to because they're just dads, but him I never did.

I was kind of not intimidated that he's so brilliant because he's got the answers in front of him, but just that he was going to give me attitude.

And you never knew because you never you chose to believe the gossip, then find the truth, Pete.

And what if he was though?

Then what if he wasn't?

Well, he wasn't because I didn't try it.

Like you

said, there you go.

So we'll never know.

We could have got him never ever know.

So you're thinking about Barker.

No, he is too, though.

What is this game show hosts that are so arrogant?

Ask ask Adam Sandler.

He, you know, he brings up all the, you know, I don't know.

I have no idea.

But that's, that's too bad.

I wish he would have met him.

That'd been a great story.

I'm okay with it.

Honestly.

All right.

Well, other than that, Pete, what did you

learn tonight?

Well, I learned that I need to be diligent with my flossing and brushing.

I am.

I

brush

every night.

I probably floss five to six times a week, but there are

nights I

get lazy, but after Dr. Chi was here, I

That's what a great guest does.

They just really

like

what you need to do.

And he's the guy.

He's the scientist.

He knows it.

I'm going to follow science and Dr. Chi.

That's a good idea.

Yeah.

Don, what did you learn?

I think I now know the lineup to the to the Milwaukee Film Festival.

I didn't before and now I

know

the full lineup.

I think I'm ready to go.

And I might

love that.

Love that.

Love that.

Cheese movie.

Pizza in the pocket of big cheese right now.

Oh boy, let's see what did I learn tonight?

Thanks for asking guys.

What did I learn?

Just

kidding.

No, I learned I learned about more about the Milwaukee Film Festival.

I really want to go out and see it.

I really would love to see some movies.