The Michael Schultz Award

Each year, Milwaukee Film selects one extraordinary Black filmmaker to receive the Michael Schultz Award. The honoree is chosen for creative innovation, a resonant body of work, and the ability to expand the way audiences understand and experience film.

The award is presented at a public celebration that includes curated screenings, onstage conversations, and opportunities for the filmmaker to engage with Milwaukee audiences. Through this annual tradition, Milwaukee Film aims to highlight the historical and contemporary contributions of Black filmmakers while fostering dialogue about the power and importance of their work.

Milwaukee Film works with an advisory committee of Black leaders and industry professionals to help guide and shape this award. Their involvement ensures that the award continues to honor filmmakers whose voices deserve recognition and whose artistic influence leaves a lasting mark.

Michael Schultz stands as one of the first Black directors to work consistently in Hollywood film and television. Since the 1970s, he has directed more than a dozen feature films and over one hundred television episodes, and at 86 years old, he remains active and influential.

A native of Milwaukee, Schultz grew up on Vine Street and attended Riverside High School and Marquette University before continuing his studies at Princeton University. Early in his career, he was honored with a 1969 Obie Award and received a Tony nomination for directing Song of the Lusitanian Bogey. His success continued with films such as the influential Cooley High in 1975. In 1977, his film Car Wash, featuring Richard Pryor and George Carlin, made him the first African American director nominated for major awards at the Cannes Film Festival. The film went on to win Cannes’ Grand Prix Technique and Best Music awards.

Schultz directed the cult classics The Last Dragon, Krush Groove, Disorderlies, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, among many others. Throughout his career, he helped launch the careers of Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, collaborated repeatedly with Richard Pryor, and was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1991.

The idea for the Michael Schultz Award was first proposed by Milwaukee filmmaker Rubin Whitmore II during a conversation about the approaching 50th anniversary of Cooley High. Whitmore expressed a desire to celebrate Schultz’s extraordinary career while also creating a platform that would uplift other Black filmmakers.

His vision aligned with Milwaukee Film’s mission, leading to the formation of an advisory committee and the involvement of Brewers Community Foundation as a leading sponsor. Their support made it possible for the award to be established as an ongoing, annual tradition.

Ty Williams, Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens Programmer, describes the award as a way to inspire those who wish to follow in Schultz’s footsteps. By screening the work of each honoree and inviting them into dialogue with Milwaukee audiences, the program deepens public appreciation for their artistry and reinforces the importance of Black voices in film.

Michael Schultz himself received the first Michael Schultz Award in 2025. The tribute celebration took place at the Oriental Theatre and featured screenings of three films that represent the breadth of his filmmaking: The Last Dragon, Car Wash, and Cooley High.

These films showcase Schultz’s distinctive ability to integrate music, humor, drama, and cultural insight. From the coming-of-age resonance of Cooley High to the comedic energy of Car Wash and the joyful, genre-blending style of The Last Dragon, the inaugural celebration honored the range and legacy that continue to influence filmmakers today.