Milwaukee activist Vaun Mayes.
Source: Milwaukee Courier
Milwaukee activist Vaun Mayes subject of new documentary premiering this month
Sep 8, 2026, 4:08 PM CT
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Milwaukee activist Vaun Mayes will be the subject of a documentary set to premiere later this month.
A film crew is chronicling life in Black Milwaukee, focused on Mayes, starting with the Sherman Park uprising in 2016 after the fatal police shooting of Sylville Smith.
The film titled “Heavy is the Crown” will debut Sept. 27 at Milwaukee Film’s Documentary Dialogues Film Festival. Show time is 4:30 p.m. at the Oriental Theatre. To purchase tickets visit mkefilm.org.
“HEAVY IS THE CROWN follows charismatic Milwaukee community activist Vaun Mayes as he works alongside those most affected by cycles of violence, systemic neglect, and polarizing policing,” the movie’s website states. “Mayes reveals the resilience and care that sustain a community from within, empowering everyday community members to build programs and practices that nurture positivity in our city. The feature will be preceded by DEAR MILWAUKEE, a short film made by youth at Arts@Large exploring similar themes and ideas.”
The film is directed by Sean Kafer and produced through Mackenzie Savin and doc|UWM. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and talkback with filmmakers and participants from the films.
Drake Bentley is the general assignment reporter for the Milwaukee Courier, covering politics, sports and the community. He is an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Newsweek, Heavy and The Sporting News. He is a northside Milwaukee native, former political staffer and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Nebraska.
