John Cooper has beenappointed director of film festival programming at the Sundance Film Fesitval,Sundance Institute executive director Ken Brecher and Sundance Film Festivaldirector Geoffrey Gilmore announced today. Cooper will run the film festivalprogramming team, which includes senior programmer Trevor Groth and programmersShari Frilot and Caroline Libresco, who in addition to Cooper and Gilmoreselect most of the festival entries. Cooper joined the Sundance Institute in1990 and has been associate director of film festival programming since 1999.

'Cooper has beenintegral in shaping the direction festival programming has taken over the pastfew years,' Gilmore said: 'This appointment reflects his increasingrole and responsibility at the festival and his dedication to the independentfilm community.' Gilmore will continue to lead in creative and programmingmatters and act as a 'guiding force' in quality control.

All logistical andadministrative aspects of the festival are handled by Sundance Institutemanaging director Jill Miller, who also runs the general financial managementof the Institute.