The Societe des Realisateurs de Films (SRF), the organisation behind Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, has appointed Frederic Boyer as artistic director.

He will take over from outgoing director Olivier Pere, who is leaving to latter heads to the Locarno Film Festival. In September last year, it was announced that Pere would replace Frederic Maire in Locarno and take up his post as of September 1, 2009.

In 2004 when Pere joined the Fortnight it followed a period of turmoil that saw two artistic directors, Francois Da Silva and Marie-Pierre Macia, leave in the space of a year.

Boyer has been a member of the selection committee of the Fortnight since Pere’s arrival in 2004. He will start the new job in November in order to prepare the 2010 running of the section.