Robert Koehler will step down as director of programming at the Film Society Of Lincoln Center in order to return to Los Angeles to attend to family matters. The Society has appointed critic and programmer Dennis Lim to serve as director of Cinematheque programming.
Koehler will step down immediately and return to Los Angeles to focus on personal matters and requests that his family’s privacy be respected.
Lim [pictured] will oversee the year-round retrospectives, festivals and screening series and starts in his new role on Apr 1. New York Film Festival director of programming Kent Jones will expand his current duties and oversee all programming in the interim.
“Bob brought a lot of fresh new ideas and innovation to the Film Society during his tenure and we are sorry to see him go,” said Film Society Of Lincoln Center executive director Rose Kuo.
“We wish him and his family well and send him our support during this challenging time. We will continue to move forward in a new direction while maintaining our commitment to excellence with the appointment of Dennis Lim as the new director of Cinematheque programming.
“Dennis’ knowledge about our organisation, his important contributions to film writing and his talent as a programmer make him an ideal partner and leader in the organisation’s development and growth.”
Koehler added: “I am leaving the position of director of programming both with a sense of regret, particularly the feeling of personal separation from a wonderful staff and programming team, as well as absolute confidence, given the entrance of Dennis Lim, who has been a friend, colleague and fellow cinephile for several years and whom the Film Society is extraordinarily fortunate to have in a leadership role.
“I believe that we have laid a foundation for a new and exciting era at Film Society, and I also look forward to contributing in numerous capacities to the Film Society’s growth.”
“I’m excited and honoured to be joining an institution that has played a central role in the vitality of New York film culture and meant a great deal to me personally as a writer and a moviegoer,” said Lim, a frequent contributor to The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times who has also written for Artforum, Cinema Scope and The Village Voice, where he served as film editor from 2000 to 2006.
“I look forward to collaborating with Rose Kuo, Kent Jones, and the rest of the staff in developing a programming vision that both lives up to the illustrious history of the Film Society and opens new paths for its future.”
No comments yet