In the latest changing of the guard at key North American film festivals, SXSW director Janet Pierson is to become director emeritus of the film and TV festival and hand over leadership to her longtime deputy Claudette Godfrey.
2022 marked Pierson’s 15th year as head of the spring event in Austin, Texas, and 45 years in a career that has seen her champion independent films and filmmakers as an exhibitor, producer’s rep, executive producer and segment producer and segment director of IFC-Criterion’s Split Screen.
During her tenure at SXSW Pierson ensured the festival became a popular staging post on the annual calendar with a knack for tapping into the zeitgeist. She threw her support behind a vibrant selection and conference, launched the Episodic programme, and got behind the XR exhibition section.
Her new role brings a number of functions including programmer for the 2023 event, where she will be celebrated for her contributions to SXSW and the entertainment world.
“Leading SXSW Film (now SXSW Film & TV) starting in 2008 at the age of 50 was a wonderful, and quite unexpected, adventure,” said Pierson. “It’s been glorious to present so much great work at our unique event, yielding so many transformative experiences for creators and audience alike.
“I’m intensely proud of the work our small and very mighty team has accomplished. Now, 15 years and 14 events later, it feels right to hand the reins to the new Director, Film & TV, Claudette Godfrey. Claudette and I began working together in 2008 and she has been a significant collaborator and leader every step of the way. I’m excited to remain on the programming team to continue to support and elevate creators in this new capacity as Director Emeritus. It’s been a true privilege and I’m filled with gratitude.”
Godfrey has most recently held the role of director of film festival programming after starting out as a volunteer crew manager in 2006 and working her way up the ranks. Over the course of her 17 years at SXSW she has championed numerous short and music video filmmakers who have gone on to notable feature directing careers, including the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Janicza Bravo (Lemon, Zola) Trey Shults (Krisha), and Jim Cummings (Thunder Road).
In her new role Godfrey will lead the team and oversee the vision, programming and execution of SXSW Film & TV Festival, as well as film and TV-focused content within SXSW Conference.
“Janet is an incredible leader and mentor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to watch and learn from her example,” said Godfrey. “Our bold community of filmmakers, our enthusiastic audiences, and our gifted team that makes it all happen perpetually inspire me. I’m a hype woman at heart, and it’s a great joy in my life to discover and elevate new talent by curating and evolving an event that celebrates film, TV, and creativity. I started from the bottom and the journey has been exceptional – it’s an immense honour to continue to build on the legacy of SXSW Film & TV and take it into the future.”
The SXSW developments follow recent news that Eugene Hernandez will depart New York Film Festival and join Sundance as festival director in November after Tabitha Jackson led two Covid editions. Last November Joana Vicente left TIFF to start as CEO of Sundance Institute, which resulted in Cameron Bailey assuming the reins as TIFF CEO.
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