Newsweek critic David Ansen named LAFF artistic director

Senior programmer Doug Jones has been promoted to associate director of programming for the event, set to run from June 17-27, 2010.

“As a consummate movie lover, David is one of the finest critics thinking, watching, and writing about movies today,” festival director Rebecca Yeldham said. “To have David join our exceptional programming team is a dream come true, and will only further ignite the excitement building around LAFF, its direction, and its future,” said

“LAFF is uniquely positioned to draw on the industry’s history and broad range of talent to create a festival that will not only showcase the best new work from around the world, but provide unforgettable film-going experiences for the audience,” Ansen said.

“With one of the most respected tastemakers joining forces with a talented producer like Rebecca, we continue to build a top-notch team that makes the Los Angeles Film Festival a platform for nurturing the diversity of films being made and bringing them to the everyday film goer,” Film Independent executive director Dawn Hudson said.

Ansen was Newsweek’s movie critic from 1977-2008 and continues to write for the publication as a contributing editor. He has written several documentaries for television about film celebrities and was on the selection committee of the New York Film Festival from 1990-98.

He is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society Of Film Critics, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Jones has been with Film Independent since 2002, when he joined as senior programmer for the Los Angeles Film Festival. He is currently on the nominating committee for the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.