Geoffrey Gilmore. Director resigns from Sundance, heads to Tribeca
By John Esther
In a surprising move, Sundance Fim Festival Director Geoffrey Gilmore has resigned from his prestigious post. The resignation will take effect February 28, 2009.
Tribeca Enterprises today announced it hired Gilmore as its Chief Creative Officer. Gilmore's move to Tribeca comes after nearly two decades at Sundance, culminating in his role as Director of the Sundance Film Festival.
According to a press statement, Gilmore will be responsible for Tribeca's global content strategy and lead creative development initiatives and expansion of the brand. Gilmore will also join the Board of Directors of Tribeca Enterprises. Based in New York Tribeca Enterprises owns and operates the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, Tribeca Cinemas and other related businesses and initiatives.
The move from the well-established Sundance to the upstart Tribeca will pose new challenges for Gilmore, Sundance and Tribeca.
“I believe that Tribeca Enterprises is well positioned to develop a film organization that can create a new paradigm for the future,” Gilmore said, in a statement today. “The vision of its leadership, its structure and resources, and the track record of its brief history give me great excitement at the opportunity to join their enterprise. I’ve had a wonderful nineteen years at Sundance and will always be grateful to Bob Redford. For me this is a big decision, a huge change and an enormous opportunity.”
Gilmore joined Sundance Institute in 1990. As Director of the Sundance Film Festival he worked as part of a team of programmers who select films for the annual event, which is the most significant independent film festival in the world.
In a seperate press release, "I have both a personal fondness for Geoff that comes from working together for two decades, as well as a deep respect for his encyclopedic knowledge of and total commitment to independent film,” said Robert Redford, President, Sundance Institute and Founder, Sundance Film Festival. "Our Festival’s 25th anniversary has been a time of candid reflection. I support completely his decision. The timing is right to move on. We wish Geoff only the best as he embarks on the next phases of his life and career.”
Prior to joining Sundance Institute, Gilmore served for 15 years as head of the UCLA Film and Television Archive's Programming Department. He has served as a Visiting Professor both to UCLA and to Florida State University in Tallahassee.
No replacement for Gilmore has been announced.
No replacement for Gilmore has been announced.
