In the continually spinning turnstile that is the festival circuit, Rachel Rosen is leaving Los Angeles Film Festival and its parent company, Film Independent, after eight years as its head of programming to assume the title of Director of Programming at the San Francisco Film Society, which oversees the San Francisco International Film Festival. Rosen had served as associate director of the society from 1994 to 2001 before moving to Los Angeles.
"We're thrilled to welcome Rachel back to a leadership role in the organization after her extraordinarily successful tenure in Los Angeles," said Graham Leggat, the society's executive director, in a prepared statement. "Her intelligence, flair for innovation and keen eye for exciting new work are just what we need as we enter our next phase."
Rosen made a considerable impact during her tenure, with festival attendance more than doubling, from 35,000 to over 80,000. She also dramatically increased the number and scope of international films presented at LAFF and instituted a special international sidebar that examined independent films from Argentina and China, as well as rare and lesser-known international animation, the work of Nigerian filmmaker Tunde Kelani and documentaries from Mexico's Ambulante Film Festival, among other highlights. "Rachel's discerning eye, dazzling knowledge of film and support of independent filmmakers have been essential to the festival's success during her years at Film Independent," said Film Independent's Executive Director Dawn Hudson in a statement. "I so appreciate Rachel's extraordinary talents and her unstinting commitment to the organization, and we wish her the best as she enters this new phase in her career."
Rosen steps in to fill the post recently vacated by Linda Blackaby, who also served eight years. "One of the most respected film programmers on the international scene, Linda has played a primary role in the expansion and success of the Film Society in recent years," said Leggat. "She leaves behind many friends and admirers. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors."
"I think what Graham and the Film Society team have accomplished in the past few years with both the San Francisco International Film Festival and year-round programming is incredibly exciting," said Rosen in a statement. "I'm grateful to have a chance to be a part of it. I'm thrilled to be returning to an organization and a city that love great cinema."
Prior to her first stint in San Francisco, Rosen began her career in New York where she worked as a publicist in the film industry for five years. In 1988, she enrolled in Stanford University's prestigious documentary film program in the department of communication. While completing her thesis film, Rosen worked for the New York Film Festival as directors liaison and for SFFS in addition to working in various capacities on student and professional film productions.
In 1993, Rosen moved back to New York for a year to accept a position as programming and publicity associate at Film Forum. Her short documentary on tornado chasers, Serious Weather, was shown at the San Francisco and Vancouver International Film Festivals and the British Short Film Festival. Rosen was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative literature from Brown University.
During her eight-year tenure, Blackaby oversaw Film Society festivals and other public exhibitions, maintaining a high level of curatorial quality as SFFS dramatically expanded its calendar to include year-round offerings. The 2009 San Francisco International Film Festival, her most recent program, received critical and audience acclaim and enjoyed record attendance. Previously, Blackaby programmed the Hamptons International Film Festival on Long Island and was founding director of the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. She came to the Bay Area in 1997 to advise the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. She is currently chair of the Princess Grace Foundation film panel in New York City.
"Getting to know and working with the San Francisco film community has been very meaningful to me," said Blackaby. "There is so much talent and expertise here, and such passion for good cinema, that it has been particularly gratifying to have contributed to the growth of the Festival and SFFS."