Lesli Klainberg, president of Film at Lincoln Center for a decade, will be stepping down this fall after the upcoming New York Film Festival, which runs Sept. 27- Oct. 13.
FLC’s board will form a search committee to recruit a new leader, the nonprofit film organization said. It’s tapped Matt Bolish as deputy director to work with Klainberg during a transition period. Bolish is VP, Operations at FLC and managing director of the New York Film Festival.
“My tenure at Film at Lincoln Center has been one of the most rewarding periods in my professional life,” said Klainberg. “After over a decade as President and 14 New York Film Festivals come September, I am proud of how the organization has transformed and what we have accomplished. I’m leaving with a passionate and committed team in place.”
Klainberg noted the NYFF’s “record-breaking attendance” and that “year-round audiences of all ages enjoy the diverse range of FLC’s programming. This demonstrates the enduring power of film to bring people together and inspire. Now is a great time to make this change and allow new leadership to make an impact.”
FLC Board Chair Dan Stern praised Klainberg’s “dedication to global cinema and to promoting a vibrant film community [that] has successfully guided FLC towards the robust and active year-round organization it is today. She navigated the difficult COVID shutdown with determination and creativity and is leaving a strong team that positions FLC for future growth and success. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Lesli for her leadership and dedication. We wish her continued success in the next phase of her career and life.”
Klainberg joined FLC in 2011 as a producer of the NYFF and become president in 2014.
Under her leadership, FLC underwent a foundational transformation, evolving into a thriving three-screen film center with a year-round mix of world class new releases, festivals, series, retrospectives, educational programs and events, including the 12 Chaplin Award Galas she produced with honorees including Catherine Deneuve, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Viola Davis and Jeff Bridges. Highlights during her tenure include FLC’s Artists and Critics Academies, student screenings, film programs in schools, and free membership for under 25. She led the establishment of Art House NY, a collaborative effort among movie theaters to promote the theatrical experience
During Covid, she oversaw the development of a hybrid model for NYFF with streaming screenings and drive-in theaters in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Kleinberg served as the publisher of Film Comment magazine and established the FLC Archives, a formal record of the organization’s contributions to global film culture across seven decades.
Her films as an indie producer include the Sundance Audience Award winner Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer’s End, Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema, In The Company of Women. She has served on juries at film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Locarno, Provincetown, Cartagena, and Tribeca.
Klainberg has also been a consulting producer for the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program and was co-leader of the IFP’s (now The Gotham) Documentary Finishing Lab for three years. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Documentary Branch and the Producers Guild. She is a founding National Board member of GLAAD and a former Board member of both Outfest and NewFest. And she is currently an adjunct lecturer at SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory program.
Bolish oversees festival partnerships for FLC, including collaborations with The Museum of Modern Art, the Jewish Museum, the New York Asian Film Foundation, LCPA Outdoor screenings, and others.
As managing director and producer of the New York Film Festival, Matt is intimately involved in all operational aspects of the annual event. Between 2010 and 2019, he curated Convergence, FLC’s interactive and immersive storytelling program.
In 2022, he was elected to the board of Art House Convergence, an organization dedicated to advancing community-based, mission-driven media exhibitions.
Before joining FLC, Matt worked at a number of film festivals and arts organizations, including the American Film Institute, Outfest, and the Dallas Film Society.
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