Yahoo News Lesli Klainberg Stepping Down as President of Film at Lincoln Center
After more than a decade overseeing Film at Lincoln Center (FLC), Lesli Klainberg will step down as president of the organization. She will leave after this year’s New York Film Festival (NYFF), which will be held Sept. 27 – Oct. 13.
The group’s board of directors will organize a search committee to find and recruit Klainberg’s successor. The board also announced it has appointed Matt Bolish as deputy director to work with Klainberg through this leadership transition period. Bolish has been on staff since 2011, having previously served as vice president of operations at FLC and managing director of the New York Film Festival.
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“My tenure at Film at Lincoln Center has been one of the most rewarding periods in my professional life. 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 said in a statement. “The recent New York Film Festivals have seen record-breaking attendance and year-round enthusiastic 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.”
Klainberg has guided the film organization as it moved from being a prestigious cinematheque into a three-screen film center. It was a change that enabled FLC to showcase a year-round mix of new releases, festivals, series, retrospectives, educational programs and events. She has also produced 12 Chaplin Award Galas, honoring the careers of icons such as Catherine Deneuve, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Viola Davis and Jeff Bridges. During the COVID pandemic shutdown, she oversaw the development of a hybrid model for NYFF with streaming screenings and drive-in theaters in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Klainberg also worked closely with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts leadership to help them install film projection as part of the renovation of David Geffen Hall. In addition to those responsibilities, Klainberg served as the publisher of Film Comment magazine, which contains film criticism and cultural writing.
Dan Stern, chairman of the FLC board, said, “Lesli’s dedication to global cinema and to promoting a vibrant film community 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.”
Before becoming president of FLC in 2014, Klainberg served was the organization’s managing director and began working at FLC in 2011 as producer of the New York Film Festival.
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