ASPEN FILM NAMES GUEST PROGRAMMING DIRECTORS
July 20, 2016
Save the Dates for Aspen Filmfest: Sep. 21-25, 2016; Aspen Film Academy Screenings: Dec. 21, 2016- Jan. 1, 2017; Aspen Shortsfest: April 5-9, 2017
Aspen, CO (July 20, 2016) – Tapping three female industry veterans to lead its slates in the coming year, Aspen Film today announced special guest programmers for its flagship events during the 2016-17 season. Rachel Chanoff has been named Director of Programming for the 38th annual Aspen Filmfest (September 21-25, 2016); Jane Schoettle will serve as Director of Programming for the 25th Aspen Film Academy Screenings (December 21, 2016-January 1, 2017); and Kathleen McInnis will bring her shorts expertise as Director of Programming for the 26th Annual Aspen Shortsfest (April 5-9, 2017).
“We’re ecstatic about the stellar quality of our programming directors for the 2016-17 season,” offered Aspen Film Executive Director John Thew. “We can’t wait to see the creativity and artistic flair that Rachel, Jane and Kathleen bring to our unique cinematic events.”
Rachel Chanoff has been working in performing arts and film for 35 years and is founder and director of The Office performing arts + film, a New York City programming, consulting, and production company. She is curator of Performing Arts and Film for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), director of programming of the CenterSeries at the ‘62 Center for Theater and Dance at Williams College, consultant to the Feature Film and Theater programs for the Sundance Institute and to the RAWI screenwriters lab in Jordan, curator of the New York Jewish Film Festival and the Margaret Mead Film Festival, and artistic director of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Chanoff is also proud to serve on the board of the 52nd Street Project and Working Films.
Jane Schoettle is an international programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, responsible for programming films from Australia, New Zealand and Israel, as well as American independent cinema. She has served as a jury member for Narrative Features at SXSW in Austin and has served on numerous international festival juries including the Jerusalem International Film Lab and events in Scandinavia, Europe, South America and South Asia. Schoettle has participated in numerous film residency programs, most recently for the South Australian Film Corporation at the Adelaide Film Festival and for Screen Australia held in Sydney. Also known as a script consultant for private film-related clients, she frequently appears on-camera or in print as a film expert.
Kathleen McInnis is an international film festival programmer with over 25 years of experience. Currently a Short Cuts programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival, she previously served as festival director for the Slamdance Film Festival and Palm Springs ShortFest and lead programmer for the Seattle International Film Festival, among other programming posts. Recently a panelist for the UK Film Council at the Cannes Film Festival, McInnis has served on festival juries worldwide and, through her company See-Through Films, consults filmmakers at such worldwide festivals and markets as Toronto, Sundance, Berlin and San Sebastian. Teaching festival strategies at UCLA School of Film, Television and Theater, she is a regular guest lecturer at Brooklyn College and USC.
The full Aspen Filmfest program will be announced online Tuesday, August 30. Aspen Film member ticket pre-sales begin Friday, September 2. Tickets to the general public go on sale Wednesday, September 7. Tickets for all Aspen and Carbondale shows are available through the Wheeler Opera House Box Office (320 E. Hyman Ave., 970.920.5770, www.aspenshowtix.com); tickets for Carbondale shows are also available through Bonfire Coffee (433 Main St., 970.510.5327, www.bonfirecoffee.com).
Aspen Filmfest is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor The Aspen Times, as well as AspenOUT, City of Aspen, Embrey Family Foundation, Les Dames d’Aspen, Thrift Shop of Aspen and Town of Basalt. Additional support comes from the Alpine Bank, Aspen Club & Spa, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media, and The Gant.
For more information and to join Aspen Film, please visit www.aspenfilm.org. Full program information is available Tuesday, August 30 at www.aspenfilm.org. For updates, like Aspen Film on Facebook follow @AspenFilm on Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation by using #Filmfest16.