Graham Leggat Named New Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society

Graham Leggat, pictured here at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, has been appointed executive director of the San Francisco Film Society. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

Graham Leggat, who currently serves as director of communications at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, has been appointed the new executive director of the San Francisco Film Society effective October 17th, the organization announced Wednesday. Leggat replaces Roxanne Messina Captor, who departed from the position following the 48th San Francisco International Film Festival in May. The group organizes the annual festival, which will be held April 20 - May 4 in 2006.

Leggat has served as director of communications at New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center since 1999, administering the publicity, marketing and special events of the organization’s extensive year- round calendar, including the annual New York Film Festival, taking place this year September 23rd - October 9th this year. In addition to NYFF, the Film Society also hosts the New Directors/New Films series, the annual Rendez Vous with French Cinema and numerous other film events. Leggat has also served as associate publisher of FSLC’s Film Comment Magazine in addition to working as a columnist for the New York Daily News and serving as a contributing editor for Filmmaker Magazine. He is also a programming board member for the New York Video Festival.

indieWIRE corresponded with Leggat yesterday, who indicated that he has a “number of ideas” for the organization he will soon oversee, although he isn’t currently ready to reveal them. “I need to be on the ground and see exactly how things work and meet everyone in the city first,” said Leggat to indieWIRE. “I believe, without being able to say exactly what yet, that the San Francisco Film Scoiety is going to do great things over the next several years.” Leggat also praised the SF Film Society staff for its dynamism and ability to evolve. “There’s [a] terrific energy and applied intelligence among the organization’s staff and board and in the city itself. That kind of progressive momentum and attitude invariably seeks ways to make things new… the ‘05 festival’s concentration on new Malaysian cinema was particularly impressive and ahead of the curve.”

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Leggat’s move west won’t be the first time he has taken up residency on the left coast. He graduated in 1987 with a B.A. in American Studies at Stanford University, and lived in San Francisco for three years prior to completing his program. He also has an M.A. in English and creative writing from Syracuse University. Leggat has written numerous fiction and non-fiction pieces for a slew of publications, and his first book—a sci-fi novel about love and money—will be published next summer for Sterling House Press. Born to Scottish parents in England in 1960, Leggat emigrated to North America as a teenager in the mid 1970s. Login to recommend this article » posted on September 1, 2005 Films to Snag Login to Leave a Comment »