Rose Kuo has been named the new executive director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, replacing Mara Manus who is leaving the job after nearly two years at the leading film organization.
Known recently for her work as the artisic director of AFI Fest, Kuo and colleagues moved to found Festworks, a festival-consulting firm, and she has been serving as co-director of the Santa Fe Film Festival. Kuo has also worked as a programming consultant for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and for the Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Mill Valley Film Festivals.
Kuo was on a plane to New York City this afternoon and unavailable to speak at press time.
The move comes at a moment of major expansion for the Film Society. Early next year, the organization is preparing to open the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, adding two new theaters to Lincoln Center.
“Mara Manus stewarded us through significant organizational changes during a difficult period for all non-profit organizations and we are grateful for her contributions,” said Ann Tenenbaum, chair of the FSLC’s Board of Directors. “We’re extremely fortunate that on the eve of the biggest expansion in the Film Society’s history, we could turn to Rose Kuo, who has just the right expertise in creating dynamic experiences where film programmers, film-makers, and audiences can interact.”
Earlier this year, in the wake of a successful shift to a free model at AFI Fest last fall, Kuo left the festival with a number of key AFI colleagues. In January, she spoke with indieWIRE about the transition.
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