Sundance is bringing on its first new Festival Director in 11 years — and she’s the first woman and person of color to take on the role. A press release has announced that, following a worldwide search, the fest has tapped filmmaker and Sundance Institute mainstay Tabitha Jackson to succeed exiting Director John Cooper. Her new post will involve overseeing Sundance Film Fest’s “overall vision and strategy” and leading its senior team alongside Director of Programming Kim Yutani.
As Festival Director, Jackson will also be tasked with curating the Institute’s global public programming slate, including the lineups for Sundance: London, Sundance: Hong Kong, and the Short Film Tour.
Jackson is no Sundance newbie: she has served as Director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program since 2013. Since joining the Institute, she has helped implement “innovative new programs and resources that support nonfiction filmmakers worldwide with special passion for expanding the art of non-fiction storytelling.”
“It gives me immense pleasure to announce Tabitha Jackson as the new Director of the Sundance Film Festival,” said Keri Putnam, Sundance Institute’s Executive Director. “Tabitha is fiercely devoted to independent artists, has been a visionary member of the Sundance Institute’s leadership team for the last 6 years. Her authenticity, experience, and perspective will serve her well in leading the Festival forward as a beacon for independent artists and audiences.”
Jackson added, “It is exciting to be amplifying the voices and work of independent artists in these challenging and fast-changing times. My role, working with a team at the top of their game, will be to ensure that the festival remains as effective, vital, and transformational in the years going forward as it has been in the past — and to make sure that we have fun doing it,” she emphasized. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Jackson won a News & Documentary Emmy for “Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge,” a docuseries she produced and co-directed. She’s also produced docs such as “20,000 Days on Earth,” “The Imposter,” and “The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology.” Before joining Sundance, she was Head of Arts and Performance at the UK’s Channel 4 Television.
