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| Kristy Matheson will take up role after August's edition of the festival |
Matheson, who has been working in the film festival and museum sector for more than 20 years, was previously director of Film at Australia’s national museum of screen culture, ACMI.
Matheson said: “I've had the enormous privilege to lead the strategic direction of the Film Department in a multi-disciplinary museum that puts curiosity, collaboration, and audiences at the centre of everything it does. I’m excited to bring this programming ethos into my new role with the CMI.”
CMI chief executive officer Ken Hay said: “We are delighted to announce Kristy Matheson as our new Creative Director. Kristy has an exceptional track record working across the film sector, and will bring a fresh creative vision to Edinburgh International Film Festival and the year-round work of Filmhouse and Belmont Filmhouse. We can’t wait to welcome her to Edinburgh later in the summer.”
Matheson will take up her appointment following this year's edition of the festival, which will be a hybrid event taking place from August 18 to 25 - this also marks a return to the festival's previous slot in the festival calendar after its controversial move to June some years ago, although whether this will continue in future years has not been confirmed. The move also comes after the festival lost a number of key staff in the past two years, including artistic director Mark Adams, deputy artistic director Diane Henderson, long-serving programmer Niall Fulton, along with the chair of the CMI, Sandy Begbie, who stepped down after three years in the role. This year the festival is planning to hold screenings at its Filmhouse hub as well as a number of additional outdoor events in the city's St Andrew's Square and at the Port Edgar Marina in South Queensferry.
This year's edition led by Nick Varley, the founder and former co-CEO of distributor Park Circus, who is working alongside guest programmers. The full programme, which will also include online screenings, is to be announced on July 28.
