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| Eugene Hernandez is becoming Sundance Film Festival's new director Photo: Courtesy Henny Garfunkel for the Sundance Institute |
New York Film Festival's executive director Eugene Hernandez is to join the Sundance Institute as its next festival director and head of public programming.
Hernandez, who has been at NYFF since 2020, will continue in his role with them until after this year's edition before starting at the Sundance Institute in November. The Institute's CEO Joana Vicente said that the programming for the upcoming edition of Sundance will be led by herself and director of programming Kim Yutani and their team, with Hernandez's first festival as lead occuring for Sundance's 40th anniversary in 2024.
The new director has strong independent cinema credentials, having co-founded Indiewire before moving into programming at Film at Lincoln Center in New York.
Vicente said: "It's a full circle moment as Eugene has been inextricably connected to Sundance for more than 25 years, ever since he came to the Festival in the mid-1990s to build Indiewire, an online community for indie film. He's been at the forefront of supporting independent artists and deeply invested in the careers of storytellers and the field as a whole.
"I am thrilled that he will be the next festival director and that he is joining the Institute's leadership team. I look forward to working closely with him as he leads the Festival and builds out our public programming — shaping critical conversations all year round, supporting our artist community, and expanding the possibilities for Sundance audiences and artists alike. He joins at a critical time in the industry for independent filmmakers when the Institute has never played a more important role for artists, audiences, and the field in total."
Sundance founder Robert Redford added: “Supporting independent artists has always been the bedrock of the Institute and the fuel behind the festival. The fact that we have been able to hold true to this core purpose is a testament to the vitality of the Institute and to the festival’s platform as a place to discover new films, ideas, and artists. For almost three decades, Eugene has been working on a parallel path with many of the same values and objectives in mind."
Hernandez said: "Sundance's decades of leadership, championing artistic discovery and independent expression, was a landmark catalyst in my life. Nearly 30 years ago, looking for direction and curious, I went to the Sundance Film Festival for the first time. I immediately connected with its mission, and it changed my life.
"I'm both energised and humbled to accept this opportunity to join Sundance. Supporting artists has been at the center of my career's work, and for the last 12 years, I've had the privilege of growing and learning at Film at Lincoln Center and the New York Film Festival. I'm ready for this inspiring challenge and unique opportunity to engage artists and audiences at Sundance, work with its best-in-the-business team, and follow in the footsteps of exceptional leaders."
He is the fourth festival director in Sundance’s history and replaces Tabitha Jackson, who left after leading two Covid-hit editions.
