Film at Lincoln Center President Lesli Klainberg to Step Down

Film at Lincoln Center president Lesli Klainberg will step down from her executive role after the 2024 New York Film Festival, it was announced today.

The board of directors for Film at Lincoln Center, which presents the annual New York Film Festival and Chaplin Award gala, will form a search committee to recruit a new leader and the board has named NYFF managing director and vp, operations at FLC Matt Bolish as deputy director to work with Klainberg through the transition.

“My tenure at Film at Lincoln Center has been one of the most rewarding periods in my professional life. After over a decade as president and 14 New York Film Festivals come September, I am proud of how the organization has transformed and what we have accomplished. I’m leaving with a passionate and committed team in place,” Klainberg said in a statement. “The recent New York Film Festivals have seen record-breaking attendance and year-round enthusiastic audiences of all ages enjoy the diverse range of FLC’s programming. This demonstrates the enduring power of film to bring people together and inspire. Now is a great time to make this change and allow new leadership to make an impact.”

FLC board chairman, Dan Stern, added, “Lesli’s dedication to global cinema and to promoting a vibrant film community has successfully guided FLC towards the robust and active year-round organization it is today. She navigated the difficult COVID shutdown with determination and creativity and is leaving a strong team that positions FLC for future growth and success. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Lesli for her leadership and dedication. We wish her continued success in the next phase of her career and life.”

Klainberg’s leadership saw FLC go from a top cinematheque to the three-screen film center it is today, featuring a year-round mix of new releases, festivals, series, retrospectives, educational programs and other events. She updated NYFF operations and produced 12 Chaplin Award Galas, honoring such luminaries as Catherine Deneuve, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Viola Davis and Jeff Bridges.

During the COVID-19 pandemic she oversaw a hybrid model for the 2020 New York Film Festival featuring streaming options and drive-in theaters in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

Prior to becoming FLC president in 2014, Klainberg served two years as managing director and began working at FLC in 2011 as producer of the New York Film Festival.

The 2024 NY Film Festival is set to run from Sept. 27-Oct. 13.

More to come.