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NewFest executive director David Hatkoff is stepping down after seven years with the New York City LGBTQ film festival.
Lesli Klainberg, longtime president of Film at Lincoln Center and a former NewFest executive director, has been appointed in the interim. Kevin Chase Executive Search Group is leading a national search for a permanent replacement.
Hartkoff will depart June 30 following this year’s NewFest Pride taking place May 28-June 1.
“NewFest has been the most meaningful work of my professional life,” Hatkoff said Wednesday morning. “It has been a privilege to work alongside the filmmakers, audiences, industry and community partners, sponsors, Board and staff that bring this essential work to life. Queer
stories deserve to be taken seriously by the industry and by the culture, and NewFest exists to make that case every single day. I’m proud of what we’ve built together, and I’m leaving it in the hands of an extraordinary team and a community that has never needed us more.”
Since joining NewFest in 2019, Hatkoff has increased its budget from $500,000 to nearly $2.5 million, making it the largest queer film festival in the U.S. His many accomplishments also included the launch of two new festivals, Queering the Canon and NewFest Pride.
Klainberg is a founding national board member of GLAAD and a former board member of Outfest in Los Angeles. She served as NewFest’s executive director from 2008 to 2011. More recently, she spent more than a dozen years as managing director and later president of Film at Lincoln Center.
“Returning to NewFest feels like coming home,” Klainberg said. “This organization has always held a special place in my heart, and I am honored to bring my experience to lead it through this important moment. David has done an extraordinary job leading NewFest, and my focus will be to support and collaborate with our dedicated staff and board, filmmakers, and partners, and to ensure we connect with the broader tri-state queer community as we prepare for the October festival and for NewFest’s next executive director.”
The 38th annual NewFest will take place Oct 15-27 under Klainberg’s leadership.
NewFest board of director co-chairs Jane Sasseen and Ellery Washington said, “David has been a terrific steward of NewFest’s mission and a true partner to this board. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and the growth he helped make possible. Lesli’s longstanding relationship with NewFest and her deep commitment to LGBTQ+ storytelling make her exactly the right leader for this moment. With Lesli providing interim leadership and a national search underway, NewFest is well-positioned for what comes next.”
