Film Forum Announces Tabitha Jackson as Director
TOC Arts Partners is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of Film Forum in New York City has appointed Tabitha Jackson as Director following our extensive national search led by Vice President of Organizational Strategy, Dr. Edie Demas and Consultant, Search & Strategy, Brenna Thomas. Jackson, who previously led the Sundance Film Festival, brings her programming expertise to the iconic New York City cinema. Her tenure begins on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Per the organization’s press release, “Jackson is an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in independent and non-profit media, both in the U.S. and her native England. She joins Film Forum energized by two years of research fellowships with MIT Open Documentary Lab, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; and a Rockefeller Foundation residency; in which she considered both the current state of institutional trust, and mediated reality and its implications for the documentary project.”
“Independent nonprofit arthouse cinema’ — those four words distill everything I’ve championed throughout my career. That they also describe Film Forum, my local movie theater, makes this appointment feel like coming home,” said Jackson in the company’s release. “For 56 years, Film Forum has built a national and international reputation for bold curation, unparalleled repertory programming, fiercely loyal audiences — and legendary banana bread. It is an honor to step into the world built by my predecessors Karen Cooper and Sonya Chung, Artistic Directors Bruce Goldstein and Mike Maggiore, Managing Director Chad Bolton, and the rest of the incredible Film Forum staff and board, and a privilege to lead this vital space into its next chapter. Because Film Forum is where art becomes civic life — where a film can start a debate, transform the way we see, or simply remind us we’re not alone in the dark.”
“After a search process involving a large number of extremely qualified candidates, our board of directors and staff quickly reached a strong consensus around Tabitha, and it’s no surprise, given her passion for film and history of strong management in the non-profit arts arena,” said Film Forum Board Chair Gray Coleman in the company’s release. “Plus she is a longtime resident of Greenwich Village and has spent years attending screenings and events at Film Forum.”
“Leading this search for Film Forum was a remarkable opportunity to work with an institution whose commitment to independent cinema, curatorial excellence and community building through film is unmatched," said Dr. Edie Demas, Vice President of Organizational Strategy at TOC Arts Partners. "Tabitha's deep understanding of nonprofit arts leadership, combined with her vision for the power of independent film and its particularly vital role in strengthening the fabric of community and civic life, made her the clear choice to steward Film Forum into its next era. Her passion for the organization as both an advocate and a longtime patron brings an authenticity that will resonate powerfully with Film Forum's community and mission.”
About Film Forum
Film Forum stands as a singular cultural treasure in New York City—the last remaining autonomous nonprofit cinema in a city that has long been the heart of American film culture. For over five decades, this Greenwich Village institution has maintained an unwavering commitment to its three-part mission: showcasing new American and international films, preserving and presenting cinema's greatest works through repertory programming, and fostering the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers.
What distinguishes Film Forum is not merely its longevity, but its fierce independence and uncompromising curatorial vision. In an era when many art house theaters have been absorbed by chains or succumbed to commercial pressures, Film Forum has maintained its authentic voice, programming films that matter rather than films that merely sell. The organization has cultivated one of the most discerning and passionate audiences in the world—cinephiles who trust Film Forum's judgment implicitly and who see the cinema as essential to their cultural life.
About TOC Arts Partners
TOC Arts Partners (formerly Tom O’Connor Consulting Group) is a national strategy and executive search firm for arts and culture organizations. Our team of seasoned arts leaders brings decades of first-hand experience in organizational strategy, capital project transitions, and operational excellence for arts institutions. We’ve had the privilege of working alongside more than 150 arts and culture client partners in 25 states and across 11 unique genres, from stages to screens, museums to municipalities. These include both our strategy and executive search clients—including over 90 searches for executive and senior leaders.
Select clients have included Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pioneer Theatre (Salt Lake City), Marin Cultural Center, Ballet Hispánico, The Hult Center for the Performing Arts, The Metropolitan Opera, New York Theatre Workshop, The Moth, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Dramatists Guild Foundation, and more.
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