Kirsten Schaffer will join Women in Film as executive director come April, departing a 14-year post as deputy director and head of programming for Outfest.
Schaffer, largely credited with growing the LGBT-themed organization into substantial festival player, joins Women in Film under second term president Cathy Schulman.
“Kirsten’s exceptional and wide-ranging skills in leadership and management, fundraising and financial oversight, strategic partner relationships and programming make her the ideal person to take Women in Film to the next level, as we build and refine our programs, identifying lever points to stop women from falling out of sustainable Hollywood Industry careers,” Schulman said in a statement.
“Women in Film is at the nexus of a growing movement of women and men committed to improving gender parity in the entertainment industry,” Schaffer said. “I am honored to work with such an esteemed Board of Directors to lead this charge.”
Former executive director Gayle Nachlis will remain in the role of senior director of education.
Schaffer’s initiatives at Outfest included the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, the Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival and OutSet, the Young Filmmakers Project from the Los Angeles LGBT Center and Outfest,
WIF’s mission is to meet the express goal of serving women better and to increase opportunities for women and girls in the media industries. New initiatives include advocacy for industry-wide change and education to better prepare women “to be competitive and receive their fair share of limited resources.”