New Sydney Film Festival director announced

NSW Arts Minister George Souris has announced that Nashen Moodley will take up the position of festival director at Sydney Film Festival (SFF).

The appointment following a comprehensive national and international recruitment campaign.

Moodley will take up the position in January 2012, stepping down from his current role as manager/head of programming of the Durban International Film Festival, South Africa’s longest-running film festival, which he has held since 2001.

During his ten-year term, Moodley has been responsible for expanding the content and audiences of the festival and raising the profile of the South African film industry by establishing the Durban FilmMart.

He has also been an adviser to several other festivals including India’s International Film Festival of Kerala, South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival and Africala in Mexico City.

“Mr Moodley is internationally renowned and I am confident he will produce exciting and cutting edge Sydney Film Festivals,” Minister Souris said

Moodley said he was honoured and excited to be tasked with the position.

“Not only is Sydney Film Festival one of the world’s longest running, it has always been a great champion of Australian cinema and its official competition attracts some of the most interesting and significant films from around the world,” he said.

Sydney Film Festival 2012 will run June 6 – 17. For more information visit http://www.sff.org.au