In Memoriam—Former SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan

Jan 27, 2023

Photo by Pamela Gentile.

Remembering former SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan

On Wednesday, January 25, former SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan passed away at his home in Los Angeles. Our staff and alumni are deeply saddened by his loss and we’ve been swapping many uproarious stories about Noah, a wonderful, wild, big-hearted, and complex person who did so much for this organization during his tenure. His legacy is still propelling SFFILM ever forward, with filmmaking and film appreciation at its center.

Noah stepped into the Executive Director role at SFFILM in 2014—then known as the San Francisco Film Society—and immediately got to work with his bold vision for the organization. He said at the time, “The Bay Area has a storied relationship to cinema’s century-plus history and is currently home to the technology companies that will decisively influence the medium’s future. SFFS is uniquely positioned to work with filmmakers, educators, and enthusiastic local audiences to embrace the dynamic and exciting changes taking place within the industry and continue to ensure that great cinema is made, seen and appreciated.”

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Pamela Gentile

Noah Cowan on stage with Ellen Burstyn at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan on the red carpet with SF Mayor London Breed and former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan and Ellen Burstyn sitting together at SFFILM Awards Night.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Pamela Gentile

Noah Cowan with Pat Cleveland and Stephen Burrows at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan with Marcus Hu and B. Ruby Rich at SFFILM Essential SF

Photo by Pamela Gentile

Noah Cowan with Johnnie To at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan and Shah Rukh Khan at the 2017 SFFILM Festival.

Photo by Pamela Gentile

Noah Cowan and Wesley Morris at the 2016 SFFILM Festival.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan with Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CA Governor Gavin Newsom at the 2019 SFFILM Festival.

Photo by Tommy Lau

Noah Cowan and filmmakers of Darkest Hour at an SF Honors Award Presentation.

Launched in March of 2017, Noah delivered the rebranding of the organization, integrating all programs including year-round exhibitions, the world-renowned San Francisco International Film Festival, SFFILM Makers, and SFFILM Education under the banner of SFFILM. This new SFFILM was the foundation of who we are today—an organization that prioritizes supporting filmmakers young and old, bringing together the local film community, and inspiring film lovers throughout the Bay Area.

“Noah’s impact on SFFILM was indelible and lasting, and I was honored to carry the stewardship of the organization from Noah’s visionary work. He helped to bring us into a more modern and accessible era, starting with our name change from the San Francisco Film Society, as well as elevating our artist development and education programs to a higher visibility aligned with our legacy festival,” said SFFILM Executive Director, Anne Lai. “His energy and excitement about what we do continue to echo in the new initiatives he created during his time here. Like the movies, he was bigger than life and will be greatly missed.”

And of course, his love and knowledge of film drove his ambitions for the artform, and for SFFILM. Associate Director of Programming Rod Armstrong shared this remembrance, “Talking about cinema with Noah was a great pleasure for me during his time at SFFILM. Following his departure, we’d pick up our cinephilic chats when we saw one another, sprinkled with nifty gossip. It’s to my great dismay that I won’t be able to continue this conversation with Noah; he made me smarter, better at my job, and hearing his always-at-the-ready laugh made my day a little brighter. The ways he expanded the scope and reach of SFFILM are just one element of his impressive legacy; I’m so proud to have been a part of it.”

We will miss Noah and we know many film communities around the world will as well. We will continue to find solace in his legacy and work, and on especially hard days, we’ll look back at his musings on filmmaking to remind ourselves of the man he was and the devotion he had for filmmaking and film loving.