Oct 19, 2011
SFFILM
The San Francisco Film Society announces the appointment of Bingham Ray as executive director, effective November 7, 2011.
“The board of directors and staff of the San Francisco Film Society are honored, thrilled and extremely fortunate to have Bingham Ray join the organization to succeed Graham Leggat as our executive director,” said Pat McBaine, SFFS board president. “Few veteran industry professionals are more highly regarded, have broader experience or a better track record of success in all facets of the film world than Bingham. With his extensive background as a major studio executive, founder of October Films, adjunct professor at NYU and consultant to numerous film societies, festivals and companies, Bingham is a perfect and timely fit to carry on Graham’s legacy and build on the foundation of our year-round exhibition, education and filmmaker services programs.”
Ray comes to the San Francisco Film Society from New York City, where he recently served as the first run programming consultant to the Film Society of Lincoln Center, executive consultant to the digital distribution company SnagFilms and adjunct professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
“This opportunity defines the phrase ‘too good to be true’ for me,” said Ray. “To be invited to head one of the world’s greatest, most prestigious film societies, in one of the world’s greatest cities, is beyond extraordinary. Stepping in behind Graham Leggat is truly a daunting task. He elevated the San Francisco Film Society and its great Festival to world-class levels and assembled an incredibly talented staff, all of which are supported by a progressive, passionate and involved board of directors. I’m thrilled to be in such great company and welcome the challenges to come in this exciting new personal and professional chapter.”
In 2007 Ray joined the Los Angeles-based production company Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and held two posts during his three-year tenure, president of Kimmel Distribution and president of creative affairs. In the first post Ray supervised all marketing and distribution plans for the original Death at a Funeral, Talk to Me, Lars and the Real Girl and Synecdoche, N.Y., among others. In the latter he was responsible for the development and production activities of the remake of Death at a Funeral, as well as supervising the development of a seven-film production slate.
In September 2001, Ray assumed the post of president of United Artists. During his tenure at UA, the company acquired and/or produced many highly acclaimed films such as No Man’s Land, winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine, winner of the 2002 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary and the 2004 Academy Award-nominated Hotel Rwanda. Other United Artists films successfully released during Ray’s tenure include Jeepers Creepers 1 & 2, Nicholas Nickleby, Ghost World, Igby Goes Down and Pieces of April.
“Bingham’s coming on board is fantastic news for the Film Society. He is well known and well loved by filmmakers and studio executives alike, with a wide reach both domestically and internationally. He’s as at ease and knowledgeable in a conversation about the qualities of a screenplay as he is about the distribution pattern of a new film in Europe or Asia. We couldn’t ask for a more full service addition to SFFS,” said Film Society board member and former AMPAS President Sid Ganis.
Prior to running United Artists, Ray cofounded October Films in 1991 and served as its copresident until its sale to USA Networks in 1999. October was one of the foremost independent film companies of the 1990s, winning two Oscars and garnering 13 Oscar nominations and top prizes at the Cannes Film Festival on three occasions. Some of October Films’ credits include the internationally acclaimed Secrets & Lies, The Apostle, Cookie’s Fortune, The Celebration, Lost Highway, The Last Seduction and Breaking the Waves.
Ray began his career in 1981 as manager/programmer of the ?Bleecker Street Cinema. He has been on the juries of the Sundance Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards. He has lectured on film production and development at the City College of New York’s Graduate Film School, Columbia University and New York University.
Ray succeeds Graham Leggat, who served as the San Francisco Film Society’s executive director from October 2005 to June 2011 before his untimely death from cancer in August 2011. In five short years Leggat transformed the organization from an annual fifteen-day film festival producer into a year-round cultural institution with an increasingly national impact, providing programs and services in three key areas of activity: exhibition, education and filmmaker services. He strengthened SFFS with a valuable legacy and left it in the best shape-artistically, organizationally and financially-in its 54-year history.
“Graham’s death was difficult for all of us, both professionally and personally, and left very big shoes to fill. Having followed Bingham’s dynamic career for years and witnessed his passion for film, I can think of no one better to lead us into a new era and I’m thrilled that he’ll be bringing his tremendous experience, fresh energy and ideas to the Film Society,” said Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
“The Film Society became an incredibly unique institution under Graham Leggat’s tenure,” said SFFS board co-vice president Jen Chaiken. Co-vice president Todd Traina and I spearheaded the search for our new director, as we wanted potential candidates to fully understand what a special opportunity this is. After interviewing candidates from across the country and abroad, there is no one we’re more excited about to take us into the future than Bingham Ray. He’s a one-of-a-kind, seminal figure in the film world and we couldn’t be luckier to have him.”
The Film Society’s expanded year-round programming includes daily screenings and events at San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema, highlighted by the Fall Season of seven specialized festivals. The crown jewel of the exhibition program is the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19-May 3, 2012). The education department offers year-round media literacy programs to over 10,000 K-12 students, college and university programs to help students transition into the professional filmmaking arena, and more than 120 classes and workshops per year in film craft and film studies for filmmakers, filmgoers and cinephiles of all ages and skill levels. Filmmaker services offers a full suite of programs and activities designed to foster creativity and further the careers of independent filmmakers and oversees one of the largest film grant programs in the country, which will have dispersed more than $3.5 million to filmmakers by 2013. Hundreds of filmmakers have benefited from a vibrant fiscal sponsorship program, which provides production and development assistance.
“I firmly believe in the adage ‘don’t fix what’s not broken,'” said Ray. “My initial mission will be to carefully study and evaluate the existing programs of the Film Society, aiming to guide them to further growth and articulation. I’m particularly excited to begin an exploration into creating a dynamic digital initiative for the organization which could eventually expand the reaches of the education programs and SFIFF.”
To request an interview contact hilary@sffs.org.
For a photo visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.