Sundance Institute Veteran John Cooper Joins Sonoma County’s True West Film Center as Artistic Director
True West Film Center, the nonprofit film organization serving Sonoma County, today announced the appointment of John Cooper as Artistic Director. The move comes as construction continues on the Center’s new James Redford Campus, a three-screen cinema and educational spaces slated to open this summer in downtown Healdsburg. In his new role, Cooper will craft and implement the artistic vision guiding all programs, including education, film screenings, the True West Film Festival, and year-round exhibition for the Center.
“I am delighted to welcome John to True West as our new Artistic Director.,” said Executive Director Kathryn Philip. “Over a decades-long career, Cooper has demonstrated visionary artistic leadership, exceptional curatorial know-how, and a passion for supporting independent filmmakers. As we look towards opening our cinemas and expanding our programs to serve more Sonoma County residents than ever before, I am thrilled that we will do so with the benefit of Cooper’s deep experience and well-honed creative instincts.”
John Cooper has been on the front lines of American independent film at Sundance Institute for more than thirty years. As director of the Sundance Film Festival from 2010 2020, Cooper oversaw all aspects of the annual event, launched the Art House Convergence, and led the festival’s expansion with satellite events in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Hong Kong. From 1995 to 1998, he also led Outfest, the annual Los Angeles festival of LGBTQ+ films. In 2020, he was accepted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Cooper co-hosts “The Film That Blew My Mind” with Tabitha Jackson and continues to serve as a guest curator and juror for major festivals around the world.
“I am honored to join the True West team at this pivotal moment,” said Cooper. “As a longtime champion of art house cinemas, I know that film has the power to bring people together. I am inspired and invigorated by this opportunity to build a vibrant film culture in the North Bay.”
When it opens this summer, True West Film Center’s James Redford Campus will encompass 8,000 square feet across two floors of downtown Healdsburg real estate. Two of the three cinemas will screen first-run mainstream films, and the third theater will present independent and art house films. Construction is funded by a multi-year, $5.6M capital campaign, with a total of $3.6M raised to date.
With the new facilities True West projects, it will serve 45,000 people per year within the first three years of operations, expanding its current audience by nearly 10 times. Within one year of opening, the Campus is projected to generate $2 million in new economic activity for Sonoma County. The Center will offer Spanish language programming, discounted tickets for a weekly local’s night and senior matinees, and $5 tickets through EBT, consistent with its mission to provide equitable access to cinematic experiences.
Alfonso Felder, SVP of Administration and Facilities for the San Francisco Giants, is serving as volunteer project manager. Eddinger Enterprises of Healdsburg is the construction firm and Tom Rael of Rael Architecture (New York) is the project architect. Theaters will be equipped with Christie Digital Laser Projectors and Dolby Sound equipment.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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