Any way you look at it, Joana Vicente had a difficult job.
When she assumed the post of CEO of the Sundance Institute in late 2021, the world was a year into a pandemic that made indie filmmaking, festival planning and fundraising all challenging. During her tenure, she had to walk a careful line between the wants and needs of the entertainment industry and the realities of running a non-profit that had to capitalize on new, potentially profitable revenue generators like online offerings.
But after a little over two years, these problems are no longer Vicente’s to face, with the surprise announcement last week that she would be stepping down from her post.
Sundance insiders describe Vicente’s departure as amicable and pre-planned, with her memo to staff noting, “I have decided that it is time to explore new opportunities and adventures.” But it caught festival regulars and industry insiders off guard. The day before Vicente’s departure, Eugene Hernandez, who just finished up his first fest as director, was in California wine country, attending the Sonoma International Film Festival where he was seen taking a long series of calls. After the news broke, he was hounded with questions by festival goers.
Just two months ago, Vincente appeared eager to tackle the existential threats facing Sundance and the indie space head on. During January’s 2024 festival, she gathered top players from the indie film community — including studio executives, sales agents and talent reps for a conversation billed as a “think tank.”
Attendees broke off into groups to tackle discussion topics affecting the vulnerable indie film ecosystem, like distribution and financing. Two in attendance who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter noted that the meeting was appreciated and sparked interesting conversations, but said they were surprised that the discussions weren’t focused on the festival itself, which, like Hollywood, is…
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