After conducting an extensive national search, the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival (MNFF) Board of Directors has named film innovator, activist and leader, Caitlin Boyle, as its new Executive Director, starting September 15th. Boyle will succeed MNFF founding producer, Lloyd Komesar, who will step down from his role but remain a member of the Festival’s board.
Caitlin Boyle is well-known and deeply appreciated in the world of American independent film – especially by documentary producers and filmmakers whom she has championed, mentored and facilitated for nearly 20 years – as an effective strategist in the areas of distribution, social impact and audience engagement. “Caitlin Boyle is the independent filmmaker’s ultimate Swiss Army knife,” said documentary maker, Vicki Abeles. “Her savvy, creativity and expertise in film distribution, communications and outreach make her an invaluable resource to any project.”
In 2005, Boyle started working in documentary production, at New York City’s flagship PBS affiliate, WNET, where she was a member of the staff for Bill Moyers’ show, “Wide Angle.” In 2009, she founded and directed Film Sprout, a pioneering distribution firm whose mission was to broaden the viewership and impact of documentary film through campus and grassroots screening tours. In a world where filmmakers frequently sign over their movies to distributors and rarely hear much from them, Boyle developed close collaborations that dramatically increased outreach and impact for dozens of films.
Boyle sold Film Sprout in 2019 and has continued, since then, to champion documentary films and filmmakers through her extensive consulting work, independently and through organizations including Odyssey Impact, Cinereach, Together Films and Auburn Seminary’s Center for Storytelling and Narrative Change.
From 2020 to 2023, Boyle played leadership roles as Director of Filmmaker Development and Director of Industry and Education at DOC NYC, the nation’s largest documentary film festival. She ran DOC NYC’s Industry Roundtables for filmmakers with works-in-progress; and supported festival relationships with key sponsors, including HBO Documentary, Showtime Documentary, and A&E. She also co-created and led the festival’s New Documentary Leaders program, a first-ever professional development opportunity for non-creative doc executives. And she founded, in a partnership with the Video Consortium, a mentorship program for first-time doc directors, which paired them with veteran filmmakers for story consulting and professional support.
Caitlin Boyle has also led workshops and a variety of focused dialogues at dozens of leading film organizations including Impact Partners, The New York Foundation for the Arts, The Gotham Producers Lab, Chicken and Egg Pictures and The Sundance Institute.
Boyle served on the Middlebury New Filmmakers 2023 documentary jury and commented how she was “struck by the spirit of learning, inclusion and camaraderie that infused MNFF screenings and panels.”
“I can see why the festival has won the high regard of early-career filmmakers, who often find festivals intimidating and exclusive.”
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Caitlin Boyle as the new Executive Director of the Festival,” said Lloyd Komesar, MNFF Producer. “We know she will actively explore emerging opportunities for growth and development as we head into our second decade.”
“I can’t imagine a better or more qualified person to lead us into our second decade as an advocate and supporter for first and second-time filmmakers,” said the Festival’s founding Artistic Director, Jay Craven, who will work with Boyle as he continues at MNFF.
“Lloyd Komesar will surely be a tough act to follow – but Caitlin promises to bring fresh insight and imagination as we take on new challenges and explore promising opportunities. We will welcome her during her attendance at this year’s festival and look forward to her starting work in September.”
Caitlin Boyle holds a B.A., summa cum laude, in history from Columbia University and an M.A. from the Indiana University Graduate School of Journalism. She lives in Mount Holly, Vermont with her family.
The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival works to celebrate film culture and support, promote and exhibit the dynamic efforts of emerging filmmakers. This year’s Festival will take place August 21-25 in downtown Middlebury. More information is available at www.middfilmfest.org. MNFF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.