Feinberg Is Named Festival Director
"There have been four editions of the festival, each one progressively better than the year before. My goal is to make it five in a row," said the Hamptons International Film Festival's new executive director, Bruce Feinberg.
A board member since the festival's inception, Mr. Feinberg has witnessed its growth and stepped in for a brief period as managing director in 1995. He also is the board secretary, a position he will maintain.
An announcement of Mr. Feinberg's appointment was made last week. He replaces Ken Tabachnick, who was in the post for only one year and whose contract had expired. Mr. Tabachnick was reported to be out of the country and could not be reached for comment.
Film Commissioner
Mr. Feinberg, who lives in Long Beach, is a marketing and public relations consultant in the entertainment and news media industries. In 1981, he joined the New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting, and, in 1992, he was appointed by Governor Cuomo as New York State Film Commissioner. In that post his job involved "attracting the media, providing services to producers, and scouting locations," he said.
Mr. Feinberg noted that the festival, while conducted primarily for the film industry, was intent on being a boost to the local economy in its off-season.
"I know it causes traffic five weeks after everyone is glad the traffic is over," Mr. Feinberg admitted, but the festival "brings to the community an extra season." He noted that after the first year the festival had limited the meals it provides itself to opening and closing nights.
Giving Back
He also cited the free outdoor screenings the festival has held for the past two summers as an example of its giving back to the village. While plans have not yet been finalized, the festival intends to hold another public event in August, he said.
As announced in The Star on May 8, the festival has appointed six new board members. They are Jonathan Canno, C.E.O. of the Equitable Bag Company, Michael Lynne, C.E.O. of New Line Cinema, Rodney Miller of Credit Suisse First Boston, Cindy Sulzberger, who will begin teaching at the Hampton Day School in the fall, Claude Wasserstein, president of Cresta Point Productions, and Patty Weeks, a sponsor of the arts.
Each new board member brings some blend of film industry experience, fund-raising skills, and connections to the board. In December, also as previously reported, the chairwoman of the board, Toni Ross, expects to leave her office but remain an active member of the board.
As to the future viability of the event, Mr. Feinberg said that "in any not-for-profit organization you have an ebb and flow of finances."
Money was tight throughout the early spring months, but Mr. Feinberg said the horizon was brightened by many "international caliber" sponsors' planning to come on board for 1997. He declined to disclose them, but used Jaguar, a sponsor of last year's festival, as an example.
During the summer season, the festival's office will be open daily. While the tightening of funds prevented the festival from becoming the year-round operation it had envisioned, now, as one board member, Roberta Wolf, put it, "We're ready to roll again."