Film Festival Gets a New Director

   Anne Chaisson, a longtime adviser to the Hamptons International Film Festival, will take over as its executive director, the festival has announced.

    She will replace Karen Arikian, the director for the past five years, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities, according to a press release. Ms. Arikian will continue as a United States/East Coast delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival and a U.S. consultant for European film promotion.

    Ms. Chaisson founded Dirty Rice Films in 2002 and has served in a fund-raising and development capacity for a number of entertainment nonprofits, including the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Nantucket Film Festival. She was the producer of “Roger Dodger,” which won a Best First Feature award at the Venice and Tribeca Film Festivals and other honors in 2002, and also produced the films “P.S.” and  “Diggers,” as well as the Independent Spirits Awards show in 2010 and 2011. She runs a student film workshop each summer through the film festival and Guild Hall.    

    Ms. Chaisson has already begun her new role.

    David Nugent, who had been the director of programming for the film festival, will now take the position of artistic director. He has taught classes in documentary film history and American independent film at the New School since 2004.