The person in charge of the Sundance Institute is stepping down.
Joana Vicente, the CEO of the nonprofit arts organization Robert Redford started in 1981, announced Friday that she is leaving the job after 2½ years.
In a news release from the institute, Vicente was quoted as saying, “I have made the decision to begin a new chapter and will be moving on from my role as CEO of Sundance Institute.”
The institute’s board of trustees has appointed Amanda Kelso, an institute board member, as acting CEO — a job she previously held. Kelso also has been a co-chair of the board’s Technology Committee, Finance Committee and the Festival Task Force.
“As we look toward the future of the Sundance Institute, I am filled with both pride and humility as I take on the role of acting CEO,” said Kelso, in the release. “It is an immense honor to return to lead during this pivotal time for arts organizations, and more specifically, independent storytellers.”
Kelso will take over in April, and Vicente will advise her and the board through June, the institute announced.
The news comes after an announcement this week that the dates of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival — which the institute has operated since 1985 — have been set for Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, 2025, in venues in Park City and Salt Lake City.
The institute’s contract with Park City for the film festival will end in 2026. KPCW reported that the nonprofit has until this coming October to make the decision to renew it, and that Vicente addressed challenges of having the festival in the mountain town on a podcast last year.
Vicente oversaw operations of the 2023 festival, the first year the event was back to in-person screenings, after the departure of festival director Tabitha Jackson, who had held the job during the online-only festivals in 2021 and 2022. Vicente was responsible for hiring Eugene Hernandez, who started as festival director with this year’s event.
Before coming to Sundance, which has headquarters in Los Angeles and Park City, Vicente was the executive director and co-head of the Toronto Film Festival.
“Over the past six years, I have had the privilege of leading two of the most culturally significant organizations for independent film in North America through some of the most challenging times for our industry,” Vicente said in the statement from Sundance. “This journey has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m so proud of the work our Sundance team has accomplished together, championing independent storytellers and amplifying their voices.”
During her time in the role, Vicente led the festival back to in-person efforts after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the release, there was no mention of where Vicente will go next.
Kelso joined the board in 2020, and has worked in technology and storytelling for more than 25 years. Her previous gigs include managing director of Google Creative Lab and digital creative leadership at Goodby Silverstein & Partners. She also worked on such TV productions as “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and is a member of the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council.
