Irish Film Institute -IFI Director Sarah Glennie is appointed as new Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art

IFI Director Sarah Glennie is appointed as new Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art

The Irish Film Institute’s Director, Sarah Glennie, has been appointed as the new Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Glennie joined the Irish Film Institute as Director in 2008 and has overseen a period of very significant development of the IFI’s activities within Ireland and internationally.

Eve-Anne Cullinan, Chairperson of the IFI Board said “The current success of IFI is a testimony to Sarah’s excellent directorship, particularly recent developments internationally like the IFI’s Imagine Ireland programme in the USA, nationally with IFI National, and at our home in Temple Bar IFI where we enjoyed an increase in audiences of over 24% for our archive, education and cultural programme – significant achievements in 2011 at such a challenging time for the arts in Ireland. On behalf of the Board and staff of IFI I would like to thank Sarah for giving us a strong platform for the future with new developments on the horizon including the IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Centre at Maynooth, IFI Education’s Film Focus, and an exciting cultural programme for 2012.  Our congratulations and we wish her the very best in her new role as Director of IMMA. ”  

Commenting on her departure as IFI Director Sarah Glennie said “While I am honoured to be offered the opportunity to be Director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art I will be very sad to leave the Irish Film Institute. I want to take this opportunity to thank the extraordinary staff and Board of the IFI who have given me incredible support in my role as Director and made my time here an absolute pleasure. The IFI is a great institution with a great team and very loyal audience and I am sure it will continue to go from strength to strength.”

During her tenure at the IFI Sarah Glennie managed a large scale refurbishment of the IFI’s historic premises in Temple Bar that included the building of a third cinema screen, significant upgrading of the IFI Irish Film Archive’s facilities, and major improvements of the IFI Film Shop, IFI Café Bar, communications and public spaces.  The past six months has seen Saoirse Ronan launching the IFI Irish Film Archive Preservation Fund which will lead to the opening of a new Preservation Centre at Maynooth.

The IFI has also broadened its programme of the best international new releases, increased specialist seasons and festivals, reasserted its commitment to new Irish films, conducted a major national film education research project, and significantly increased public access to the IFI Irish Film Archive through regular programmes, successful DVD releases, and special events both in Dublin and around Ireland. 

During 2011 the IFI’s International programme formed a major part of Culture Ireland’s Imagine Ireland: A Year of Irish Arts in North America. Major seasons of Irish film presented as collaborations with organisations such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the Film Society of Lincoln Centre very substantially raised the international profile of Irish film and the IFI’s global reputation.

For more information please contact Patrick Stewart at the IFI Press Office on 01 679 5744 or pstewart@irishfilm.ie.

The IFI acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council.

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