Director duo take on Rotterdam

Wolfson, Fleischeuer gear up festival

By IAN MUNDELL

Wolfson

BRUSSELS -- The Rotterdam Film Festival has appointed two part-time directors to oversee its 2008 edition, following this month's departure of topper Sandra den Hamer, while the search for a full-time director continues.

Artistic and organizational matters will be handled by Rutger Wolfson who will continue in his present job directing De Vleeshal, a center for contemporary art in the Dutch town of Middelburg. Business issues will be taken on by Stef Fleischeuer, director of Dutch project management consultants Plan F.

Both men have past links to the festival, but otherwise little film industry experience.

Wolfson insists he is not simply an interim director. There are important issues to address, he says, such as the festival's accommodation, now much too small, and content in 2008.

He is also interested in identifying central themes and questions for the festival. "These are questions related to film but also to the broader context," he explained.

He will meet programmers in the coming weeks to explore these in the 2008 fest, running Jan. 23 to Feb. 3.

After 21 years with the fest, seven as co-director or director, den Hamer will now head up the Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands' cinematography collection. In two years the museum will move to a new cinematheque with four theaters and a large exhibition space.