Jacobson will curate the 18th½ Philadelphia Film Festival in October 15-18, 2009

The Philadelphia Film Society is pleased to announce that it has appointed Harlan Jacobson as the new Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Film Festival.  Jacobson begins immediately, and will curate the selection of films for the 18th½ Philadelphia Film Festival, scheduled for October 15, 2009 - October 18, 2009 at multiple venues throughout Philadelphia.

Harlan Jacobson has covered the film industry for more than 30 years, having served as film critic and reporter at Variety, and as editor of Film Comment Magazine, where he continues to interview major filmmakers (Francis Ford Coppola, Mike Leigh, Sir Ben Kingsley) as contributing editor.

Along with his partner, Susan Jacobson, Mr. Jacobson is the founder of Talk Cinema, a nationwide series of screenings well known to Philadelphians for the past 15 years for showcasing innovative independent and foreign films in pre-release followed by discussions with critics, scholars and filmmakers.  Mr. Jacobson culls his selections from key discovery festivals around the world, including the Cannes, Sundance and Toronto film festivals, with regular stops in Locarno, Palm Springs, Reykjavik and Amsterdam, among others.

"We couldn't be more excited to have Harlan come aboard as our new Artistic Director," said Andrew Greenblatt, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Film Society. "Harlan has years of experience as a curator and film critic. He will be an invaluable source in acquiring top-notch films and guests for the Philadelphia Film Festival over the next several years."

"Philadelphia is special to me, having gone to college here, and having a very active and enthusiastic Talk Cinema series here since 1995,"  Jacobson said. "This is a wonderful city that deserves a wide-ranging, adventurous film festival, which I look forward to helping Andrew and the Film Society bring to Philadelphians."

For more information about Harlan Jacobson and the upcoming 18th½ Philadelphia Film Festival, please contact the Philadelphia Film Society at 215-253-3599 or info@filmadelphia.org.