Miami Film Festival is pleased to announce the promotion of programmer Lauren Cohen to the position of Associate Director of Programming. In her new role, Cohen will work closely with Director of Programming Jaie Laplante on shaping the Festival’s overall content strategy, philosophy and direction.
“Lauren’s sharp eye for great cinema and her affinity for the audience nuances of Miami’s movie-loving public make her a natural choice to have a more influential role in shaping the evolution of Miami Film Festival as we move into the future,” said Laplante in making the announcement.
A lifelong film lover and Miami Beach native, Cohen holds a bachelor’s degree in Motion Pictures and Theatre from University of Miami. She has been writing about film since 2009, with her reviews and features (including interviews with stars such as Salma Hayek, Daniel Craig, Emma Stone, and Javier Bardem) appearing in SocialMiami.com, Miami Beach News, Examiner.com and The Miami Hurricane.
Cohen began working at Miami Film Festival in 2014 to promote the best of world cinema to the Miami community, and was responsible for creating and running the Festival’s ongoing membership group for young professionals, CineClub. She was named to the programming team in 2017. Cohen also regularly contributes essays to the Festival’s blog channel, The Latest.
Cohen’s appointment means she will be taking on a larger part of the selection process and decision-making, while continuing to develop the Festival’s commitment to diversity in even more exciting directions.
Lauren Cohen
“Over the course of my 5 years with Miami Film Festival, I’ve seen the Festival, audience, and cinema trends grow and evolve in incredibly exciting ways. I’m honored to take on a bigger role in shaping our ever-expanding lineup to suit the film cravings of our local community, while maintaining my focus on unique and distinctive curatorial choices that’ll add a new flavor to the Festival.”
