Denver Film Society Director Andrew Rodgers Steps Down

Andrew Rodgers, who has served as the executive director of the Denver Film Society since January 2016, has stepped down from his role. He will be replaced in the interim by Britta Erickson, director of the Denver Film Festival, who has worked with the DFS for more than twenty years.

"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the Denver Film Society for the past three years and get to know so many of our passionate supporters and members of the Denver community,” says Rodgers in a statement announcing his move. “This is a wonderful organization with a bright future, and I wish the incredibly talented staff and deeply committed board nothing but the best in its next chapter.”

Under his tenure, Rogers has doubled DFS box-office grosses and membership revenues, and won a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also led efforts, along with leaders from other art-house theaters around the nation, in an antitrust lawsuit against Landmark Theatres that is still in the courts.

“First and foremost, we’re incredibly grateful to Andrew for his three years of service and leadership of our organization,” says DFS board chair Kevin Teng in the same announcement. “As we turn our focus to what’s next, we have tremendous confidence in Britta as well as the entire professional staff of our organization to keep us focused and on track as we begin our work to find a new executive director.”

Erickson pledges to continue the organization's longstanding commitment to independent film in the community, and to ensure that the Denver Film Festival continues to operate through the transition in leadership.

“We’re incredibly grateful to have a tremendously dedicated staff of pros that are focused on their work and are in lockstep with our membership, dedicated sponsors, donors, supporters and the entire community,” says DFS and festival co-founder Ron Henderson in the announcement. “With Britta’s more than two decades of experience and leadership within our staff, they’re going to keep our daily programming, events and festival programming moving forward. With that level of comfort, our board can direct its full attention to finding the best-fit people to lead us forward from a business and artistic perspective as we move through our fifth decade and beyond.”

Rodgers's departure comes just weeks after the tragic death of beloved Denver Film Festival artistic director Brit Withey on March 31, a massive loss for the DFS and the Denver film community in general. Along with the board of directors, Erickson will work to appoint a new artistic director for the festival.

“What’s most important at this point is for our patrons and the community to know that the programs and festivals that have served as hallmarks of our organization for more than four decades will continue uninterrupted in the coming weeks and months,” she says.