“Finding a program of films you love every year is both an exhilarating and daunting task. I have put together an amazing staff that loves dialogue and discourse, understands the filmmaking community and is committed to building an audience for independent film. We trust each other and program from a place of passion for originality and excellence.”
John Cooper has been a member of the Sundance Film Festival programming staff since 1989 and assumed the role of Festival Director in April of 2009 after serving as the Sundance Film Festival's Director of Programming since 2003.
His early work in theater, ranging from performance to design, took him to New York City. By chance, he volunteered at the Institute's Summer Labs in 1989 and fell in love with the process and energy of Sundance. He returned to California to become part of the Festival programming team, which at that time consisted of two people. In the Festival's early years, Cooper created the short film program and quickly transitioned into programming documentaries and feature films. As Festival Director, he oversees creative direction of the Festival and has final decision on all films and events.
Cooper played a crucial role in the Institute’s early online projects, which garnered two Webby Awards. He was also responsible for many of Sundance’s other public film programs, including Sundance Institute at BAM and Sundance Film Festival Tokyo. Currently, he oversees Institute projects such as Sundance London and the recently-launched NEXT Weekend, a four day Los Angeles festival held in August.
From 1995-1998, Cooper held the title of Programming Director for Outfest, an annual Los Angeles-based festival, and remained a member of the Outfest Board of Directors until 2002. He serves as curator or juror at major film festivals around the world.