Director of Programming

Director of Programming

deadCenter Film | Full-Time

Location: Oklahoma City, OK / In-Person

Salary: $55,000

Reports to: Executive Director

THE OPPORTUNITYdeadCenter Film is seeking an experienced, collaborative Director of Programming to help lead the next chapter of Oklahoma’s largest film festival and year-round film organization.

This creative and organizational leader oversees deadCenter’s film programming process, programming team, and year-round curation. The Director works alongside the Executive Director, Director of Education, and Festival & Education Manager to create a cohesive annual festival and year-round experience.

The Director leads film discovery, submission review, deliberation, selection, filmmaker and distributor relationships, and programming team management. Annual themes, panels, educational integration, community engagement, special programming, audience experience, and festival flow are developed collaboratively across the leadership team.

We seek a leader with strong curatorial judgment, people management, proactive communication, transparency, organizational discipline, and a desire to connect films, filmmakers, audiences, and communities.

Film Programming and CurationLead the submission, review, deliberation, and selection process.Guide programmers and screeners in discovering exceptional films, emerging filmmakers, innovative storytelling, Oklahoma voices, and work from around the world.Develop artistically distinctive, audience-aware, filmmaker-supportive programming connected to deadCenter’s mission and communities.Lead a fair, consistent, thoughtful, and well-documented review process.Establish timelines, standards, milestones, and selection procedures.Ensure compliance with policies on eligibility, review, conflicts of interest, deliberation, filmmaker communication, and contested decisions.Build a balanced program that considers artistic quality, audience experience, venue capacity, scheduling, and the overall festival framework.Use submission trends, attendance, ticketing, and audience and filmmaker feedback to strengthen future strategy.

Shared Festival LeadershipServe with the Executive Director, Director of Education, and Festival & Education Manager to shape themes, panels, filmmaker conversations, education, special programs, community engagement, major guests, audience development, festival flow, and the overall experience.

Within this structure:

The Director of Programming leads film programming, selection, programming staff, and programming relationships.The Director of Education leads educational strategy, student engagement, workforce development, and educational integration.The Festival & Education Manager leads operations, volunteers and interns, venues, logistics, execution, and Education support.The Executive Director provides organizational strategy, institutional leadership, resource alignment, partnerships, and final organizational authority.

Programming Team LeadershipSupport recruitment and onboarding of programmers and seasonal staff with the Executive Director.Train and guide programmers and screening committee members.Set expectations, timelines, review procedures, and communication standards; monitor progress and hold regular meetings.Provide timely information and opportunities for programmers to contribute.Encourage constructive disagreement, address concerns directly and respectfully, and elevate unresolved issues through established channels.Build a culture of curiosity, professionalism, communication, accountability, and respect.

Communication and TransparencyMaintain regular communication with the Executive Director, leadership team, and programmers, with increased frequency during selection and festival seasons.Share significant developments, negotiations, opportunities, risks, and challenges early enough for meaningful planning.Coordinate with department leaders before programming decisions create operational, contractual, budgetary, travel, sponsorship, or partnership commitments.Maintain accurate programming information and institutional records in approved shared systems.Support open and appropriate information flow across departments.

Continuum and Year-Round ProgrammingHelp develop an annual calendar of screenings, panels, conversations, workshops, and special programs.Work with leadership, community organizations, filmmakers, and partners to identify opportunities.Recommend films, filmmakers, moderators, speakers, jurors, distributors, and program themes.Connect year-round programming with education, community relationships, artist support, and organizational goals.Allow sufficient lead time for rights, partnerships, marketing, sponsorship, educational integration, and event planning.
Panels, Industry Programs, and Filmmaker DevelopmentDevelop and support filmmaker conversations, industry panels, educational programs, distribution discussions, professional roundtables, mentorship opportunities, community discussions, and other programs serving filmmakers and audiences. Help identify and prepare moderators, speakers, jurors, distributors, filmmakers, and industry participants.

With EducationIdentify films, filmmakers, speakers, and industry professionals for education and workforce initiatives.Connect festival programming with student engagement and learning.Collaborate on panels and conversations about filmmaking and the industry.With Festival OperationsDevelop screening schedules with the Festival & Education Manager and Executive Director.Communicate venue, technical, filmmaker, moderator, guest, and Q&A needs early.Align programming priorities with operational realities and provide active leadership during the festival.With Marketing and PRIdentify compelling stories, premieres, Oklahoma connections, notable guests, trends, and themes.Provide accurate film information and assets by established deadlines.Participate in audience development and promotional opportunities.With Development and Executive LeadershipProvide programming stories, filmmaker information, outcomes, and materials supporting grants, sponsorships, donors, and community investment.Participate in selected partner or funder conversations when programming expertise is beneficial.

Oversee submission categories and workflows; screening and review progress; deadlines and milestones; selection documentation; filmmaker and distributor communication; screening agreements and rights; technical delivery; jury recruitment and coordination; moderator and Q&A planning; filmmaker and guest priorities; awards-related information, including input on the awards script and efforts to bring award recipients to the ceremony; and post-festival evaluation and reporting.

Work with the Executive Director to develop realistic Festival and Continuum programming budgets and manage activities within approved budgets.Track screening fees, filmmaker and guest needs, travel, technical costs, and other expenses.Communicate anticipated changes or unplanned expenses before commitments are made.Maintain accurate records of negotiations, agreements, relationships, and obligations.Store critical institutional knowledge in approved organizational systems rather than personal email, texts, files, or memory.Lead programming within deadCenter’s strategic priorities, approved budgets, and established policies.

Final authority for personnel, contracts, budgets, sponsorship commitments, institutional risk, and organizational policy rests with the Executive Director.

As a senior leader at an Oscar®-qualifying festival, the Director will:

Maintain strong, documented programming and awards procedures.Ensure programmers, jurors, screeners, and staff understand requirements and policies.Serve as a key liaison on Academy® Award–qualifying matters.Work with the Executive Director to ensure compliance, documentation, award reporting, and institutional communications are accurate and on schedule.

The strongest candidates will bring:

Senior-level experience in film programming, festival programming, curation, or a comparable cinematic arts environment.Deep knowledge of independent film, documentary, animation, short-form storytelling, regional filmmaking, and emerging voices.Experience leading creative teams and managing complex programming cycles, budgets, timelines, and deadlines.Strong professional relationships across film, festivals, distribution, sales, or cultural arts.Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, and project-management skills.Ability to communicate difficult information clearly and navigate disagreement constructively.Understanding of how artistic decisions affect audiences, education, operations, marketing, fundraising, and community relationships.Commitment to fairness, transparency, documentation, and accountable decision-making.Curiosity about audiences and interest in using data and feedback to improve programming.Genuine commitment to filmmakers, community engagement, collaboration, and sound judgment.
Success will be reflected in strong Festival and Continuum programming; a fair, timely selection process; an engaged team; cross-departmental trust; responsible management of budgets, deadlines, and relationships; positive experiences for filmmakers, audiences, partners, and staff; strong community and industry relationships; accurate institutional knowledge; and a culture of respect, transparency, and accountability.

HOW TO APPLYSend a résumé and cover letter to [email protected].

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