Cinematheque Has Executive Director

In a restructuring move following the death of two of its founders, the American Cinematheque board of directors has named Barbara Zicka Smith as executive director of the organization dedicated to the showcasing of American film and video.

Smith had been managing director and was a founder of the Cinematheque with artistic director Gary Essert and marketing director Gary Abrahams, both of whom died last year.

Cinematheque president and prominent show business attorney Peter J. Dekom said Smith’s priorities will be to find a new artistic director and a site for a permanent home. “We’ve all been through a sad and difficult time,” Dekom said. But the experience has “strengthened us and our resolve to continue to build the institution Gary and Gary envisioned.”

Dekom said the Cinematheque has targeted several sites in the Hollywood district for a home, which would include theaters for regular programs of film and video.