Jim Sinclair Retires After 35 Years at The Cinematheque
The Board of Directors of The Cinematheque have announced that Jim Sinclair, the organization’s longtime Executive & Artistic Director, will retire at the end of March after 35 years with the film institute and media education centre. Sinclair has made a lasting impression on cinema culture in Vancouver, bringing both little-seen and widely celebrated films from across the globe to generations of film lovers. His passion for—and encyclopedic knowledge of—cinema is unparalleled. The Cinematheque’s Staff and Board are deeply grateful to Jim for his visionary leadership and dedication to the organization.
“More than anyone who has come before and will likely follow, Jim has defined The Cinematheque in a fundamental way,” said David Legault, Chair of the Board of Directors. “He has, over the course of his more than thirty years as its artistic guide, moulded it into the internationally recognized institution it is today. His eye, his sensibility, his deep passion and understanding of cinema has become embedded into the very fibre of this place. Jim will be missed by all of us in so many ways, but his lasting legacy will never fade as long as our doors are open, and thanks to this lifetime of work, I expect they will remain so for a very long time.”
Born in Edmonton, Sinclair earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Alberta before moving to Vancouver to pursue graduate studies in film at the University of British Columbia. After a short stint making popcorn as a front of house volunteer, Sinclair joined The Cinematheque staff as a theatre manager in 1987, became its Executive Director in 1991, and has since been responsible for overseeing the organization’s activities and curating its year-round program of film exhibitions. He has served on numerous film festival, government arts council, and film industry awards juries. In 2011, France bestowed the honour “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” on Sinclair for his work promoting French and European cinema in British Columbia.
“It has been an honour and a privilege and a joy to have been part of this vital Vancouver cultural institution for the past 35 years. The Cinematheque matters a great deal to a great many people in our community. I’m proud of the work we’ve done, the commitment to excellence our amazing Cinematheque team has always demonstrated, and the many valuable partnerships we’ve forged with other film and cultural groups locally, nationally, and internationally. This job, for me, never stopped being both a vocation and an education, and I count myself fortunate to have enjoyed a long career engaged in such meaningful and enriching endeavours,” said Sinclair.
New Executive Director and Artistic Director of The Cinematheque Announced
The Board of Directors of The Cinematheque also announced the appointment of Kate Ladyshewsky as the incoming Executive Director and Shaun Inouye as the incoming Artistic Director. They have both been with The Cinematheque since 2012 and have contributed to the successful running of the organization in various ways over the past ten years.
“Kate and Shaun have the full confidence of the Board in their new roles, and we are truly fortunate to have such capable individuals already well-established in our organization,” said Legault. “We look forward to providing them with the opportunity to thrive and deploy their considerable talent with new energy and creativity within an already successful institution!”
Sinclair added, “I’m proud to be leaving the organization in the very capable hands of my longtime colleagues Kate Ladyshewsky and Shaun Inouye, each of whom has played a key role in The Cinematheque’s many successes over the last decade. They will be great stewards of the organization going forward.”
With a background working with nonprofit and for-profit creative organizations, Kate Ladyshewsky has held several key roles at The Cinematheque since 2012 and became the Managing Director of the organization in 2015. Under her committed leadership, Ladyshewsky has been instrumental in supporting The Cinematheque’s growing team, developing strategic planning, and ensuring the organization fulfills its mandate.
“It is with great joy that I accept the role of Executive Director. I am excited to lead and support the work of this important Vancouver cultural institution, together with the Board of Directors and Artistic Director Shaun Inouye. Throughout my time with The Cinematheque, I have witnessed firsthand the deep passion and commitment of our staff, board, volunteers, and community, and the truly transformative power of cinema and media education. I feel deeply privileged to have been offered this opportunity to continue to dedicate so much of my life to this work. I am indebted to past leadership for their guidance, especially Jim Sinclair, whose impact on the organization, and on me personally, is indelible.”
Shaun Inouye holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Master of Arts in Film Studies from the University of British Columbia. He joined The Cinematheque in 2012 and began contributing to its programming in 2015 with the film series and art exhibition “Traces That Resemble Us.” In 2016 he became Programming Associate and has since worked alongside Jim Sinclair on the curation of The Cinematheque’s year-round calendar of public film exhibitions.
“It is an honour to be entrusted with the artistic leadership of The Cinematheque, an organization dear to me and to film enthusiasts across this city and beyond,” said Inouye. “During my six years as Programming Associate, working closely with colleague and mentor Jim Sinclair, I was struck, time and again, by the transformative power of cinema—by the way a group of people, gathered in the dark, can share a collective, aesthetic experience that changes and connects them. The Cinematheque will continue to foster these indelible experiences through diverse, challenging, and culturally enriching curation, showcasing the finest in cinema, past and present, local, national, and international.”