The Mill Valley Film Festival is happy to announce two new members have joined the programming team: João Federici, who will program as part of the World Cinema team, and Mimi Brody, who will be programming US Indies and leading the festival’s new Trainee Programmer initiative.

From his tenure as executive and artistic director of the largest LGBTQ – themed film festival in Latin America, MixBrasil, João Federici brings a wealth of experience in international programming to MVFF. A frequent jury member at festivals such as Cannes and the Berlinale, he has also served as a guest programmer at festivals around the world.

Mimi Brody is a well-respected programmer known for her work at top US festivals, including AFI DOCS, Tribeca Film Festival, LA Film Festival, and San Francisco International Film Festival. Her distinguished career includes curating for the Block Cinema and the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

In addition to welcoming Federici and Brody to its programming team, MVFF is also launching a pilot Trainee Programmer initiative in an effort to mentor and offer experience to new and diverse voices in festival programming. This initiative will offer two trainee programmers the chance to delve into the process of programming a festival from pre-festival research to post-festival wrap. They will contribute to the US Indies roster under the guidance of Brody, helping to curate a collection of films that represent a wide spectrum of American life and innovative storytelling. 

MVFF recognizes the challenges for new programmers to gain experience in the world of film festival programming, and is committed to incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences into the selection process of this well-established festival. In this pilot year, nominations will be solicited from programming colleagues, film professors and filmmakers in the Bay Area to identify potential candidates.