The search continues: Round three of IU cinema director presentations brings new ideas, excitement

IU’s search for a new cinema director continued Monday in the Indiana Memorial Union’s State Room East.

Jon Vickers, currently the managing director of University of Notre Dame’s performing arts center, presented his vision for the upcoming cinema before a group of students and faculty members.

He was the third candidate to speak and undergo a series of meetings and interviews in Bloomington.

“I love to watch films, and I love to exhibit films for others to watch,” Vickers said.
But what he said makes him stand out from other movie-loving candidates is his administrative experience and ability.

“I feel that this position is 30 to 40 percent programming, and the rest is administration,” he said.

Vickers said he began his film career 14 years ago when he and his wife opened a small cinema in Michigan. Vickers later transferred his film programming expertise to Notre Dame’s Browning Cinema, where he also managed production budgets.

He added that the IU Cinema would provide high-quality resources for a flexible range of film screenings and festivals. “Prerequisites,” a program suggested by Vickers would allow viewers to watch movies in related pairs.

“Before you see Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ you need to see Jan Svankmajer’s ‘Alice,’” he said.

Vickers also said he’d like to draw films from international film festivals, or devote an IU festival to French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville, who he said is “hailed as the father of French gangster films.”

Julie Bobay, an IU librarian and associate dean for collection development and scholarly communications, said she wished she’d brought a pen and paper to Vicker’s presentation.

“I thought it was very fun,” she said. “I would like to watch what he suggested for ‘Prerequisites’.”

Bobay, who has worked at IU for more than 20 years, said she and the film collection department are excited to collaborate with the new director.

“I’d like to see someone with knowledge and love for film, good fund raising ability and who frequently interacts with and includes students.”

Sophomore Carys Tanner, a film student, said she can’t wait to attend cinema events.

“I want to see programs that appeal to lots of people and a director who can make that happen,” she said. “I’d like to see someone enthusiastic, someone who has enough experience, but is willing to try new things as well.”