Rebecca Yeldham, Los Angeles Film Festival Director

Rebecca Yeldham built a career championing films and filmmakers as a producer, festival programmer and production and acquisition executive and, in 2009, she became the Director of the Los Angeles Film Festival. She recently completed production on the long-awaited film ON THE ROAD, based on the iconic Jack Kerouac novel. The film is her third project with director Walter Salles. She also produced ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, LINHA DE PASSE, THE KITE RUNNER, and THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. Prior to becoming an independent producer, Rebecca served as Senior Vice President of Production at Film Four and ran its U.S. production wing. She was formerly Senior Programmer of the Sundance Film Festival (1997-2001) and Associate Director of the Sundance Institute’s International Programs responsible for organizing initiatives to support emerging screenwriters, producers and directors around the world. During this time she helped launch a next generation of filmmakers (including Marc Forster, Walter Salles, Miguel Arteta, Karyn Kusama, Chris Smith and Darren Aronofsky) and was credited with discovering and championing the most successful independent film of all time, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. In the ’90s Yeldham worked for various independent film companies, developing and acquiring independent and international features and documentaries. Yeldham is a former member of Film Independent’s Executive Board and has served on several international film festival juries and selection committees. Born and raised in Australia, she studied law at Sydney University transferring to Brown University’s Modern Culture and Media (Art/Semiotics) department where she graduated magna cum laude.

Contact Rebecca Yeldham: ryeldham@filmindependent.org