Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center Names Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan Founding Artistic Director

The Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center has officially hired Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan as their founding Artistic Director in charge of all programming and curation.

A preeminent voice on America cinema, D’Agnolo Vallan is a gifted film writer and curator who has since 2008 served as U.S. programmer and selection committee member of the Venice Film Festival, in addition to serving as co-director of the Torino Film Festival from 2003 to 2006. She is also a distinguished author, having written monographs of several directors including Clint Eastwood, William Friedkin and, most recently, John Landis.

“Giulia brings quality and vision to programming our three screens,” Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center Executive Director Gillian Gordon says of the New York-based film writer. “Her international status as an outstanding artistic director demonstrates that the Sag Harbor Cinema is punching way above its weight.”

Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center Board President April Gornik adds, “We hope the public is aware of Giulia’s deep commitment to the Cinema, and the tremendous impact she has already had with our various film series presented as an itinerant organization until the Cinema is built. We are so fortunate to have a brilliant and well-connected person with this endeavor.”

D’Agnolo Vallan’s involvement with the Sag Harbor Cinema began in 2009 as a member of the cinema group who, along with producer Andrew Frierberg, initially proposed plans to turn the local independent movie theater into a year round, fully functioning cinema arts center.

The Sag Harbor Cinema organizers, who are eyeing a reopening after relighting its iconic sign on Main Street for the first time since it was tragically damaged and nearly lost in a 2016 fire, has also announced an upcoming “Really Funny” series of comedy screenings, guest curated by John Landis, to be hosted at the Pierson High School auditorium. For a list of films and showtimes, beginning with Landis’ own Trading Places (starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd) this Sunday, August 18, visit sagharborcinema.org.