One of B.C.'s largest cultural organizations has named a new captain to steer the ship.

Today, the Vancouver International Film Festival announced that its board has appointed Kyle Fostner as executive director.

He has been filling that position on an interim basis for the past 18 months since Jacqueline Dupuis resigned.

“It is a tremendous honour and a great responsibility to be offered the opportunity to serve as executive director of VIFF—an organization with whom I have a longstanding and deeply passionate connection,” Fostner said in a news release. “The events of this past year have shown us just how interconnected and interdependent we are. VIFF is an organization that celebrates and strengthens these connections, both globally and locally.

"I am excited to continue to build—and make accessible—a platform for our community of creators and voices," he continued. "Together, we look forward to redefining what a film festival can be.”

VIFF board chair Lucille Pacey noted in the news release that Fostner joined VIFF in 2014 and "astutely guided" the organization through the pandemic. That included shifting to a "hugely successful digital film festival" in 2020. 

Fostner also oversaw the $2.8-million renovation of VIFF Centre, which houses the Vancity Theatre on Seymour Street. The centre includes a new 41-seat Studio Theatre for small-audience shows with retractable seatting and a removable wall. There's also a New Media Lab and an education suite.

In the past, Fostner has been a musician and owned a web-based platform. In addition, Fostner was general manager of Casa Del Popolo and Sala Rossa in Montreal from 2006 to 2014.

The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is VIFF's reporting entity to the Canada Revenue Agency. 

The society has not yet filed its T3010 registered charity information return for the 2020 pandemic year.

In 2019, it listed total revenue of $5.47 million and expenditures of $5.36 million.

The largest amount, $2.4 million, came from the sale of goods and services in 2019. 

Another $1.26 million came from governments, including $626,852 from the federal government. An additional $433,604 flowed in from provincial and territorial governments and $204,000 from municipal and regional governments in 2019.

That year, the society had two staff members earning between $80,000 and $119,999, and another eight who were paid from $40,000 to $79,999.