Peter DeBrugge, former Variety magazine chief film critic, has been selected as director of the SXSW Film Festival.
Starting April 6, he will take over the Austin festival’s film and television programming from Claudette Godfrey, who stepped down as vice president after nearly 20 years at SXSW.
De Bruges worked for Variety magazine for 20 years, serving as the magazine’s third chief film critic in its 120-year history. During his tenure, he wrote more than 2,000 reviews and covered countless film festivals in the United States and abroad, including multiple visits to SXSW. He has served on film festival juries in Cannes, São Paulo, and Reykjavík, and is a co-founder of the annual Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles.
DeBrugge is also a native Texan, growing up in Waco and later studying film at the University of Texas at Austin. There he served as co-editor of the Daily Texan’s entertainment department alongside Matt Dentler, who later directed SXSW’s film programming for several years.
“Peter brings a unique perspective and a deep passion for storytelling that closely aligns with SXSW’s mission,” said Jenny Connelly, director of SXSW, in a statement. “We’re excited for him to build on the strong foundation laid by Claudette and lead the festival into its next chapter.”
“There is a certain poetry to this appointment, as it reminds me of the festival where I spent my formative years and which is nearest and dearest to my heart,” DeBrugge said. “I have been attending SXSW for nearly 30 years, and in that time I have watched SXSW grow and evolve into a world-class film festival. I am in awe of and admire the groundbreaking creative work of Matt Dentler, Janet Pearson, and Claudette Godfrey. I also admire SXSW’s tradition of championing visionary voices. I am forever grateful to Variety for the 20 years that taught me so much about the film industry, allowing me to travel the world from Tokyo to Cannes and discover amazing filmmakers (and festivals) from all over the world. ”
Godfrey first joined SXSW as a volunteer and worked his way up the ranks over time, replacing Janet Pearson as head of film and television in 2022. Through her work at SXSW, she supported the early careers of now-prominent filmmakers including Janitsa Bravo, the Safdie brothers, and Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
“Claudette has been an integral part of SXSW for many years, and her leadership has helped shape the film and television festival that it is today,” said Greg Rosenbaum, SXSW Senior Vice President of Programming. “She has built a program that is globally relevant and deeply rooted in discovery, and we are extremely grateful for her contributions.”
