Tom Perlmutter Steps Down as NFB Chair

MONTREAL: Tom Perlmutter has decided to step down as the chair of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and government film commissioner, effective December 31.

Perlmutter said he is leaving in order to devote himself to thinking and writing about the long-term issues affecting the arts and public cultural organizations. He will stay on at the NFB as a strategic advisor.

Perlmutter said: “For some time now, I have been searching for a way to step back from the day-to-day responsibilities of the film commissioner and focus on long-term strategic issues. My deep engagement with the profound changes of the digital revolution made me acutely aware of how necessary it is to create a new framework of ideas for the ways in which we will need to think of, work in and finance cultural activities in the public sector. This is an ambitious undertaking which I believe I am uniquely qualified to take on and which I am convinced is fundamental to the future well-being of the country and its cultural agencies. But it is not something that can be done as an adjunct to my current work.”

He added, “With the new strategic plan well embedded, I have confidence that the seasoned core management team and staff can implement the ongoing changes necessary to ensure the NFB’s continued growth and leadership in innovation and creativity.”