Rehoboth film society executive director takes a bow
The Rehoboth Beach Film Society board of directors recently announced the departure of Executive Director Helen Chamberlin.
The move comes as Chamberlin looks to shift down from the full-time demands of running a year-round brick-and-mortar theater while producing the annual five-day, award-winning Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival.
When Chamberlin came on board in 2022, the board approved Cinema Art Theater’s return to full capacity after two years of limited operation due to the pandemic shutdown. By that July, the film society team reintroduced a limited-program production of the film festival for its 24th anniversary in November 2022. The organization faced additional hurdles as 2023 unfolded, with two Hollywood strikes (Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America), along with a continued shortage of theatrical released titles.
Chamberlin is credited with successfully raising the profile of the nonprofit in 2023, resulting in a watershed moment for its five-day production of the 25th Silver Screen anniversary Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. The 2023 event included 11 sold-out screenings. Additional events included post-film panel discussions with filmmakers, writers and actors. The number of documentaries was increased, and the number of feature films was reduced.
“The film society’s pre-COVID film festival ticket sales supported the 2023 changeup in program mix, placing more emphasis on documentaries. Humans are curious by nature, and presenting a program with real stories resonates with audiences and creates authentic shared responses,” said Chamberlin.
Chamberlin is also credited with overseeing the 2023 complete digital upgrade of the outdated and obsolete projection equipment in the 104-seat main CAT theater. The new technology provides faster download speeds, reduction in delivery costs, increased film format options and greater security of intellectual property.
Chamberlin will continue to maintain her residence in Ocean View with her husband, Christopher Jordan, and her theater-loving westie, Gigi.
