Cacky Poarch Steps Down After Eight Years Directing deadCenter

Mat Hoffman, Cacky Poarch and Spike Jonze at the June 9 opening of the deadCenter Film Festival.

Cacky Poarch, the deadCenter Film Festival executive director who helped transform the festival from a small collection of local screenings into a nationally recognized event, is stepping down to pursue her own film projects.

“It has been a tremendous experience serving as executive director of deadCenter Film Festival for the past eight years,” Poarch said in a prepared statement. “Our 10th anniversary was amazing. We had record attendance, multiple world premieres and even attracted Oscar-nominated Spike Jonze to our kick-off event. In the past year, we’ve developed a solid strategic plan and with the help of a sound board of directors, the next executive director will have all the tools necessary to take deadCENTER into the next decade.”

Festival co-chair Tracey Zeeck said the search for a new director is underway. Board chairman Peter Dolese said Poarch’s efforts “helped teach us all the importance and vitality that an independent film festival has on a community.”
– Lang