The Oxford Film Festival has found its leader for 2022.

Last week, festival organizers announced Jim Brunzell III as the interim Executive Director for the 2022 Oxford Film Festival. Brunzell is the successor to former Executive Director Melanie Addington, who departed last month after serving in the role since 2015.

Addington, who was largely responsible for building the Oxford Film Festival into a critical and popular favorite on the regional festival circuit, took the same position for the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, Kan.

Known for his work revitalizing the aGLIFF film festival and as director of the Minneapolis-based Sound Unseen Film + Musive Festival, Brunzell will take the reins from Addington, along with programmer Justina Walford.

“I’m extremely excited for this new opportunity with OxFilm,” Brunzell said. “Outgoing (Executive Director) Melanie Addington has done an incredible job and has been a force bringing OxFilm to the national forefront in regional film festivals in North America. I have some very big shoes to fill and I’m thrilled to get to Oxford and start working with the board of directors, staff, volunteers, sponsors and the Oxford community in continuing its rich and vibrant festival.”

Brunzell was the Artistic Director for the All Genders, Lifestyles and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) in Austin, Texas. He has also covered film as a critic and journalist for a number of sites and publications, including Hammer to Nail and served on numerous film festival juries.

Walford recently was the founder and festival director of Women Texas Film Festival, which celebrated a successful five-year run from 2016-2020. She is also the Programming Director of the Billy the Kid Film Festival, based in Hico, Texas. Walford is also a writer and producer.

The 2022 dates for the 19th Annual Oxford Film Festival have not been announced yet.