Dodd Loomis named Executive Director, Doug Spearman as Board President, Alexa Georges as Emeritus

Friday, January 9, 2026 (NEW ORLEANS, La.) — The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) announced today that Dodd Loomis has been appointed Executive Director. Loomis, who served as Interim Executive Director through the highly successful 2025 New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF), assumes the role as the organization continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact across New Orleans and the regional film community.

NOFS also announced a leadership transition at the board level. Doug Spearman, an actor, writer, and director and longtime member of the NOFS Board of Directors, will assume the role of Board President on January 1, 2026, succeeding Laura Ashley. Alexa Georges, a founding member of the New Orleans Film Society, longtime board member, and champion of independent film and art in the American South, has been named Emeritus.

President Doug Spearman quote about new Executive Director, Dodd Loomis

“Dodd Loomis is a dynamo. From the moment I met him, his drive, energy, and almost surreal “let’s do it” attitude made him someone I knew I wanted both as a friend and as a collaborator. You have to be a little bit nuts to work anywhere near the film business, and that kind of crazy is something we both share. I admire his work-ethic, his connection to New Orleans, and the collaborative vision he brings to the NOFS,” said Doug Spearman when asked about working with Dodd.

President Doug Spearman quote about new Emeritus, Alexa Georges

“What Alexa has given and continues to give to the Film Society in support, direction, and her incredibly valuable institutional knowledge of the NOFS is a gift. I don’t think anyone cares more for or about the past, present and future of the New Orleans Film Society in this city than Alexa.”

Emeritus Alexa Georges quote about NOFS new leadership

“My long-standing support of the New Orleans Film Society comes from a deep belief in its importance to the cultural life of our city,” said Emeritus, Alexa Georges. “I’m enthusiastic about the new leadership and the fresh perspective they bring to the organization. This next chapter builds on a strong legacy that has always championed creative voices.”

2025 Organizational Milestones and New Initiatives

NOFS significantly expanded its community footprint in 2025 by launching more than 20 new initiatives. These efforts included new partnerships with the New Orleans Jazz Museum and The Historic New Orleans Collection, which brought curated film collections and thoughtfully designed festival programming to both venues, as well as the launch of Reel Futures, a university-focused industry day developed with Loyola and Tulane University that connected students with industry leaders and provided free festival passes.

NOFF also achieved multiple milestones in 2025, including its largest Opening Night to date, a record number of film submissions with more than 4,000 entries, and the highest number of volunteer applications in its history. For the first time, NOFF launched The New Orleans Film Festival Podcast in partnership with LMP Studios, a 30-episode series recorded during the festival featuring leading voices in film, including Academy Award–winning directors, artificial intelligence industry thought leaders, and New Orleans cultural bearers.

In addition, NOFF introduced the Éclair Film Festival, its first-ever 48-hour film competition, with completed shorts premiering at the Independent Filmmaker Party at The Broad Theater. The organization secured the festival’s first multi-year presenting sponsor, Andscape, a Black-led media platform and subsidiary of Disney/ESPN.

Beyond the festival, the year-round initiative NOFS/365 debuted with a sold-out collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Loyola University at Loyola’s Roussel Hall. NOFS’ first partnership with the Jewish Community Center through Science on Screen expanded access to filmmaker conversations and screenings for new audiences across the city.

Executive Director Dodd Loomis quote about accepting post

“I’m from New Orleans, and I grew up surrounded by artists who taught me that culture isn’t something you observe from a distance. It’s something you participate in.

Film sits at the center of what we do at NOFS, but in a city like New Orleans, film is never just about the screen. It’s a gateway to music, food, visual art, literature, and live performance. We’re a festival town, and I see film as a gathering place. A starting point for immersive experiences that invite people in and bring culture to life.

While NOFS will always champion filmmakers, I’m equally committed to making our work welcoming and accessible to everyone, including people with no connection to the film industry. Movies are a shared language, and when they’re paired with live events, conversation, and celebration, they become something the whole community can take part in.”

Dodd Loomis Bio

A New Orleans native, Dodd Loomis is a director, producer, and writer with more than two decades of experience spanning theater, film, television, and large-scale live events. His career includes serving as Assistant Director on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the largest Broadway production in history, and as Supervising Resident Director for the global and national tours of The Lion King, the highest-grossing theatrical production of all time. His work also includes writing, directing, and producing Off-Broadway productions and international festival projects on five continents. Loomis is also an accomplished writer, having written original material for ABC Television and CBS.

Loomis earned his MFA from Tulane University and served for four years as a professor, teaching across three schools: Film (Digital Media Practices), Theatre & Dance, and the School of Liberal Arts Management (SLAM), where he taught Strategy, Leadership, and Analytics.

President Doug Spearman quote about vision for the future of NOFS

“Someone asked me recently what I most wanted to see at the film festival and I think they were expecting me to list off a bunch of films. What I replied was “people”. I want to see people in the audiences and in the lobby – talking about the films, sharing their favorites, dancing at our parties – interacting and coming together the way we in this city do for parades, the teams we love, and the festivals that draw us all together,” said Doug. “I think this city works best when people from all over come together – when it looks like Miss Betsy’s for breakfast or the dance floor at Tipitina’s. That’s the potential we have as a venue for story-telling and story-tellers. My hope is we continue to grow and expand so that everyone who lives in the city, the Parish, the State celebrates and takes great pride in the NOFS, our festivals, and the programs we offer.”

Doug Spearman Bio

Born in Washington, D.C., Doug’s roots, however, go back two centuries in New Orleans. He has always had a deep love and affinity for this city. After almost thirty years in Los Angeles as an actor (Noah’s Arc, The Profiler, Found, Girlfriends, Law and Order, The Burial, The Young and The Restless, etc…) a film writer/producer/director (From Zero to I Love You), a network creative director at CBS, ABC, NBC and an acting teacher, Doug finally made his dream of moving permanently to New Orleans a reality in 2020. He joined the board of the NOFS in 2021. Doug is also an adjunct professor in the Music and Theater Department at Loyola University, New Orleans. Previously, Doug served on the board of Los Angeles’ Outfest and Equality California. Doug is also an avid photographer and so-so Polo player. You might also see him on stage here in New Orlean,s having acted in or directed productions for The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University, Crescent City Stage, and The Tennessee Williams Theater Company.

NOFS announces new appointments to the Board Executive Committee

The New Orleans Film Society also announced additional board leadership appointments. Stephen Rehage, Founder and President of Rehage Entertainment, Co-President of AEG Live Festivals, and President of Live Nation North American Festivals, will serve as Vice President. A prolific creator and producer, Rehage founded the Voodoo Music Festival and the Planet Hoops 3-on-3 Basketball Championship Tours. His philanthropic work includes producing major fundraising events such as New Orleans for the Team Gleason Foundation, the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York and Los Angeles, and Rock ’n Race featuring Katie Couric and Paul Simon.

Lisa Thompson has been named Secretary. Thompson brings more than 20 years of experience as a strategic technology and program leader, with a career spanning digital transformation, governance, and cross-sector collaboration. She has served on the NOFS Board since 2023, is an active member of the Junior League of New Orleans, and holds a Master of Science in Public Health from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Jeffray Teague will continue to serve as Treasurer. He has spent more than a decade as Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at Greater New Orleans, Inc. and brings deep expertise in nonprofit and charter school finance, having also served as a founding board member and treasurer for two New Orleans–area charter schools.

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The New Orleans Film Society and the 36th New Orleans Film Festival is supported by grants from the Film New Orleans; Arts New Orleans; New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation (NOTCF); the Ford Foundation; the Greater New Orleans Foundation LGBTQ Fund.

ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS FILM SOCIETY 

The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, nurturing, and amplifying the diverse voices of filmmakers. We aim to facilitate conversations through film and film-related programming that inspire, educate, challenge, and entertain our audiences. Founded in 1989, NOFS produces the Oscar®-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival annually and invests year-round in building a vibrant film culture in the South to share transformative cinematic experiences with audiences, and connect dynamic filmmakers to career-advancing resources. Year-round programming includes free and low-cost screenings for members and the broader community of cinephiles in New Orleans, a 20-year running French Film Festival featuring contemporary and classic French cinema, and filmmaker professional development programs created to nurture diverse voices in filmmaking in the American South. NOFS is a 501(c)(3) organization.

 

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Media Contact:

Torie Nugent-Peterson
torie@neworleansfilmsociety.org

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