Columbia’s Nickelodeon Theatre director resigns, new board chair named
The executive director of the organization that leads Columbia’s Nickelodeon Theatre has resigned, and the organization also has named a new president of its board.
The Columbia Film Society, which oversees Main Street’s Nickelodeon, announced in an Aug. 6 release that it is seeking a new executive director after the resignation of Anita Floyd, who had been the executive director of the group since April 2019. Columbia’s Free Times reported that Floyd has accepted a position with another nonprofit in the community, though the exact new destination has not been disclosed.
Meanwhile, the film society’s board recently elected a new president: SCETV assistant production and operations manager Xavier Blake.
“I’m honored to be chosen for this role and look forward to building on (the film society’s) success,” Blake said in a statement. “Like most American institutions, CFS has recently faced challenges created by COVID-19 and a reckoning with systemic racism. Spaces like the Nickelodeon that foster togetherness and critical conversations have never been more urgent.
“We look forward to ensuring that film and arts education remains an essential part of our city’s cultural fabric as we continue to cultivate that space for courageous conversations.”
The film society faced allegations of systemic racism in June 2020 after a letter was circulated from several former employees that accused the organization of discriminating against minority workers. An official with the Indie Grits Labs arm of the organization resigned shortly after the letter was circulated, and a consulting firm was hired to look into the allegations.
The Nickelodeon, like many indoor movie theaters, was closed during large swaths of 2020 and early 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened this summer and once again began showing a slate of independent and unique films. It is Columbia’s only arthouse theater, and has been a key piece in the revival of Main Street.
A national search will be conducted for a new executive director, the film society said in its release. An interim executive director will be named soon.
“The board is grateful for Anita’s work in guiding the organization through extremely challenging times, and thanks to the continued dedication of our entire team, the future looks very bright,” Blake said in the statement. “We’re confident that we can attract national candidates who are inspired by our mission to entertain, educate and prompt the kind of critical dialogue that enriches our diverse community.”
