Gaia Meucci will replace Mark Cosgrove who takes on his new role as artistic director for the 2012 edition of the short film festival, which is in its ealier slot of September 18-23.

Gaia Meucci has been appointed as the new short film programmer at Encounters Film Festival.

She replaces Mark Cosgrove who stepped down as short film programmer in November 2011 into his new position as artistic director of the festival.

Meucci has held posts at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Clermont Ferrand and, most recently, as assistant programmer on the London Calling retrospective at the Forum des images in Paris  

Her key responsibilities at Encounters will be to select the short film programme for Brief Encounters and work with Cosgrove and managing director Liz Harkman to deliver the competitive programme.

Meucci said: ‘being a volunteer in the pre-selection team of Encounters in 2008 was the very first step I took to become a short film curator. A few years down the line, I’m truly delighted to re-join this fantastic festival and contribute to shape its 2012 programme.’

The 2012 festival will take place in Bristol for the first time in its new earlier slot of September 18-23.

The decision to move from October to an earlier September slot was partly to ensure that films screening at the festival are eligible for the Oscars and European Film Awards, as well as seeking a less congested time wthin the short film and animated festival calendar.

Harkman said: “2012 is going to be a challenging and exciting year for Encounters. We have already begun preparing this year’s festival which occurs two months earlier. With the recent release of the Film Policy Review, the festival will seek to continue its campaign in championing new talent and developing new audiences, and we look forward to working with the BFI, Creative England and other organisations to make this happen.”

Submissions for the next edition will be accepted between March 1-June 6, with DepicT! Watershed’s super-short filmmaking competition opening its call for entries on January 30.  

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