PORTLAND — The Maine Jewish Film Festival (MJFF) recently announced the appointment of Louise Rosen as the new executive and artistic director of the festival.

Rosen has played a leading role in Maine’s media community for just under a decade, serving as vice chairwoman of the Maine Film & Video Association, on the board of the Maine Media Workshops and College and as a board member and adviser with other media arts organizations nationally and internationally. Rosen started her career with WGBH/Boston.

MJFF board President Fred Farber said, “We are delighted to have Louise on board as our executive and artistic director as the Maine Jewish Film Festival enters its 16th year of operation. MJFF serves an important role in enhancing the cultural diversity of Maine and Louise’s tremendous range of experience will serve us well.”

Rosen said, “I’m very excited to be stepping into this role at MJFF, a beloved and dynamic part of Maine’s cultural scene. It’s a great hands-on opportunity — particularly in the areas of programming and community engagement.”

Rosen plans to build on the festival’s relationships with institutions and groups such as USM, MECA, the Salt Institute and Maine’s LGBTQ community as well as seek further opportunities to connect with other schools, libraries and organizations.

Rosen lives in Brunswick where she continues to provide consulting services to filmmakers and production companies, advising them on project development, finance, production, marketing and distribution strategies. Her portfolio includes Oscar, Emmy, Sundance, Prix-Italia and other award-winning films.