Donald Harrison, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Film Festival
A native of Detroit and graduate of the University of Michigan, Donald began studying documentary and experimental cinema at Film Arts Foundation in 2001. He has produced short experimental documentaries, several festival DVD collections, and many film-related events. Donald currently serves on the board of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, the Detroit Film Center and the advisory board of the Aurora Picture Show in Houston, TX.
Donald is currently participating in NAMAC's Peer Coaching TeleCircles for Executive Directors.
What drew you to this work?
By nature I am a media artist and entrepreneur with a strong interest in community and social change. The Ann Arbor Film Festival feels like a rare intersection of my experience and interests. When I became involved with the AAFF in fall of 2006, it was in dire need of support to recover from leadership transitions and financial crisis. Yet I saw an organization with an important legacy of pioneering cinema and the potential to play an even bigger role for connecting audiences to emerging, independent, experimental, and high caliber filmmakers. When we launched the AAFF's successful Endangered campaign in 2007 to save the festival, the organization was willing to act, make changes, take creative risks and let new leadership emerge. It was an inspiring experience that I continue to build upon as we head toward our 50th anniversary.
What keeps you engaged with this work?
I get engaged, inspired and challenged in many directions in this work: the interactions with humble and talented filmmakers, reviewing and discussing films with our screeners, creatively engaging our community throughout the year, improving our processes and systems, taking creative risks, learning the rich history of the festival, collaborating with other organizations, hearing stories about how the AAFF changed someone's career or life, connecting with peers at other festivals and art-related events, and experiencing some of the best new media and creative cinema.
What was the most pivotal moment of your leadership journey?
When I was hired at Film Arts Foundation in 2003 and my boss (the interim E.D.) quit two weeks later. That was a critical time for the organization, with our film festival, alumni reunion event and fundraiser each less than three months away. Through this experience I learned my capacity for how much I could produce effectively, my deep sense of responsibility to the goals of the organization, and also how I needed to recognize my limits and find help. I have been passionate about and involved with supporting independent media arts ever since.
What are your strengths as a leader?
Having worked for the past 10 years in non-profits and small businesses, coupled my experience as an independent artist, I have learned about all areas of running an organization and accomplishing a lot with limited resources. I share my enthusiasm and a collaborative, community-oriented approach. I value the use of smart processes, lateral creative thinking and calculated risk-taking. I'm also not afraid to admit when I'm wrong - I believe in the idea above the ego.
How do you stay on top of your game?
Movement: I try to keep active by biking to work, ultimate frisbee and yoga. Fuel: I eat mostly fresh and non-processed foods. Fire: I continually connect to my organization's mission, through experiences and interactions with our community and my peers. I also work really hard and pay close attention to my limits so I can avoid hitting the red and not begin to burn myself out.
What are you working on that gets you excited and inspired?
I'm excited about our increased local community collaborations. We have joint projects and events involving organizations such as the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, UM's Museum of Art and UM's School of Art & Design, 826michigan and the Ann Arbor District Library. As we head into our 48th edition of the festival, we're building a framework toward our 50th anniversary for the festival to increase its scope and impacts in our region. I believe that effective collaboration across a diverse set of organizations and partners is a key element of powering these efforts.
I'm also excited about the impacts we're creating beyond our region. Our traveling tour is expanding into new communities (more than 30 cities on our current tour) and I'm especially inspired when I get to attend those screenings and discuss the work with audiences (such as my recent trip to Squeaky Wheel in Buffalo, NY). We're also finishing our 2nd short film DVD collection "Unexplored Territories" to widen the reach of new, experimental and art-driven films. Both our tour and DVD pay filmmakers directly, which is another gratifying aspect of our work.
