Noah Cowan, former co-director of the Toronto Film Festival and executive director of the SFFILM Festival in San Francisco, died of cancer on Wednesday, Deadline confirmed. He was 55.
Cowan died of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with in December 2021.
Born July 22, 1967 in Hamilton, Ontario, he joined TIFF as a cashier in 1984 after volunteering at the festival in the summer of 1981. He later managed the print department before becoming one of the programmers on TIFF’s Midnight Madness program in 1989. He was promoted to program manager in 1992 and co-headlined Midnight Madness with Colin Geddes in 1997.
Cowan was an international programmer at TIFF from 1997 to 2001, during which time he was promoted to Associate Director of Programming and then to Associate Director. He left the festival in 2001, but returned three years later as associate director, a role he held until 2008. From 2008-14 he was artistic director of TIFF Bell Lightbox.
From 2014 to 2019, he was Executive Director of SFFILM.
He is survived by husband John O’Rourke; parents Nuala FitzGerald Cowan and Edgar Cowan; brothers Brian FitzGerald (Diane) and Tim FitzGerald (Sandi); and several nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family.
Plans for a memorial in lieu of a funeral for Cowan will be announced soon, Deadline has learned. Donations in Cowan’s memory may be made to the MOMA Department of Film and the TIFF Cinematheque.
THERE IS MORE TO COME…
Author: Erik Pedersen
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
