Pena to step lower at N.Y. fest

The 49th annual NY Film Festival wrapped Sunday evening using the announcement that Richard Pena, the longtime program director from the Film Society of Lincoln subsequently Center and also the mind from the fest's selection committee, will step lower in the finish of 2012.Next year's NYFF would be the event's 50th year, and Pena's 25th in the Film Society.Pena's tenure has incorporated the outlet from the Film Society's Walter Reade Theater along with the completely new Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, which added two more screens for this year's festival programming. Pena's years within the publish also provide placed influential NYFF spotlights on filmmakers including Pedro Almodovar, Mike Leigh and Lars Von Trier, amongst others. Pena introduced his departure in the screening of "The Descendants," the closing evening film of the year's fest. He ankles to pursue other possibilities, and stated the fest's 50th anniversary appeared a great time to transition.Pena will stay associated with the Film Society, creating and organizing a brand new educational initiative. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com