Longtime Coolidge Corner Theatre Executive Director & CEO
Katherine Tallman to Step Down in 2026
Deputy Director Beth Gilligan Appointed to Succeed Tallman as Head of Legendary
Art House Cinema; Mark Anastasio Promoted to Artistic Director
Brookline, Massachusetts (Tuesday, October 21, 2025) — Coolidge Corner Theatre, a premier nonprofit, six-screen American independent cinema renowned for its curated feature film and education programs, recently announced that after 12 years of transformative leadership, Executive Director & CEO Katherine Tallman will step down from the position in 2026, and will be succeeded at that time by Deputy Director Beth Gilligan. Longtime Coolidge Program Director Mark Anastasio has been promoted to Artistic Director. 
Mark Anastasio, Francis Ford Coppola, Katherine Tallman,
Beth Gilligan at the 2025 Coolidge Award （Photo from PR firm)
The Coolidge Corner Theatre Board of Directors, headed by David Rosenthal, voted unanimously on the succession plan. “The Coolidge Board is tremendously grateful to Kathy Tallman for her fearless leadership during this period of transformative growth for the Coolidge. Kathy has built an extraordinary organization and staff, and we now look forward to a bright future with her longtime Deputy Director Beth Gilligan at the helm. The Board is also thrilled to acknowledge Mark Anastasio’s many creative programming contributions over the years. Beth and Mark’s combined experience, passion for film, reputation in the industry, and dedication to our mission will result in a seamless transition and help chart a bold and exciting future for the Coolidge. All of us who love and support the Coolidge should be delighted that its management will remain in the hands of such experienced and creative leaders,” remarked Rosenthal.
Tallman was named Executive Director in 2013. During her tenure, and with an outstanding team, the Coolidge evolved from a beloved local art house cinema (founded in 1933, and established as a nonprofit in 1989) to a nationally recognized cultural and educational institution centered on film. Revenue increased to over $9 million in 2025, up from $3.3 million in 2014, and net assets increased to $28 million from $3.3 million in 2014.
Tallman co-chaired the Campaign for the Coolidge, which raised $15 million to fund a 14,000 square-foot expansion adding more screens, a new lobby and upgraded public areas, expansion of educational programming in a dedicated space, and an endowment.
With strong community support, Tallman led the Coolidge through a 14-month closure due to the COVID pandemic, and subsequent significant growth in curated programming and attendance. The Coolidge continues to attract record-setting attendance from a diverse audience even while the domestic film box office continues to struggle to return to 2019 levels.
Gilligan has a 16-year history with the Coolidge, where she currently serves as the Deputy Director. During her time at the Coolidge, she has served on the leadership team for the Capital Campaign; overseen the theatre’s successful national expansion of its Science on Screen® series (which, in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has awarded over $3 million in grants to 140 independent cinemas nationwide); developed and expanded programs such as Coolidge Education, Breakthrough Artist Award, PANORAMA, and the annual Film Trivia Night fundraiser; and developed partnerships with numerous cultural and community-based organizations. Prior to joining the Coolidge, Beth worked for several years for the Hamptons International Film Festival, where she oversaw marketing and development initiatives (including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film & Screenwriting Program) and later served as a Festival Consultant. Beth received a M.A. in film studies from the University of East Anglia (UK) and a B.A. in English Literature from Trinity College.
Anastasio joined the Coolidge in 2007 and has been involved in the curation of its programming for the last 18 years. In that time, he has created popular Coolidge signature programming such as Cinema Jukebox, Cult Classics, and After Midnite; forged partnerships with local organizations on unique outdoor film programs like Mount Auburn Cemetery Cinema and the Coolidge at the Greenway; expanded the theatre's repertory programming calendar, including retrospectives and genre explorations, with some programs like Projections and Animania recurring annually. Mark’s programming has been awarded by the Boston Society of Film Critics, including numerous Best Film Series and Best Rediscovery Awards, and has helped the Coolidge earn special commendations for the After Midnite series, 20 years of the Halloween Horror Marathon, continued audience engagement during the pandemic closure, and most recently, for the ambition of its series Schlock & Awe: The William Castle Experience, which lovingly replicated the maestro’s off-screen gimmicks designed to intensify the on-screen horror.
Says Tallman, “Beth has been a partner throughout my tenure at the Coolidge. Her strategic thinking and execution, film expertise and knowledge across all aspects of our business have been instrumental to our success. Mark’s creativity, programming, and showmanship have driven our stellar reputation, audience reach and growth. Working with both of them and the Coolidge team has been a joy and I, along with the entire Coolidge community, can be confident of the Coolidge’s ongoing growth and success.”
“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence in me and immensely grateful to Kathy for her leadership and mentorship over the years. Together with Mark, I will work to ensure that the Coolidge remains—in the immortal words of filmmaker and Coolidge Award honoree Werner Herzog—a ‘brave fortress of cinema culture’, while continuing to embrace exciting opportunities for growth and partnership, ” said Gilligan.
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