Rwanda Cinema Center

David Kleiler began his love affair with the cinema at the university, combining doctoral
work in cinema studies at New York University with an arts administration degree from
Harvard Business School. This unique combination prepared him for a singular career
in support of independent and avant-garde filmmakers in New England. Kleiler has also
given back at the university level, having taught film studies at such institutions as
Babson College, UMass Boston, Emerson College, Tufts University, and Boston
University. From 1988 to 1996,
Kleiler was the Artistic Director of the Coolidge Corner Movie Theatre in Brookline,
Massachusetts. Under his guidance, "The Coolidge" became renowned for its support
and exhibition of independent and local films. In addition, his name appears in the
credits of countless films made in and around New England. Most notably, he earned
an Associate Producer credit for Brad Anderson’s "Session Nine."  Kleiler has also been
a long-time presence on the film festival scene both in and out of New England. He has
directed the Northampton Film Festival and for the last 14 years has made the
pilgrimage, along with thousands of others, to the Toronto International Film Festival.
His trips to Toronto have taken on special
resonance lately, for Kleiler, as current director of the Boston Underground Film
Festival, has used the relationships forged in Toronto over the years to premiere The
Film Circuit in 2003.