(Chatham, NY—July 1, 2025)—Effective today, the Crandell Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mirissa Neff, former board member and VP of Programming, as the theater’s new Executive Director.
Neff, a journalist and filmmaker with decades of experience telling human stories through the lens of art and culture, is deeply knowledgeable about all aspects of the film industry. She and her family have longstanding ties to Chatham, and her son is a student in the Chatham Central School District. She is strongly engaged in Chatham and the surrounding communities, and is committed to new and diverse programming.
“The Crandell will be excellently positioned, under her leadership, to explore and present amazing film and non-film programming in our newly renovated theatre,” says President John Lillis. “We cannot believe our luck in having this wonderful opportunity to have Mirissa lead the Crandell into its next chapter.”
Neff joined the Crandell Board of Directors in January 2024 after having founded Crandell Kid Flicks, the theater’s popular weekend matinee series of family-friendly films featuring educational programming and activities. Neff’s experience in public media began when she appeared as a child on Sesame Street and she has worked as a producer and correspondent for the PBS shows Sound Tracks and Quick Hits. She has reported for public radio programs including Studio 360 on WNYC and PRI’s The World, and was commissioned by PBS to complete a survey and audio history of iconic civil rights era photography. She grew up in New York City and worked as a radio DJ at Amherst College before embarking on her career in media and as a filmmaker.
Her directing debut, the feature documentary This Is National Wake, was produced in association with ITVS and XTR, and has won awards at film festivals around the world. She lives in East Chatham with her partner and son and loves calling Columbia County home.
The Crandell Theatre is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit community cinema in Chatham, NY. It is one of a few community-based, nonprofit theaters in the United States devoted to film and one of fewer than one hundred single-screen movie theaters nationally. The theater is supported by ticket sales and earned revenue, contributions of members and friends, and private and public grants, including the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Beginning in 2010, Crandell Theatre, Inc., raised more than $1 million to purchase the historic theater and make needed repairs. In November 2024, the Crandell closed for construction, with an estimated reopening in fall 2025. The current Crandell board is engaged in a multi-million-dollar campaign to support the ongoing restoration and renovation of the theater and enhance the moviegoing experience for generations to come. For more information, visit crandelltheatre.org, or call 518-392-3445.
