April 20, 2021

The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) is pleased to announced that Johanna Schneller has been appointed president of the organization. Schneller replaces outgoing president Peter Howell, who recently completed his five-year term. Joining Schneller on the executive committee are Pat Mullen as vice president/secretary and Marc Glassman as treasurer. Schneller is the first woman to hold the president position since the TFCA was founded in 1997.

“It’s been an honour to serve TFCA members as president these past five years and a real adventure, as together we navigated an evolving movie industry and changing times. I wish all the best to Johanna, Pat and Marc on the journey ahead,” Howell said.

During the past five years with Howell as president and Schneller as vice-president, the membership saw several milestones including the publication of a 20^th anniversary anthology of member work, Our Words on Film; the establishment of the emerging critic prize, which has fostered new voices in film criticism for three years; the growth of the member website; and this year’s successful virtual gala, which made the annual TFCA Awards event accessible to a wide audience for the first time and included appearances by Academy Award nominees including Chloé Zhao, Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, and Daniel Kaluuya.

“I had a great five years as VP with Peter. He loves the TFCA, and it shows,” said Schneller. “Now I’m looking forward to working (as the first woman president!) with Pat Mullen, Marc Glassman and the members to evolve the organization even further. Film is changing, critical voices are diversifying. It’s a challenging, exciting time.”

Schneller currently contributes to The Globe and Mail where she writes the Bigger Picture column exploring pressing issues in film and television. Her column recently earned a 2020 National Newspaper Awards nomination. She also hosts the series The Filmmakers on CBC, which brings together Canadian talents for conversations about our national cinema. The Filmmakers won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Talk or Entertainment Program or Series in 2019. Schneller previously contributed to outlets including GQ, In Style, Premiere, Vanity Fair, and Ladies Home Journal.

The TFCA currently represents 35 critics covering film professionally in the Toronto area across print, web, radio, and television.