FilmLA is undergoing a change in leadership as President Paul Audley is set to retire at the end of the December after 17 years leading the organization.
The nonprofit, which works directly with local jurisdictions across the Los Angeles region on film permitting and more, has appointed Denise Gutches as its new chief executive officer, it was announced Wednesday. She will assume the CEO role on January 1.
“FilmLA has consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt and thrive in a changing environment. I am confident that Denise and the leadership team will continue to advance FilmLA’s mission with the same dedication and excellence that has defined our work,” Audley said in a statement with Wednesday’s announcement.
Gutches has served as both CFO and COO of FilmLA since joining the organization in 2011. Her leadership transition comes at a watershed moment for local production, which has been suffering greatly in recent years as productions have increasingly moved to other territories amid an overall global production contraction. Earlier this year, FilmLA reported that sound stage occupancy is down by 63% while on-location production continues to decline as well.
FilmLA has been under pressure from local production workers to further streamline and enhance the on-location filmmaking process, specifically — a mission that has also been adopted by the local government. In August, LA Mayor Karen Bass appointed a film liaison to develop a strategy for lowering costs and removing some of the cumbersome red tape around permitting, particularly for iconic LA locations like the Griffith Observatory.
Gutches has been directly involved with these efforts over the past few years, and she was the driving force behind several recent key initiatives, including the launch of FilmLA’s online permit system.
“I am honored to lead FilmLA into its next phase,” Gutches said in a statement. “With the revitalization of the Film and Television Tax Credit and numerous transformative initiatives underway across Los Angeles, FilmLA is uniquely positioned to support the creative and economic vitality of the region’s film and television industry. I look forward to working with our partners to build a resilient and innovative future.”
In addition to Gutches’ promotion, FilmLA also announced that current VP of Operations Donna Washington will expand her focus on regional film policy alignment and client services, thus adopting a new title, FilmLA’s VP of External Affairs. Washington is a founding member of FilmLA and has been with the organization since it was created in 1995.