Ellen Harrington is an American museum director, film institution leader, curator, film programmer, educator and producer. From 2018 to 2024 she worked in Europe as Director and CEO of the DFF - Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany, a leading, forward-thinking international film heritage organization, and a pioneer in preserving and sharing film culture with a worldwide public, uniquely combining museum, cinema, archives and collections, festivals, digital platforms, research and digitization projects and numerous educational programs. The DFF actively works toward intercultural understanding, linking the history, materiality and meaning of film to the digital future.

In this engaging conversation, Founding Curator of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum, Ellen Harrington, shares her extensive experience in the film and museum sectors, emphasizing the importance of direct experience over mediated interactions. She discusses the evolving role of museums, the power of storytelling in cinema, and the impact of technology on how stories are told and consumed. Harrington advocates for a more authentic engagement with art and culture, encouraging individuals to seek out direct experiences and to understand the context behind the stories they encounter. The dialogue also touches on the responsibilities of cultural institutions in presenting challenging content and the necessity of curating smarter rather than less.