Diana Sanchez has stepped down from her position as senior director, film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Sanchez departs TIFF after more than two decades working with the festival, first as an international programmer in 1998 before joining full-time in 2019 as its first senior director, film. The role saw Sanchez oversee the overall programming strategy for the annual festival and TIFF’s year-round exhibition at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

“As we begin preparations for TIFF 2022, I’ll be working with the programmers to grow the team and maintain the curatorial excellence that Diana helped cultivate,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey in a statement.

Sanchez worked with TIFF to program international films from Latin America, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and the Caribbean. Her final day with the festival was Dec. 31, 2022. She is currently a lecturer at the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. TIFF has not responded to a request for comment on whether Sanchez’s role will be replaced as of press time.

“It has been a wonderfully exhilarating time at TIFF. There is truly nothing like this place or this team,” said Sanchez in a statement. “I would like to thank Cameron and the best team of programmers in the business. I am proud of the work we have done over these many years. As I prepare for a new adventure with my young family, I will always be grateful for my time at TIFF.”

This is the second senior departure at TIFF since its 2021 festival. Former co-head and executive director Joanna Vicente departed the festival in September 2021 to become CEO of the Sundance Institute. Bailey was later promoted to TIFF CEO from his former title of co-head and artistic director.