meet the team

Raised in Rhode Island’s family theater business, Eric Bilodeau has programmed cinematic venues for over thirty years. His experience spans the film exhibition horizon, including advising and booking for multi-screen commercial cinemas, small art house theaters, a multitude of international film festivals and programming his own traveling pop-up venue, the Cricket Cinema. Running Providence’s beloved Cable Car Cinema for 18 years also sharpened his skills in a broad range of film genres. After selling the Cable Car in 2007, Eric became the Director of Programming for the Newport International Film Festival until accepting the Director of Programming role for the newly formed Providence Children’s Film Festival in 2010. During the next decade of programming he has attended and developed relationships with many North American and international youth film festivals while serving as a programming advisor for the International Kids Film Festival of India and Children’s Programmer for the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. In 2020 he became Executive Director of PCFF.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kristin has called Rhode Island her home since 2005. Before joining the PCFF team, she owned a bakery and was head pastry chef, worked as an event designer in the wedding industry and was a milliner and character costumer for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. With twelve years of experience in the special event industry and a background in theatrical costume design, Kristin brings her creative skills, (and sometimes sweet treats) to PCFF’s year-round calendar of events.

She is passionate about getting children involved and engaged in creative arts at an early age and loves working with the volunteer team year after year.

Emily Olson is a writer, editor and educator who has lived in Rhode Island for more than a decade. She’s managed or been involved with several local arts-related publications, including Motif magazine, Ave. magazine and Chazan! Unfiltered, a biographical graphic novel, which was written and illustrated by local artists. She also is an educator at RIMOSA and leads local Tinkergarten sessions at Slater Park in Pawtucket.