Adrienne Samuels Gibbs

Adrienne Samuels Gibbs, a former arts and culture writer for the Sun-Times, is stepping in to oversee all editorial content at Newcity while editor/publisher Brian Hieggelke takes time out to produce a movie.

Gibbs has been named interim senior editor of the weekly publication and website. The position of senior editor has been vacant since 2009.

Hieggelke, who’s been running Newcity since he founded the alternative weekly with his wife Jan in 1986, is spending much of this spring on the production of “Signature Move,” an indie romantic comedy set in Chicago.

“As the date for principal photography on the film approached, I came to realize that I would not be able to be as effective in making that happen if I did not have some top-level help with what I do at Newcity,” Hieggelke said. “I was fairly amazed at the depth of the talent pool when I announced the position. When I met Adrienne, I knew right away that she was exceptional even within that group, with a great body of experience as a writer and an editor. We’re beyond excited to be working with her.”

A Chicago native and graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Gibbs accepted a buyout last year after 19 months at the Sun-Times. She previously was a senior editor and writer for Ebony magazine, and also has written for Vice, Essence, Chicago magazine, the Miami Herald and the Boston Globe.

Last week Hieggelke launched a crowdfunding campaign for “Signature Move,” described as a “coming-of-age feature film about a Pakistani-Muslim-lesbian named Zaynab, who lives in Chicago taking care of her conservative-but-sweet TV-obsessed mother.”