Head of Industry Office

Jane Williams set up DIFF's Industry Office in 2006. As Head of the Industry Office she arranges and organises events and networking opportunities that benefit the festival's industry delegates. In 2007 the Industry Office launched two important new initiatives to support filmmakers and producers from of Arab origin: the Dubai Film Connection a co-production platform which showcases 15 film projects to an invited guest list of international and Arab industry professionals to encourage collaboration; the Producers Coaching Programme established in association with EAVE to support the development of 10 producers from the region. Jane moved to Amsterdam in 1998 to become Head of Training at the Maurits Binger Film Institute in Holland. Since 2002 she has been working as a freelance consultant for a number of funding organizations and international festivals. She has worked for the Cinemart and Hubert Bals Fund at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Balkan Fund, Thessaloniki International Film Festival Greece, the Industry Office at the BAFICI in Buenos Aries and Taormina Film Festival Sicilie, Italy. She is an expert for the European Commission and currently consults for the Royal Film Commission in Jordan.