Biographies

AbdulHamid Juma, Chairman, Dubai International Film Festival	Biography	Picture
AbdulHamid Juma was appointed the Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival in 2006. He was part of the initial team that, back in 2004, established it and turned it into the world-class event it is todayHe was guided by a belief that through film and art, the gaps between cultures could be narrowed by using one common language to communicate messages of tolerance and understanding. He developed an eclectic taste for varying genres of filmmaking and thrived on educating himself on the new trends in cinema on an international level.His passion then focused on the history of Arab cinema, specifically, the Cinema in the UAE. He became active in supporting independent cinema, especially from the GCC region, and has a keen interest in nurturing thriving local talent. With his foresight and vision, he was the driving force behind the Gulf Film Festival, an annual event that showcases the best in regional cinema to a local and international audience.Being named the third most influential figure in Arab Cinema proved a defining moment in his life. Part of the realization of his dream would be to create an art and film culture in the UAE.AbdulHamid also holds the position of Deputy Director General of Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (DTMFZA) with the responsibility to manage the Free Zone’s strategic direction and to promote sustainable industry growth in line with the DTMFZA’s goals.His early career assignments include Corporate Strategy and Planning Manager and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Dubai Media City. He was later appointed to CEO of DMC. During his tenure at DMC his vision and perseverance attracted over 1000 companies who proceeded to join the unique media community.He was a member of the founding team that put into realization the concept of Dubai Internet City, where he held the position of Commercial Manager. Thereafter, he held senior management positions at Jebel Ali Free Zone and Citibank.He is the holder of a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a certificate from Harvard Business School’s General Manager Programme.AbdulHamid is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS). He also sits on the board of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, established in 2008.
Bob McCarthy, Manager of Volunteers	Biography
Bob McCarthy started managing volunteer programmes as a Programming Director at various community radio stations in Canada. In 1997 he founded a teen-run radio station that has been in operation in Toronto, Canada for over ten years.As Manager of Volunteers and Interns from 1999 to 2004, Bob was in charge of transforming the Toronto International Film Festival Group volunteer base from seasonal to year-round. Bob became Manager of Volunteers at DIFF in 2006. He continues to consult for a number of arts festivals including the largest multidisciplinary South Asian arts festival outside of South Asia: Masala! Mehndi! Masti!
Dan Butkovich, Festival Development Director	Biography
Dan Butkovich is responsible for ensuring DIFF’s new initiatives are consistent with the overall vision of the festival. In his role, Dan works at developing all of DIFF’s technological demands and adapting them to meet the requirements of the festival’s comprehensive internal training programmes. He also oversees Registration & Accreditations, the Box Office, and Customer Services.Dan has more than 20 years of experience in the field of customer service management, across a range of arts and not-for-profit organisations and has worked closely with DIFF since it was launched. In the previous edition he was involved in tripling audience attendance since the inaugural year and worked with a team to ensure DIFF patrons received the highest level of customer services.In recent years, Dan has provided consultancy services to numerous organisations, including DIFF, and worked at developing policies and processes for various departments, implementing ticketing solutions for events, providing training and establishing international guidelines for customer services.Previously with the Toronto International Film Festival Group, Dan, developed and managed the Box Office and Customer Services departments. Under his leadership, the Box Office became an important source of revenue for the festival and brought in more than $4 million from the five divisions of the group. Dan also maintained a 95 % customer satisfaction rate for 10 consecutive years.
Hannah Fisher, Programmer - Cultural Bridge	Biography
Previously the director of the Vancouver International Film Festival, Hannah currently works with several festivals, including the Dubai International Film Festival, the Bangkok International Film Festival, the Kerala and Kolkata Film Festivals in India, a festival event in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Floating Film Festival, a spectacular event that takes place on a luxury cruise ship.
Jane Williams, Head of Industry Office	Biography	Picture
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.
Mahsa Motamedi, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship	Biography	Picture
Mahsa Motamedi has been closely involved with DIFF since its inaugural year, in 2004. As Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, she works with a roster of high-profile sponsors, taking the festival increasingly on to the world stage. Mahsa has a passion for marketing and believes that DIFF’s excellent content speaks for itself in promoting a strong brand with international reach.Mahsa has been an integral part of the organisation since 2000 and was responsible for the launch event of Dubai Internet City. Given her love for the media, she shifted to Dubai Media City, where she was a key member of the marketing department for 5 years. She spearheaded initiatives such as IBDAA, the Student Media Awards, and managed the project for several years.Originally from Iran, Mahsa was educated in England and started her advertising career in London before moving to the UAE.
Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director	Biography	Picture
As Artistic Director of DIFF, Masoud Amralla Al Ali oversees the entire programming for the festival that comprises films from Arab and international filmmakers.Masoud’s passion for cinema ensured that his knowledge, experience and expertise were an important part of DIFF from the very first edition. The 2006 edition of DIFF saw Masoud’s appointment as Artistic Director of Arabic Programming and General Coordinator of the Muhr Awards – a platform that recognises talent from the world of Arab cinema. As Artistic Director, he was responsible for selecting films from the Arab and non-Arab worlds for the Arabian Nights and Emerging Emiratis programming sections.In his capacity as Artistic Director of the UAE Cultural Foundation, a national cultural institution funded by the federal government in Abu Dhabi, he founded the Emirates Film Competition, an annual cinema event held in Abu Dhabi to promote Arab films and encourage Arab filmmakers from the UAE and the region.Masoud is highly respected in the film community and is generally regarded as one of the region’s best-informed experts on Arab cinema. He has directed several documentary films and writes extensively as a critic on Arab cinema in Arabic publications.
Myrna Makaaron, Programmer - Cinema for Children	Biography
Myrna is a Lebanese filmmaker and actress. She completed filmmaking studies in Beirut and went to study theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris. She has appeared in several Lebanese and Arabic films. She has been involved in the organization of a number of film weeks and festivals. The last film she directed, BerlineBeirut (2004), appeared at more than 65 festivals and won nine awards.
Nashen Moodley, Director AsiaAfrica Programmes	Biography
Nashen is a South African and an accomplished film critic, journalist and programmer, who is currently Artistic Director of the Durban International Film Festival, one of Africa’s most respected cinema events. His writing has appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines including the Mail & Guardian, The Sunday Independent and GQ, and he is film critic for the Sunday Tribune.
Sheila Whitaker, Director International Programmes	Biography
British national, Sheila was Head of Programming at the National Film Theatre in London from 1984 to 1990 and Director of the London Film Festival from 1987 to 1996. She is well known as a writer and film festival consultant and has served on many international juries at festivals from Venice to Syria.
Shivani Pandya, Managing Director	Biography	Picture
As the Managing Director of the Dubai International Film Festival, Shivani Pandya holds the mandate to direct strategic and operational aspects of the festival. Prior to her current role, Shivani was the executive director of the festival. She has been with DIFF since its beginnings in 2004 and contributed to the successful management of the festival project plan while overseeing the festival’s marketing and operations departments.Shivani’s previous responsibilities were as a member of the Dubai Media City - Business Development team since 2000. In her capacity, she added considerable industry specific experience towards developing a strategy for nurturing the film industry in Dubai and promoting it as a location of choice for film production.During her tenure, she established the media cluster’s broadcasting department, and facilitated the addition of more than 20 international broadcasters under the DMC umbrella.She holds a Baccalaureate Honours degree in Economics from Delhi University and a Masters in Marketing and Communications from the Xavier’s Institute of Communication in Mumbai, India.
Uma Da Cunha, Programmer - Celebration of Indian Cinema	Biography
Uma is an Indian national and a respected Mumbai based film personality. She began her film career in 1974, with the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Government of India. She has written widely on Indian cinema and programmed Indian films for many international festivals. As a casting director and adviser, her many credits include Lagaan and Monsoon Wedding.