Dallas FilmDallas FilmThe DIFF team works year-round to curate, moderate, and facilitate programs for our local film community. With more than (00) years of combined festival, programming, and educational experience, these people live for film. And it shows. Get to know the people behind the scenes that make DIFF run. And if you see them at a festival or a program, know that they are putting in all the hard work for you. You might even want to buy them a drink and talk movies.
Beth Wilbins serves as president of Wilbins Group, Inc. / WG Film Studios.
Her 35+-year career has covered the full spectrum of marketing communications, including public relations, advertising, branding, magazine publishing, radio promotion, community relations, special event management, executive positioning, social media, and television production.
Wilbins was founder and owner of Forte Group, Inc., a national marketing and public relations firm specializing in senior living, which was acquired by The Point Group in 2015. She remained as president of The Point Group Senior Lifestyle Division until 2019, when she left to join Wilbins Group, Inc.
Together with her husband, Rick Wilbins, she is also owner of Patrice & Associates of North Dallas, a franchise of the largest hospitality and retail executive search firm in North America.
She is the former publisher and editor-in-chief of Philanthropy World magazine and former editor-in-chief of D magazine.
Since moving to Dallas in 1984, Wilbins has been involved with numerous nonprofit organizations and their related support groups, including Alzheimer’s Association/A.W.A.R.E., American Heart Association, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dallas Commission for International Cultural Affairs, Dallas Film, Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Heritage Society, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Opera, Dallas Sister Cities International, Dallas Southern Memorial Association, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, DIFFA/Dallas, Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee, EarthX Film, Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet, Junior League of Dallas, Just For The Kids, Kidney/Texas, Leading Age Texas, Lone Star Film and Television Awards, March of Dimes, Philanthropy Kids Magazine, North Texas Arthritis Foundation, Senior Quality Lifestyles Foundation, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Texas Chapter of Women for WineSense, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, The Dallas Woman’s Forum, The Gordie Foundation, Wednesday’s Child, and Women in Film, among others.
A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wilbins was graduated cum laude from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and did her graduate studies in mass communication at Wake Forest University.
James Faust likes to rock and watch movies. Not in that order. He began as the festival’s Senior Programmer at our inception back in 2006, when we were still called AFI DALLAS. That position followed programming roles with the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, The Austin Film Festival and Texas Black Film Festival. A die-hard Raiders fan, James received Telecommunication and Theatre degrees at Texas Tech University, which he followed up with a degree in Cinema Studies at Southern Methodist University. He has served on juries and panels all over the world speaking about film festival management, programming and marketing.
Respected executive and communications consultant with US Fortune 100 credentials. Accomplished, change-driven senior executive with consistent record of breakthrough achievements -- proudest moments were while serving under the legendary Roger Frizzell. Clients are corporate and nonprofit CEOs and executives who want to grow their organizations. Operate within virtual networks of communications specialists run by former senior executives of the world's leading corporations and agencies. Specialize in troubleshooting intractable problems. Served as a senior corporate brand, marketing, advertising, public relations and philanthropy executive or consultant with AT&T, American Airlines, Carnival Corporation, HP, and Pacific Gas & Electric. Managed large high-performance global teams in more than 40 countries with $1B+ aggregate budget. Forged dozens of critical business partnerships and developed game-changing brand and community positioning strategies that maximized reward and minimized risk, including American Airlines re-branding and ground-breaking DEI corporate philanthropic strategy. Served on more than a dozen major nonprofit boards.
Experienced entertainment executive. Responsible as a senior corporate advertising executive for several major motion picture partnerships, including Up in the Air with George Clooney and The Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner, as well as network TV specials, including Q’Viva with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Executive Producer of award-winning dramatic film The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. Currently Executive Producer of three feature-length films: Montserrat, Eyes of Jefferson, and My Name is Kira. Founding board member of one of the nation's largest film festival organizations.