Dallas FilmDallas FilmThe DIFF team works year-round to curate, moderate, and facilitate programs for our local film community. With decades 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.
Named in September 2022 as CEO of Dallas Film Society, Inc. | DIFF Dallas International Film Festival, Wilbins has been affiliated with the organization since its founding as a nonprofit in 2006. She is proud to continue its legacy as the region's most powerful platform for diverse, emerging and underrepresented voices through curation of the broadest range of expression through film.
Under her leadership, the organization’s signature event, the Dallas International Film Festival, achieved a long-standing goal when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences named DIFF in October 2024 as an Oscar® Qualifying Festival – one of only 59 film festivals in the U.S. and only 181 film festivals worldwide to earn the designation.
In her role as CEO, Wilbins has passionately pursued community-building for film professionals and aficionados by establishing year-round film programs, series, and events through collaborations with diverse arts organizations, nonprofit community partners, businesses, schools, filmmakers, and studios.
Wilbins has a multifaceted portfolio that includes business and nonprofit management, executive consulting, marketing communications, production, and public relations.
She founded and owned Forte Group, Inc., a national senior lifestyles marketing and PR firm, which was acquired by The Point Group in 2015. She remained as president of The Point Group Senior Lifestyle Division until 2019, when she went on to serve as president of Wilbins Group, Inc., a consultancy with four practice areas: W/G Film Studios (film development and production), The Wilbins Group (executive consulting), W/G Talent (talent booking and special events), and W/G Senior Lifestyles (senior living marketing and PR).
Wilbins is the former editor-in-chief of D Magazine and former publisher and editor-in-chief of Philanthropy World magazine.
A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Wilbins was graduated cum laude from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with graduate studies in mass communication at Wake Forest University.
She was drawn to film at an early age, evidenced in her first newspaper interview at the age of five. In an article, "Dress-Up Games: Ever In Style", a reporter observed Beth and her little brother seated in front of the television set midafternoon, watching quietly, dressed in their mother's formal attire.
Beth, wearing "a long wine-colored crepe dress with square neckline, gold earrings and a wine hat with a feather and a bunch of beads strung around her neck", explained, "We're at the movies".
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.
Alex Garcia Topete is a writer and filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience working in the creative industries in Mexico and the United States, having worked as transnational line producer for the award-winning film Te Prometo Anarquía (2015), as series development consultant for Sony Pictures Television International (2010), as executive producer for shows on National Public Radio’s digital platform (2010), and as writer-director of nationally-broadcast sketch shows for Mexico’s Televisa del Golfo (2006-2007), among others. He has been the managing partner and chief creative officer of the Dallas-based media production company Nowadays Orange Productions since its establishment in 2011. He has written, directed, and produced several projects, including the independent features Trippers (2010) and Vamps, Blood & Smoking Guns (2012), as well as the award-winning independent sitcom The Realty (2019-), the edutainment web series HablandoTV (2015-) and the Lone Star Emmy-winning docu-series Our Americas (2016-). In addition, Alex has been a curator/programmer since 2007 for several film festivals, including the Dallas International Film Festival and the Festival de Cine Latino Americano of North Texas (FDCLA), of which he’s an original co-founder.
Alex is also a researcher and entrepreneur with a doctorate in Arts, Technology and Emerging Communications and a master’s degree in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at Dallas. His research and expertise focus on transdisciplinary intelligence & collaboration methodologies, particularly as they relate to the creative industries and their relationship to technology, value creation ecosystems, diverse publics, and social impact.
Interests & specialties include: Writing, literary criticism, story analysis, philosophy, feminism, environmentalism, science fiction, science+art collaboration, quantum aesthetics, entrepreneurship, innovation, philanthropy, photography, graphic design, copy-editing, analytical journalism, political science, translation & interpreting.
Amber Ekleberry serves as the Director of Programming and Senior Programmer for The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) and DIFF Shorts. Her journey in film began behind the camera, where hands-on experience on set deepened her appreciation for storytelling and the intricate process of filmmaking. This firsthand knowledge enables her to connect authentically with filmmakers and curate a festival lineup that resonates with both creators and audiences.
In addition to her role at DIFF, Amber is the co-owner and co-founder of Burned To Light Media, a creative agency dedicated to helping businesses, organizations, and individuals tell their unique stories.
Amber holds a bachelor's degree in Film and Media Arts from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and an associate degree in Public Relations and Advertising from Collin College.
Drawing from her diverse cultural heritage, Amber brings a unique and inclusive perspective to the Dallas film community. Her passion for film is complemented by her love for various forms of artistic expression, including painting and sculpting. She is committed to fostering a vibrant and welcoming environment for filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike, ensuring that DIFF remains a cornerstone of creative expression in Dallas.
When not immersed in film, Amber enjoys exploring new artistic mediums and supporting local art initiatives. Through her active engagement with the arts and the Dallas community, she continually develops as a filmmaker and programmer, demonstrating her unwavering passion for creative expression.
aekleberry@diffdallas.org
ahall@dallasfilm.org
Craig Whipple is the newly named Director of Special Events for the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF). Prior to DIFF, Craig was a CPA and managed employee stock plans for several Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta and Dallas.
Craig is passionate about the Arts scene in Dallas and has been involved in many performance, theater and film organizations around town. His love of film began at a young age and he gravitates towards Indie, Documentary and Foreign Films. Pedro Almadovar is one of his favorite filmmakers.
Craig is native of Louisville, Kentucky and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wittenberg University and Waseda University (Tokyo). He is a total travel geek and recently completed a cycling trip in India. Other favorite trips include two Camino de Santiago hikes across Spain. He is passionate about foreign language (Japanese and Spanish) and staying active with hiking/biking/swimming.
Craig is excited to deliver DIFF events and experiences that engage the growing Dallas Film community throughout the year. He wants to be part of the expanding DIFF momentum.
Corey Loer is the Director of Community and Volunteer Relations for DIFF | Dallas International Film Festival, where he plays a key role in fostering connections and building a dynamic community around the festival. A proud graduate of the University of Texas with a degree in Radio-TV-Film, Corey has more than 15 years of experience in the vision industry. He often jokes that his career allowed him to “help people see movies,” a passion that ultimately led him back to his true love: the film industry and writing.
An avid movie buff and seasoned awards prognosticator, Corey thrives during “awards season,” where his expertise and enthusiasm for film come to life. He is excited to contribute to the growth of the Dallas film community, and looks forward to making lasting connections with filmmakers, volunteers, and film lovers alike.
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.
Dallas Film Society, Inc. was founded in 2006 as a 501(c)(3) organization with the foundational idea that film is art and its artists are the filmmakers. Advertising legend Liener Temerlin and filmmaker Michael Cain, co-founders, believed that “film should be placed on the same pedestal as all of the other arts”, and that both the art of film and the art of filmmakers needed to be elevated and celebrated. Temerlin led the first international film festival in Dallas, then called AFI Dallas International Film Festival, as Chairman and Festival Director, with Cain as Artistic Director and CEO. Overnight, it became the largest film festival in the Southwest, screening 193 films from 25 countries during the 11-day festival, filling 30,030 seats, with 75 filmmakers and numerous film stars in attendance.
