Deirdre Evans-Pritchard

Deirdre has been the Executive Director of the DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) since 2011 overseeing a staff of 15. Her work in international education and cultural exchange has been continuous since 2002 when she was a two-time Senior Fulbright Scholar teaching and undertaking research in Lebanon. She joined the Fulbright staff at Amideast in 2009 as Senior Program Officer, then become Coordinator of Special Programs where she spearheaded new initiatives and alumni outreach before becoming Director of Cultural and Professional Exchanges at The Middle East Institute. She has taught at the University of Southern California in Anthropology and Film and holds a B.A. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from Durham University, UK, an M.Phil. in Social Anthropology from Cambridge, UK, and an M.A. and PhD. in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA. As a Senior Fulbright Scholar she undertook research focusing on cultural translation, media, tourism and arts heritage. She has expansive experience in program management for the arts and conservation, team development, programming, international education, partnerships, strategic planning and online education. She has partnered across the Middle East and Central America, film/media organizations, universities, US cultural exchange and arts organizations.