Diane Raver
Diane (“Didi”) Brown Raver is a film and education executive with a 40-year career spanning fashion, commercial production, and workforce development in the entertainment industry. She currently serves as Executive Director of the New Jersey Film Academy, where she has led the development of a workforce training initiative that has certified 104 students in film production in less than a year, connecting graduates directly to job opportunities and industry pathways. She is also the founder of the Garden State Film Festival, which has grown into the largest film event in New Jersey and an internationally recognized platform for independent filmmakers. Raver began her career in New York as a textile designer, but witnessed the industry shift overseas as production moved to Asia. Her entry into film came unexpectedly when she was asked to answer phones for a few days at a commercial production company. That short assignment led to a breakthrough opportunity after she demonstrated strong sales instincts soon she was carrying directors’ reels to advertising agencies and helping secure national commercial deals. As her career progressed, she encountered challenges with commission payments, and with the support of her husband, she made the decision to start her own company, gaining greater control over her work and earnings. She went on to become the first female president of a television commercial production company in New York City, building it primarily out of a drive to be fairly compensated and professionally recognized. After returning to New Jersey to raise her family, she remained active in the industry and, recognizing a need for a central gathering space, founded what would become the Garden State Film Festival. Building on that legacy, she now continues her impact through the New Jersey Film Academy and the creation of NewJerseyProductionGuide.org, both focused on strengthening workforce development and connecting trained professionals with employers across the film industry.
• Philadelphia University - BS, Textile Design
• Mount Ida College - AA, Fine Arts
• Screen Alliance of New Jersey
• President of local garden club (Holic Seeger)
• Clean Ocean Action
• Chesapeake Bay
• PBS
• NPR
What do you attribute your success to?
Tenacity. Clear and simple. I am from New Jersey. No matter what obstacle is in the way, finding a way around it is a necessity — it's practically in our DNA.
When I started my career in New York City in 1980, there was no roadmap for a woman trying to build a production company. So I made my own. In 1987, I became the first woman president of a commercial production company in New York City. Nobody handed that to me. I built it.
That same tenacity is what drove me to launch the Garden State Film Festival in 2003 with nothing but a vision — and grow it into a globally recognized event that draws over 30,000 attendees a year. There were plenty of people who didn't think New Jersey needed its own premier independent film festival. I disagreed.
And I'm still at it. The New Jersey Film Academy, which we launched in 2024, is about making sure the next generation doesn't have to fight as hard to find their footing in this industry. That's what more than four decades of pushing through obstacles teaches you — eventually, you start clearing the path for others.
Tenacity isn't just about surviving the hard moments. It's about refusing to let them be the last word.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"You get more bees with honey!'
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
First of all the Entertainment Industry is a business of contacts. Full stop. Relationships are everything — nurture them, show up for people, and never burn a bridge.
I also created NJProductionGuide.org for exactly that reason — it's a complete listing of everyone working in the industry in New Jersey, and our certified professionals are front and center, so employers know they've been properly trained. Building that kind of infrastructure is really about connecting people to opportunity.
But beyond the practical stuff, the biggest advice I can give is this: take every opportunity as it's presented to you. Life rarely moves in a straight line. You will zigzag — I certainly did — but some of the best things that ever happened to me came out of an unexpected turn. The key is to embrace it rather than mourn what didn't work out.
Boo-hooing about a closed door won't open another one. Saying yes just might.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
New Jersey is booming right now. Studios are popping up, thanks to former governor Phil Murphy who reinstated the tax incentive, and New Jersey, where the film industry was born, is now taking back its birthright. Netflix took over a decommissioned army camp about 5 miles up the road from me. That's why I've been working through the Council of Community Colleges in the state and brought consistent workforce development training to 13 of the 18 colleges. We launched a year ago, last night we certified 11 more students, bringing it to a total of 104 students in less than a year that have been certified and ready to work. Then we help them get job opportunities and work-based learning opportunities. However, it's tough for women in the industry. The glass ceiling broke in 1987 when I smashed one, and it got okay for a while, but it's bad again. Women are discounted, they have to fight for everything, we have to be faster, smarter, better. It's disheartening that my daughters and my future granddaughters would have to put up with this after all these years.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Giving back. Honesty. And making a real difference in your community — not just talking about it, but actually doing it.
Those aren't just words for me. They're the thread that runs through everything I've built. The Garden State Film Festival was never just about screening films — it was about putting New Jersey on the map and giving independent filmmakers a real platform. The New Jersey Film Academy is about making sure young people have a legitimate pathway into this industry, not just a dream with no door to walk through.
Honesty matters enormously to me — in business, in relationships, and in how you show up every day. People know where they stand with me, and I think that's why I've been able to build the partnerships and the trust that have sustained a career spanning more than four decades.
And giving back? That's not optional. Once you've been in this industry long enough to learn something, you owe it to the next person coming up to share it. That's why the work with the New Jersey Film Academy and our community college partners feels so personal. It's not charity — it's responsibility.
At the end of the day, the awards and the recognition are wonderful. But what I'm most proud of is what I've left behind that will still be standing long after I'm gone.