Dana Blankstein

Dana Blankstein-Cohen (born March 3, 1981) is the director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. She was appointed by the board of directors to succeed founding director Renen Schorr in November 2019.Previously she was the director of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. She is a film director, and an Israeli culture entrepreneur.

Dana Blankstein was born in Switzerland in 1981 to theatre director Dedi Baron and Professor Alexander Blankstein. She moved to Israel in 1983 and grew up in Tel Aviv.

Blankstein graduated from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Jerusalem in 2008 with high honors. During her studies she worked as a personal assistant to directors Savi Gabizon on his film Nina's Tragedies and to Renen Schorr on his film The Loners.  She also directed and shot 'the making of' film on Gavison's film Lost and Found. Her debut film Camping competed at the Berlin International Film Festival, 2007.

After her studies, Dana worked as a production mentor at the Sam Spiegel Film School. She founded and directed the film and television department at the Kfar Saba municipality. The department encouraged and promoted productions filmed in the city of Kfar Saba, as well as the established cultural projects, and educational community activities.

Blankstein directed the mini-series "Tel Aviviot" (2012).

From 2016-2019 was the director of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television.

Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School founding director Renen Schorr announced his stepping down in spring 2019 and in November 2019 Dana Blankstein Cohen was appointed to take over as the new director of the school.