Jan-Willem Breure (born 22 October 1988) is a Rwandan-Dutch filmmaker and festival director. He is the founder of the Septimius Awards, an Amsterdam-based ceremony recognized for its "continental" category system aimed at promoting global diversity in cinema.
Breure was born in Rwanda and later adopted by a Dutch missionary family. He spent his formative years in Kenya and Namibia before relocating to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, specializing in interactive media design. His experience as an adoptee and his upbringing across three continents are frequently cited as the catalysts for his focus on "Global Inclusion" in the arts.
Breure's filmography often addresses psychological and social themes. His 2012 documentary Are All Men Pedophiles? examined societal stigmas through a clinical lens. The documentary received an Award of Excellence at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration, and Equality. Breure's second documentary, titled Do Women Have A Higher Sex Drive?, was released in 2018.
In 2024 UN Women announced its partnership for a documentary production titled UN Women x United Races to be released in 2026.
In January 2026, Breure was announced as one of six jury members for the Johannesburg Film Festival that is held annually in Johannesburg, Gauteng in South Africa.
In 2017, Breure founded the New Vision International Film Festival (NVIFF), a foundation that organizes the Septimius Awards, referred to as the âÂÂOscars of EuropeâÂÂ. The awards are held annually at the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam and are unique for dividing major categories (Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Film) by continentâ Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and OceaniaâÂÂto ensure equal representation for non-Western talent.
The festival has attracted numerous Academy Award, BAFTA, and Emmy Awards winners. High-profile winners and attendees include:
Breure is a vocal critic of Western cultural bias in major award shows like the Academy Awards. He champions the "Digital Divide" theory, advocating for independent platforms where creators of color and filmmakers from the Global South can control their own narratives without catering to Eurocentric standards.