Students’ film date
FROM liaising with filmmakers to helping with local publicity, two Edge Hill Film Studies students had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at a major US film festival – thanks to the university’s Student Opportunity Fund.
Samantha Steele and Ben Loveland won the coveted internships as part of a flourishing partnership between Edge Hill and the Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF), the oldest avant-garde and experimental film festival in North America.
To help them with the high costs involved in flying to, and staying in, Michigan they applied to the newlylaunched Student Opportunity Fund, which provides financial support to enable students to access careerenhancing projects or activities.
During the two-week internship Sam and Ben were involved in all aspects of the event, giving them an authentic taste of what it takes to deliver a six-day festival – featuring 180 films plus exhibitions, panel discussions and community programmes – and allowing them to gain the skills and experience to impress future employers.
After a busy first week meeting the team and helping with festival preparations, including decorating the Michigan Theatre, the AAFF’s main venue, the pair were given roles for the duration of the festival.
Ben was based in the Michigan Theatre helping volunteers, greeting filmmakers and even going on food runs throughout Ann Arbor to keep the team fed.
Sam, meanwhile, helped to manage an exhibition that included workshops and installations, making sure the artists had everything they needed throughout the festival.
Both Ben and Sam believe that their experience at the AAFF will have an impact on their future employability in the highly competitive film industry.
Sam said: “We had an amazing time and gained so much from it.
‘‘I am now in contact with multiple filmmakers, artists and funding people from all over the world that should hopefully lead to more amazing opportunities.”