Mission accomplised: Interview 'successful'

Well, apparently I was more like Ted Kramer and less like Borat! I just got an email from the Director of East End Film Festival and even though I did not get accepted for the position that I applied for (that of the festival assistant), she proposed a different position that she feels like it fits better to my personality, my qualities and my career goals: that of a Programming Assistant.

Source: http://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=29065.0, taken from 'Singing in the Rain' (1952), directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

I feel like I wanna go out into the street and start dancing like Gene Kelly in 1952's Singin in the Rain (the weather will totally help to recreate the original environment of the movie, as it is pouring outside). Even though after the interview was over I felt quite confident, I never expected that I will get a job that is even better than the one that I applied for!

Programming a film festival is the equivalent of curating an art exhibition. You are responsible for researching for films that fit with the ethos of the festival, putting the festival's programme together in such a way so as to create an exciting, entertaining but also educational and intriguing experience for the festival's audience. It's the heart of every film festival and an essential part of film culture. 

Each festival has its own aesthetics and deals with specific types of films or themes. Festival programmers are responsible for staying true to the festival's ideals and promote its ideology. Moreover, as Julian Stringer mentions in his book 'Neither One Thing nor the Other: Blockbusters at Film Festivals' (2003), film curatorship is also influenced by (and it also affects, respectively) financial strategies that occur when various deals take place between the industry and the festival.

Source: http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2013/03/25/east-end-film-festival-2013/

Now, regarding East End Film Festival, it was founded at the beginning of the 21st century and it is one of the biggest film festivals in the country. According to its website, it is held annually in London where it attracts more than 30,000 film lovers per year. It showcases novel and daring films from all over the world, but mostly focuses in the work of first or second time directors. It also has a vast variety of partnerships and sponsors that include the British Film Institute, Amnesty International, Film London, The Barbican, 3 Mills Studios and Shooting People. What is even more impressive is its list of patrons, that includes the Academy Award winner and film legend Danny Boyle, director of 'Trainspotting' (1996) and 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008), the brilliant Joe Wright, director of 'Atonement' (2007) and 'Hanna' (2011), as well as the renowed composer Michael Nyman,nominated for three Golden Globes for his work in 'The Piano' (1993), 'Gattaca' (1997) and 'The End of the Affair' (1999).

Next Wednesday is the day that I will officially become a member of the East End Film Festival team. I cannot wait!


References:

• East End Film Festival, n.d.. About us. Available at http://www.eastendfilmfestival.com/about-us [Accessed 23 February 2014]
• East End Film Festival, n.d.. East End Film Festival partners and supporters. Available at http://www.eastendfilmfestival.com/sponsors [Accessed 23 February 2014]
• East End Film Festival, n.d.. Our Patrons. Available at http://www.eastendfilmfestival.com/patrons [Accessed 23 February 2014]
• Stringer, J., (2003). Neither One Thing nor the Other: Blockbusters at Film Festivals. In J. Stringer, ed. 2003. Movie Blockbusters. London/New York: Routledge. pp. 202–213.