Each August, a group of students come together at the Virginia Film Festival (VFF) office. United by an interest in films and the film industry, each VFF intern plays a key role in the coming Festival, supporting a small full-time and seasonal staff in areas including production, programming, marketing and promotions, publicity and copywriting, community outreach, development, and special projects. And according to VFF Managing Director Jenny Mays (College ‘03), their impact cannot be underestimated. “It’s no exaggeration to say that all of us on the VFF staff could not do what we do without our amazing interns,” Mays said. “Our goal is to give each intern not only a true sense of what it takes to plan and execute the Virginia Film Festival, but also to empower them with the opportunity to leave their own mark on the VFF each year and to really own their specific roles. I am continually blown away by their creativity, talent, devotion, and true collaborative approach.” 

Stephanie Katsias (College ‘16) recently completed her third year in the program. “Serving as an intern for the Virginia Film Festival has easily been one of the most memorable things I have done during my time at UVa. Getting to work with such a talented and dedicated group of people and watching a world-class event come together from the ground up is truly unlike anything else a student is able to do at this school. As interns, we get to experience it all. We see the program in its nascent stages, the exciting ups and downs as it gets fleshed out, the buzz created when it is announced, and finally, the joy that literally thousands of people feel when they create their own Festival experience.” Kevin Hart (College ‘14) credits his VFF internship for helping forge a career path that now finds him at the prestigious University of Southern California Film School. “The Festival does a great job of bringing the film culture of L.A. to Virginia, and the internship program creates opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in film to get a taste of what it is like to work in the industry. My internship ultimately solidified my decision to pursue a career in film and inspired me to take the next step toward achieving this goal.”