I was born and raised in a small town called Winneconne, WI. I've always loved movies, and I decided to come to UW-Milwaukee when I saw that they had a Film Studies program. I also fell in love with the Oriental Theatre. I'm currently working towards degrees in Film Studies and JAMS (Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies) with a certificate in LGBT Studies. I just finished my third year at UWM, and I'm excited to do some traveling and catch up on tons of movies and TV shows over the Summer!

 

I actually found out about the internships at Milwaukee Film two years ago from one of my Film Studies professors, Susan Kerns, who is now Milwaukee Film's Education Director. I was the Program Book Intern last year, and I loved my time at Milwaukee Film so much I decided to come back. This year, I'm one of the Programming Interns who assists Programming Manager, Angela Catalano. I help her contact filmmakers, distributors, and other festivals to solicit film screeners which help us decide what films will be screened at the 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival. I also gather marketing information, press materials, and film stills that will go into our program book and be used in our other publications.

 

My favorite film from last year's festival was King of Devil's Island starring Stellan Skarsgård and Benjamin Helstad. The film tells the true story of a group of young men who are imprisoned in a Norwegian rehabilitation camp at the beginning of the 20th century. They are forced to complete grueling manual labor and eventually band together to rise up against the directors of the island. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll certainly feel like you're right next to the boys fighting. The breathtaking landscapes and courage of the characters will inspire you to start your own revolution.

 

After I graduate next May, I plan to continue working at film festivals around the world. I have enjoyed learning about the marketing and programming aspects of our festival, so I hope to continue working in those areas. I've been traveling to other festivals around the country this year, and I'm very excited to apply for a Film School Pass for the Sundance Film Festival in January. Gael García Bernal had better finish a new film and meet me there! I love traveling and watching films, so working at film festivals is my dream job.

 

I would choose to work with British director Steve McQueen. His films are raw, breathtakingly beautiful, and have unforgettable scores. I think he's one of the most visionary filmmakers working today. (I swear my obsession with Michael Fassbender has nothing to do with it. Okay. I lied.)

 

If I could recast Citizen Kane, I'd pick Phillip Seymour Hoffman to play Charles Kane, Laura Linney to play Emily Kane, Kate Winslet to play Susan Alexander, and Colin Firth to play Jedediah Leland. That said, I'm not a huge fan of Citizen Kane--I much prefer Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton in The Third Man. I just can't resist that classic theme song.