By Anna Julia Vissioli Rodrigues
Headshot of Anna Julia Vissioli Rodrigues
Over the summer, I worked as one of Independent Picture House’s Communications Interns, and my responsibilities included writing blog posts (Why I Watch Foreign Films, The Charlotte Film Festival: Two Directors Share Their Journey, Exploring Immigration and Filmmaking with Jerod Wood, and Journey to ‘Mirage’: An Interview with Director Jhanvi Motla), organizing the weekly newsletters, reviewing submissions for the Charlotte Film Festival, and more. As my internship with IPH comes to a bittersweet close, I am so grateful for everything I gained from this experience.
Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to improve various skills and navigate platforms like Constant Contact and Google Sheets. One skill that I really grew in was writing promotional communications. Before working with IPH, I studied at Queens University of Charlotte, majoring in Creative Writing, which focused on writing fictional short stories, poems, and formal essays. With responsibilities like the newsletters and blog posts, I gained more confidence in my technical writing abilities and deepened my knowledge of differing communications. IPH taught me there are numerous ways to express my passion for writing and be the writer I have been dreaming of becoming since before my studies.
My favorite part of interning at IPH was realizing the true power arthouse films and having a strong film community. Before my internship, I loved movies, but it wasn’t until this role that I fully understood how a film can impact a person. Thanks to my work with IPH, I watched I Saw The TV Glow, an arthouse film directed and written by Jane Schoenbrun. Not only did I love this movie, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even after two months, I’m still trying to fully unravel all the themes, messages, and things that I might have missed from the story. It’s my favorite film of the year, and I plan to rewatch it soon.
IPH also taught me the importance of creating and empowering a film community. While reviewing Charlotte Film Festival submissions, I watched wonderful films by independent, international, and emerging filmmakers who wouldn’t have the space to show their work without IPH. Working with IPH and seeing the ways the cinema is a hub for filmmakers is inspiring. With events like the Community Impact Film Series, filmmakers are able to showcase their work to the Charlotte community and discuss important issues our community faces. The July 20 CIFS event, which I had the opportunity to interview a filmmaker for, focused on the subject of immigration and the immigrant perspective, which is very dear to my heart since I am an immigrant and these films reflect my experience.
My IPH internship expanded my appreciation and love for films even more than I thought was possible. My time at IPH also taught me the importance of non-profit community cinemas and everything they do to connect individuals, share powerful stories, and create opportunities for filmmakers and patrons in the Charlotte community. My internship may be ending, but I plan to continue following IPH’s journey and watch them grow in their mission to educate, engage, and enable individuals through the power of film for many years to come.