By Jada Cheek
This summer, I have had the privilege of interning at The Independent Picture House as a part of the marketing team. My responsibilities included drafting posts for our social media platforms, filming and editing content for our YouTube channel, promoting and photographing events, reviewing films for the 2024 Charlotte Film Festival, writing blog posts and much more. Going into the internship, I wanted opportunities to strengthen my communication skills and learn about the logistics of screening films in an established theater. Now that my time at the IPH has come to an end, I have gotten both, in addition to a bevy of opportunities I could not have foreseen.
Taking on this role allowed me to connect with inspirational filmmakers and local creatives. As a filmmaker who understands the importance of collaboration and as a student thinking post-graduation, I’m grateful for the space the IPH provided me to practice my communication and networking skills. The power of a follow-up email is mighty, and that’s something I’ll take with me long after my time here. I also valued the chance to gain insight on the logistics and marketing choices that surround screening films. Being a filmmaker, I spend a lot of time focusing on the creative aspect and considering hypothetical audiences I hope to reach. So I found it immensely rewarding to learn about what happens when films are distributed and how theaters market them.
I have been incredibly pleased with the camaraderie between team members here. It’s been such a joy to be around people who uphold their mission to create communal experiences through cinema and who also see one another as people outside of what they have to offer the theater. I’ve felt seen and appreciated this summer by the IPH team, especially by the work they’ve thrown my way. Aware of my studies in cinematography at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, they asked if I would be interested in moderating a talkback following a screening of The Bikeriders with Ashleigh Chavis, the film’s makeup department head. As a film student and someone who loves to talk, I was delighted to sit down with someone working in the industry, ask her questions and even continue communication with her afterward. I always got the sense I was being looked out for by the team, and I’m grateful.
I have had the opportunity to strengthen a multitude of skills with the platform IPH has provided. I look forward to visiting The Independent Picture House for the Charlotte Film Festival, keeping up with their unique screening choices and assisting as a volunteer when I can.