Film Sophomore Scores Sundance Internship
“The past 24 hours have truly been life-changing,” said an amazed and delighted Keelan Brown, a sophomore in Keene State’s Film Studies program, the day after he learned that he’d been accepted for an internship at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. From January 20–27, 2016, he’ll be in scenic Park City, Utah, working with one of the big companies/studios at the festival. Those companies include Paramount, Pulse Films, Chef Dance, Canon, and many others.
Brown scored the internship through an organization called The Creative Mind Group, which helps college students and young adults get connected to an industry that can very difficult to break in to. “I will be working eight-hour work days and will have the rest of the time to attend films, concerts, dinners, and after parties with the opportunity to meet famous filmmakers and actors and build relationships with all of them,” Brown explained. “The internship is unpaid, but the networking opportunities I will have compensate for that perfectly. I will also be getting ‘Sundance Certified,’ which will look good on my resume.”
As part of the application, Brown had to answer several essay questions, create a demo reel, and submit samples of his earlier work. “KSC has absolutely helped me with this process. The faculty in the Film Department are amazing and have inspired my love for both film production and film studies. My advisor and other professors have invited me to step outside of my comfort zone and take ambitious risks such as apply to this organization.”
“Keelan is a wonderful student who has really taken advantage of the opportunities before him,” said Associate Film Professor Debra White-Stanley. “He shows how much our students can accomplish when they assertively pursue opportunities that come their way.”
So you’re probably thinking that Brown must have created a pretty impressive demo film, eh? Check it out:
