Students at the University of Worcester will be helping to bring Worcester Film Festival to Life as the annual event gets underway in the city.
The competitive festival will see more than 250 films shown at the city’s ODEON cinema to audiences, critics and industry professionals. Awards are handed out to winners at the end of the festival.
Judges this year include Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) and Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones).
Ellie Kilby is one of the organisers and co-ordinates the volunteers for the festival.
“Our volunteer programme is vital to the functioning of the festival, and volunteers from the University of Worcester make up a big part of our front-of-house staff,” said Ellie. “They’re the faces the festival goers see every day, they help direct people, scan tickets, find their way through the festival, they’re just integral to the operation.”
Ellie said the opportunities at the festival are a valuable way to build skills and network.
“We work with the students and learn about their strengths and weaknesses, and we place them accordingly,” she said. “Some will get involved with photography and videography, some will get involved with the team who do the podcast and the Q&A sessions.”
Ellie added: “We also have people travelling to Worcester from China, Japan, America and all across Europe, so this really is a chance to connect and network with people they might not have the ability to meet.”
As a Lead Partner of Worcester Film Festival, the University of Worcester works closely with organisers throughout the year to provide students with industry insights and practical learning opportunities.
“As well as the volunteering opportunities, we go in to speak to students throughout the year about all kinds of topics,” said Ellie. “We speak about film, journalism, and we’ll teach them how to use the online portals that students have to use to submit their films for a large number of festivals, so we’re really giving the students the skills they’ll need to get their work out there.”
Worcester Film Festival takes place at an exciting time for the city, which has just been named the UK’s most creative city, with judges praising a well-rounded balance between creative opportunity, spaces, and affordability.
Dr Mark Flisher, Head of the Institute of Arts and Humanities at the University of Worcester, said: “Having an international film festival in the city highlights Worcester’s importance as a cultural hub for the region and the UK, and it’s a great example of the creative opportunities available in Worcester.”
Dr Flisher added: “Our partnership also means that our students can work alongside industry professionals while they contribute to a major cultural event in Worcester developing the confidence and skills that will support their future careers.”
Learn more about Worcester Film Festival on the official website.