The Social Justice Film Festival (www.socialjusticefilmfestival.org), to take place in venues around Seattle, including the historic Pike Place Market Theater, is back for its second year. Revived by the national group Books to Prisoners, the festival program will include feature and short films on broad issues of social justice such as the environment, food safety, LGBT rights, women's issues, racial equality, student debt, and economic justice. The bulk of the films, however, will pertain to this year's special section on prisoner justice and imprisonment. Potential topics include prisoner literacy and education, three strikes, the death penalty, the Innocence Project, New Jim Crow, the drug war, juvenile justice, solitary confinement, immigration and detention, prison alternatives, incarcerated mothers, and the prison industrial complex.
The festival is also sponsoring a "Youth Visions" program to encourage youth and young adults (21 and under) to complete short films on issues of prisoner justice.
Main festival sponsor Books to Prisoners is an all-volunteer organization that, in affiliation with Left Bank Books, has been working in Seattle for the last 40 years on behalf of U.S. prisoners who submit requests for reading material. Each year, Books to Prisoners mails about 15,000 packages of books to inmates; the group recently received one of nine "Light-a-Fire" awards from the Seattle Foundation in the category of "Purely for the Love"--for doing the most with the least. Co-sponsors of the film festival so far include the the American Civil Liberties Union of WA (ACLU of WA), the Campaign for Safe and Just Alternatives, and ProForum.
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION:
The Publicity intern will be responsible for helping to build awareness about the festival through contacting the press, relevant partner organizations, students and university programs, etc. The intern will also distribute festival posters and flyers, represent the festival at meetings, and play an important role in devising a publicity strategy. The festival has already confirmed Danny Glover and Sister Helen Prejean as keynote speakers, so publicity about these high profile guests will also be part of the intern's responsibility.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience representing non profits in a professional, personal manner
- Excellent writing, editing, communication, and computer skills
- Passion for social justice issues
- Highly organized; creative problem-solver
- Able to work independently
INTERNSHIP PERKS
- Play a crucial part in shaping the vision and outcome of a young film festival
- Help to screen festival films; be involved on the ground with the production of a film festival
- Be part of a small, non-profit environment with high flexibility and involvement: you will not be a peon. This internship is an excellent opportunity for an independent, driven person to become an important member of our organization.
