SUNY New Paltz Intern Spotlight
WFF 2022 SUNY New Paltz student, Elizabeth Adams and her mother, long time friend of the festival, Thelma Adams
Interning with the Woodstock Film Festival offers hands-on, real-world experience in the fast-paced world of independent film. Interns work alongside industry professionals, gain valuable skills, and contribute to one of the most respected film festivals in the country. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn, network, and be part of a passionate and creative community.
Our incredible 2025 SUNY New Paltz interns put in dedicated hours and creativity, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on their work by sharing a few of their testimonials. Interns contribute between 120–160 hours and earn 3 or 4 academic credits. They also have the unique opportunity to gain an additional credit through Professor Greg Bray’s Woodstock Film Festival course, where they film and edit exclusive interviews with filmmakers during the festival. Some students also helped produce and even hosted one of the livestream episodes during the 2024 festival.
The WFF internship program also includes students from a variety of Hudson Valley colleges. They come from schools such as Marist, Vassar, colleges in Connecticut such as Mount Holyoke, Wesleyan, and UConn. We've also had students in the summer come from Columbia, NYU Tisch School of the Arts and SVA.
Over the spring semester, six talented seniors from SUNY New Paltz contributed to a variety of exciting projects. This included some social media campaigns, as well as editing podcast episodes that are published to YouTube, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram. In addition to this, they worked on a WFF volunteer spotlight video, editing clips from the 2024 livestream, call for submissions videos, a WFF filmmaker residency highlight video, a testimonial with previous SUNY New Paltz intern, Ruby Zuckerman, just to name a few of their projects. Each intern brought their unique skills, perspectives, and creativity to the table, fostering a dynamic and collaborative environment. Below, our interns reflect on their experiences and share some of the highlights from their time working at the Woodstock Film Festival.
Interns and staff at the 2025 Filmmaker Meet up at Cobalt Studios
Sheley Telpner
What new skills or knowledge did you gain during the internship?
I’ve learned a lot about the mechanisms and moving parts that go into running a not-for-profit organization. Many of the skills I’ve garnered during my internship were in marketing and social media, such as creating Canva graphics, posting visually appealing material on social media, and other forms of social outreach to connect with other organizations and people.
What did you learn about the industry or organization that you didn’t know before?
I learned that the film industry extends beyond just making and releasing films. There is a whole community beyond filmmakers that work hard to keep the art of filmmaking alive. I think an organization like the Woodstock Film Festival provides a celebration of independent films where the film community can continue to grow and thrive.
Nick Del Bianco
What new skills or knowledge did you gain during the internship?
I went into the internship with a very minimal amount of technical expertise. Working at the festival this semester helped me feel more confident in post-production, which is something I always struggled with, as well as making me well-acquainted with industry standard equipment. I feel more savvy with setting up lighting, step & repeats, and conducting professional in-house interviews. The Woodstock Film Festival is a place where you can grow proportionally to how much work you put in. It’s a place that made me feel accomplished when I worked hard.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience?
Part of why I got involved in the festival in the first place was wanting to be part of the local film industry. I came to Woodstock for the first time in 2022 and immediately loved the environment here. When I volunteered at the 25th festival last year, I felt like a part of the team, and even more so when I began my internship in February. I was welcomed by a group of people who care deeply about what they do. I’ve had the opportunity to make phenomenal connections throughout my time here, and I would love to be a part of the festival in the future.
Interns and staff outside the 25th Anniversary WFF Filmmakers Lounge.
Dan Labbato
What tasks or projects did you enjoy the most, and why?
One task that I have found especially enjoyable has been editing promotional videos for the Youth Film Lab. It has been inspiring to see the films made by young kids who are just starting out. Seeing the talent and potential being displayed from them is mind-blowing and makes me look forward to the future of filmmaking. It is also important to witness the beginning of some of their career paths, and I would be interested to see how these young artists progress a few years from now.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience?
I moved to the Hudson Valley area and went to school for Digital Media Production in the Fall of 2023 with little knowledge of the industry, having come from vastly different ones prior. However, from volunteering during that Fall and interning in 2025, the Woodstock Film Festival has served as a doorway into this whole new world. Not only has it helped me get my foot into the film industry; Woodstock’s focus on strengthening the community and the artists within it has helped me assimilate and feel more at home a lot quicker.
Aidan Spillane
What new skills or knowledge did you gain during the internship?
I was able to refine my editing abilities. The opportunity of observing people who work in the industry allowed me to obtain important insights that I wouldn’t have been able to gain otherwise, such as what goes into making a film and hearing the ways in which others have navigated the industry.
Did this internship help clarify your career goals? If so, how?
Yes, it provided me a sample of what I would like to do later in life! It showed me that I would not only be able to work in, but also enjoy, an environment that involves editing content and producing media.
Intern Nick Del Bianco interviewing WFF volunteers
David Brown
What new skills or knowledge did you gain during the internship?
I gained several skills that taught me how to create and edit for social media. I edited down footage so that it made for appealing short-form style social media content. I learned how to manage and administer other social media related tasks, all while still preserving the central focus of championing independent film.
What did you learn about the industry or organization that you didn’t know before?
I learned more about the inner workings of a major film festival, such as what they do year round. I hadn’t known about all of the events and promotions that they do. Seeing how they are constantly doing work to prepare for the upcoming festival was all really interesting to see and experience.
Uchechi Anuforoh
What new skills or knowledge did you gain during the internship?
During this internship, I learned about the different moving parts and responsibilities that are necessary to run a non-profit organization, and more specifically a film festival. I learned how to use programs like Slack, Buffer, and Monday. Since I helped handle social media for this internship, the focus was mostly on marketing, creating captions, working on Canva, as well as updating and creating lists for Letterboxd.
What tasks or projects did you enjoy the most, and why?
I personally really enjoyed creating the lists on Letterboxd, as well as helping with taking inventory of merch and putting information into spreadsheets. I think what I enjoyed most about those tasks were that they took a decent amount of time, but I was able to become more efficient as I continued working on them. Along with being able to do them faster and more confidently, I also enjoyed the feeling that what I was doing was actually helpful and served a good purpose!
Social Media & Press interns at the 25th Anniversary WFF Filmmakers Lounge
It was a pleasure working with all of these wonderful interns, and we can’t wait to see who joins us in the future!
If you’re interested in applying to the WFF Internship program, visit our internship page to learn more! We’re looking for interns over the summer or fall, in a wide range of departments and offer flexible hours, and internships are typically between 120 - 160 hours.
