Students volunteer at IFFR: ‘I saw Cate Blanchett right in front of my eyes’

Anna, Lala and Lina work behind the scenes at IFFR. They’re in charge of art installations, interview directors, and run the info desk. “As a student I feel like I’m in this university bubble. The festival has given me a chance to talk about something else.”

Pep talk

Anna Komandareva is volunteering at IFFR and is completing her bachelor in Arts and Culture.

“This is my first time volunteering but it’s not my first time being part of IFFR. In my first year in Rotterdam, I applied and miraculously got into the Youth Jury of IFFR – one of the coolest experiences ever. You get paired up with a group of people, who become your friends, you have one week to watch movies and discuss them and then select one of the films to award.

“I’m volunteering at the arts directions – where art installations and cinema meet. It’s a very different part of the festival, I’m in charge of the VR operations, putting headsets to people. I didn’t get the chance to explore this part in the previous year so I’m excited to learn and be part of it now.

“A memory I can’t forget from my IFFR experience is when I attended a Q&A session after a movie they played in the previous years. I raised my hand and asked for tips to get into the film industry. These massive filmmakers were giving me a pep talk and all of a sudden everyone around me was adding more tips, the conversation went on and on. The main advice: be active, take part in such festivals, do as much as you can.

“For the rest of IFFR, I’m looking forward to watching films. You get to see films you can’t find anywhere else. Especially the short ones. This festival is one of the reasons I felt so drawn to Rotterdam.”

Is this real?

Allula (Lala) Karin is an ambassador for IFFR and an IBCoM Alumni.

“I have a background in dancing and performing arts, this experience is what got me in this position in the first place. I also have a growing passion for content creation. And that’s what I have to do as an ambassador: amplify the festival. We have great creative freedom and flexibility to cover the IFFR events and create content the way we want.

“Something I still cannot believe is happening is an interview I have to do with a director this afternoon – Riri Riza. He is one of the biggest Indonesian filmmakers, which is where I am from, to which I was introduced by my parents. Or yesterday when I saw Cate Blanchett right in front of my eyes! I thought, is this real?

“I’m surrounded by people who are really passionate about what they do and that inspires me to work harder and be more dedicated to my own work. For example, one of the higher-ups isn’t the greatest movie fan, but she really loves her job in project management. Yet then we all strive towards this one specific goal, that’s why it all works so well.”

Magic

Panagiota (Lina) Roka is volunteering at IFFR and is completing her master in Media and Creative Industries.

“I’m part of the info desk team as a volunteer this week. You get to see the faces of everyone coming by, guide them, answer questions. My favourite part is just talking to people, see how they feel about the movies, wish them a nice screening.

“As a student I feel like I’m in this university bubble. The festival has given me a chance to talk about something else, to see something new. Here people can take their time to watch something, discuss it in-depth. So it’s not just a viewing experience, it’s about the community aspect. This is why festivals should exist and what their role should be. Observing this has given me a lot of hope for the cinema.

“What inspires me most about IFFR is the power of the audience. When people go into the auditorium, everyone is an audience, even the filmmakers. It’s inspiring to see how the things on the screen are differently translated to everyone, through their own lenses, values, and experiences. There is some magic to that, I think.”