Montclair Magazine May 2017 | Page 30

From Festival to Filmmaker: The Next Generation Volunteerism opened the door to five careers in media WRITTEN BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO Catch a moving narrative or an eye-opening documentary at the Montclair Film Festival , and your perspective may be changed forever. But for many of the volunteers who work behind the scenes and with the public during its 10-day run, MFF can alter the trajectory of their lives. Last year, a record 1600-plus helped make the film festival a reality, handling everything from ticket collection to venue management. Here, five young media community members share how MFF helped them recognize their professional goals, and connected them to their first big breaks. 28 > MAY 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE