Occupation: “I’m a student and a freelance journalist. I’ll be graduating from Fresno State this year with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. I’m also very involved in the indie music scene in Fresno.”
How did you become involved with Filmworks? “I already knew the president, Jefferson Beavers, from the music scene and going to shows around Fresno. We’ve known each other for a couple of years, and he convinced me to start volunteering and getting involved. I started out as the marketing intern, and I’ve been volunteering for about a year now. It has been a good experience.”
What have you been doing as a volunteer? “It’s a little bit of everything. I’ve done a street team handbilling route in Old Town Clovis, worked concessions, and helped in marketing. I’ve gotten the chance to do a lot of different things and work with a lot of different people. My favorite thing is greeting people when they are buying tickets and coming into the show.”
What’s the best Filmworks movie you’ve seen with us in the past year? “It was ‘Wadjda,’ a film that showed last November. It is actually the first full-length feature film shot in Saudi Arabia, and it’s directed by a woman. I learned a great deal about Saudi culture and liked it a lot. It’s really good to be able to see foreign films in Fresno.”
What’s next on your Netflix queue? “Right now, it’s actually a TV show, ‘The Killing.’ It’s sort of a film noir. Started on AMC, now on Netflix. Very dark, and really good.”
What is your favorite thing about Filmworks? “I’m kind of a secret film buff. I love movies, but it’s not like I talk about them all the time. Filmworks gives me a chance to do that with other people who are interested. I also like to be involved in the arts scene in Fresno and this is another way to support that. Volunteering is an important thing for me to do because I feel like it puts into action what everyone in Fresno feels, that we need to support the arts culture.”
Filmworks thanks all of our September 2014 volunteers: Avigdar Adams, Rita Bell, Leslie Bjerke, Lorna Bonyhadi, Richard Flores, Rebecca Horwitz (intern), Julie Linxwiler, Sarah Nixon, Jana Price, Jesus Reyes, Susan Rogers, Richard Stone, Colby Tibbet, Lorraine Tomerlin, Michael Travels, Suzanne Watkins.
Past volunteers in the spotlight: August 2014: Monica Marks-Rea • July 2014: Julie Linwixler • June 2014: Lorna Bonyhadi • May 2014: Celeste DeMonte and Neal Howard • April 2014: Andrew Ranta • March 2014: Lorraine Tomerlin • February 2014: Antonio Garcia • January 2014: Fae Giffen • December 2013: Cleo Bauer and Dominic Papagni • November 2013: Kathryn and Carl Johnsen • October 2013: Linda Hernandez • September 2013: Susan Rogers • August 2013: Joan and Brijesh Sharma • July 2013: Jon Veinberg • June 2013: Richard Stone • May 2013: Sarah Nixon • April 2013: Alyssa Rendon • March 2013: Nené Casares
Contact our volunteer coordinator, Gloria Burrola, to volunteer at a future screening.