Occupation: Yvette currently works as the copy editor at The Collegian, the student-run newspaper at Fresno State. “I edit all the stories that come in,” she says. “Except for sports, which I don’t have much experience in.” She has worked at the paper for more than two years, in multiple positions. “Right off the bat, I got Arts and Entertainment Editor when I applied. Initially, I went in to be a multimedia reporter and to make [story] packages. They were in need of an A&E editor, and they knew of my knowledge and interest in that area, so we went from there.”
Yvette majors in Multimedia Journalism, with a minor in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies. She says the minor just sort of happened. “I was a sophomore when I took a general ed Deaf Studies class, and I thought I would keep going with it. It has been a different perspective to gain from, a great benefit. Deaf Studies has given me a view into a culture that I never knew about before.”
What are some of your hobbies outside of school and work? “Like anyone else, I enjoy hanging out with friends, eating out, and having our own little dinner get-togethers. The dinners are really great because nowadays everyone’s so busy, we can make time to enjoy each other. Usually, one of us will host a group at someone’s place. It can be potluck, to make it easier. Or, whoever puts it on does a full-on spread of something delicious. When I’ve had mine, I try to do some type of Mexican dish. I once had a pozole party. A couple of my friends had never really had pozole before. It was cool to see them enjoy the food, putting all the condiments in their bowls. It’s always good to see them enjoying my food.”
“I also enjoy doodling, or playing with paint. That’s always good. I like to make cute Christmas cards for everyone. I like to use acrylic paint, charcoal, different pens or pencils. I try to freehand whatever. I did take a painting class at Fresno State. It was good to get some background on how to use the art in that medium. The hardest part was doing a portrait of someone. I did Bruce Lee. He turned out okay. It looked like him, but he was a bit more tan than in real life. Everyone knew who it was, so that was good.”
What would you like to do after school, and where do you see yourself in the future? “I wouldn’t mind starting out writing or doing video for a media organization or even a company, in a communications department. Maybe working someplace like Buzzfeed or some other online media organization. I would like to get a job in some realm of multimedia. Filmmaking is a passion for me, but maybe that’s on the back-burner until I get settled first. It would be cool to work on a project with friends in the future, like a short film or something.”
What are some of your favorite movies? “One classic that I love is ‘The Godfather: Part II.’ It was one of the first films as a teenager that I really watched, where I noticed how it was filmed. As a kid, I didn’t really get all the nuances and themes. But I watched it more and more, because it was always on TV, and I could see it was great filmmaking all around.”
“‘Forrest Gump’ is always good. You can both laugh and cry at that one. And it always makes a great icebreaker at a party because everyone knows a few lines from that film. ‘The Departed’ is another favorite. It was the first time I really got mad at Matt Damon. He was a real slimy character in that film. Because of him, Leonardo DiCaprio dies, so that was just awful.”
What’s your favorite film you’ve seen at Filmworks? “At the 2015 Fresno Film Festival, definitely ‘Mustang’ and ‘Mediterranea,’ two of my favorites. ‘Mustang’ because it really got to me as an audience member. It hit all of the emotions, the struggle of the sisters and what they went through. It was really sad to see, but there was also a lot of heart and humor in it. As a woman, trying to be yourself is always relatable. These five girls couldn’t do that in their situation. I think it’s always good to put that kind of story out in the world, so that kind of oppression doesn’t happen.”
“With ‘Mediterranea,’ it’s such a timely film. We haven’t recently seen a film tell the story of what immigrants from that part of the world [in West Africa] really go through. To see their struggles and the irony of the Italians’ backlash against immigrants who are coming for employment and a new start, when their own parents and grandparents struggled in the United States for so many years looking for the same thing. It’s heartbreaking.”
What’s in your Netflix queue right now? “No films in my queue right now, just TV shows. I just got done watching the first season of ‘Narcos.’ It was interesting. I never really knew too much about drug lords like Pablo Escobar. It’s a stylized take on his reign in Colombia. It was great hearing the music that they used, and the free use of Spanish with no subtitles. The actors are good, a great top-notch cast. The guy who plays Escobar, Wagner Moura, is really fascinating to watch.”
“I also just finished ‘Master of None,’ the new Aziz Anzari series. I loved it. I binge watched it in two days. It was good, one of the only shows this year that actually showed some diversity without being a token. These are full-fledged characters and there’s some great writing and acting. It’s a real joy to watch, and pretty funny too.”
How did you get involved with Filmworks? “I sort of knew about Filmworks from working at The Collegian and seeing what’s going on in Fresno. I had a colleague, Megan Ginise, who interned with Filmworks beforehand. Finishing my last semester at Fresno State, I wanted to do some volunteer work before I left. The movies Filmworks shows are much needed. So I thought, why not blend some of my skills and abilities to this great organization.”
What’s your typical volunteer experience with Filmworks? “When we have screenings, I usually walk around and see what would make a great post for social media, some for that night and some for the following days. I like to showcase the volunteers and the attendees enjoying themselves. I also write a lot of blog posts and social media posts for online that promote the next screening coming up.”
What’s one of your most memorable volunteer experiences with Filmworks? “The most memorable has definitely been getting to know the board members and all the volunteers. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Nené Casares a little bit better, working with her at the screenings. And also Benjamin Woodcock and Fae Giffen and their good work on marketing. I’ve also enjoyed working with the other volunteers who just enjoy themselves. Sky Sweet and many others.”
What has been your favorite thing about your time as a Filmworks intern? “Definitely getting to have the first-hand look at these independent films. That’s pretty sweet. Some of these will get more buzz with Oscar season coming up, and others will continue to be relevant in the cultural zeitgeist. It’s pretty cool to see what kinds of stories are being made internationally and getting press, before the mainstream American press gets to it. I’ve always enjoyed having the knowledge of what’s out there, what’s good, what’s critically relevant. It’s good to see these films before anyone else does.”
Filmworks thanks all of our October 2015 volunteers:
Cleo Bauer, Frank Dougherty, Richard Flores, Linda Hernandez, Shannon Kurtz, Julie Linxwiler, Yvette Mancilla (intern), Richard Markley, Monica Marks-Rea, Dominic Papagni, Angad Puniani, Gene Richards, Bill Rovin, Yvonne Schwemmer, Richard Stone, Lorraine Tomerlin, Jon Veinberg.
To meet our past volunteers in the spotlight, and to find out how you can volunteer with Filmworks, visit our volunteer page.