This summer will be a Technicolor-dream-come-true for Oakland University’s Professor Courtney Brannon Donoghue, as she slips behind the scenes of the legendary Cannes International Film Festival.
The assistant professor of Cinema Studies will act as a faculty mentor for a student internship program run by the American Pavilion (AmPav), an organization representing the American film community at the festival. The position comes with perks: AmPav credentials that will allow Dr. Donoghue to access select areas of the festival, including special film screenings.
“This is a dream opportunity for me,” Dr. Donoghue said. “This experience allows me to combine my love of working with undergraduates and my global media industries research interests. I look forward to helping them have a wonderful festival experience and to learn more about how the festival operates as an international marketplace. Also, I grew up on the Gulf Coast, so the beach doesn't hurt either.”
The esteemed Cannes Film Festival is an annual – and invitation only –premiere event that showcases and awards new films from across the world. Film director Steven Spielberg will serve as the President of the Jury for the 2013 festival.
 |
| Dr. Courtney Brannon Donoghue |
Each year, prestigious films, directors, and stars attend Cannes to build their artistic and commercial reputations, and hope to pass into film lore. Screened films fall into both competitive and non-competitive sections, and are selected to celebrate excellence and diversity in film.
At the festival, Dr. Donoghue will mentor and supervise undergraduate AmPav interns, and act as support staff by assisting with student programming activities, monitoring internship performance, offering festival-focused roundtables, and handling other tasks as they arise.
The international flare of the festival fits especially well with Dr. Donoghue’s research interests, which include global cinema, Brazilian media, local language co-productions, cultures of production, conglomerate Hollywood, telenovelas, transmedia storytelling, and media industries.
The experience promises to be noteworthy, and Dr. Donoghue looks forward to bringing an element of the festival back to OU.
“Many of our Cinema Studies students are interested in working in the film industry, so being able to share these real world experiences in the classroom is hugely beneficial for them,” she said.
“I am passionate about professionalizing our Oakland students in practical and strategic ways. I hope to bring back my on-the-ground experience about how a major international film festival operates, as well as insight into the current trends in international cinema.”
Since August 2012, Dr. Donoghue has been a part of the Cinema Studies program, teaching courses on film and media industries, media and globalization, indie cinema, transnational cinema, and introduction to film, among others.
To learn more about Oakland’s Cinema Studies program, view the website at
oakland.edu/cinemastudies. Follow Dr. Donoghue's journey through Cannes at
globalcbd.tumblr.com.
Oakland University is a vibrant academic community with nearly 20,000 students and more than 260 degree and certificate programs. To learn more about academics, achievements, and events at OU, visit the news site at oakland.edu/newsatou and follow the news team on Twitter at @OaklandU_News.
