My name is Anika Hundal, I am studying Psychology and English with a concentration in Drama and Theatre Studies, as well as pursuing a minor in Political Science. I am interested in pursuing a career in the fields of theatre, film, and television: specifically, directing and writing content for these mediums.
Throughout my degree, I have attempted to fuse my passions for human connection, creative performance, and issues of social justice, diversity, and marginalization into a streamlined career path. The film and theatre industry encompass all these issues while still interesting me and giving me ample opportunity to create and grow.
Despite not gaining credit for it, I chose this internship because I wanted to work with someone established in the field who could show me the metaphorical ropes and give me an inside look into the inner goings-on of the industry. Monika Mitchell, my mentor, possesses an impressive biography of past films on a diverse area of topics. The internship working under her combines every aspect of film, television, and theatrical performance that I admire and am passionate about: the creative, the performative, the behind-the-scenes, the leadership, and the competitive. I also believed, and still believe, that my skillset was directly in line with the responsibilities of an intern for a film director. Given that the film industry and the directors who work within it require a highly efficient system to run smoothly, I am confident that my organized and detail-oriented nature fit perfectly amongst them. I am able to work in fast-paced and high-pressure environments and have honed these skills through jobs in the service industry. Additionally, I have great leadership skills, which I have enhanced through experience leading teams, such as executive editing a student-run satire publication, and as a camp counselor.
Ms. Mitchell herself is a Film & TV veteran with over 19 years of directing experience. Her multi-faceted career includes independent films, MOW鈥檚, and series television ranging from one-hour dramas and crime procedurals to half-hour single-camera comedies and episodic documentaries. Among independent films her shorts and features have qualified for Oscar consideration and have appeared at over 120 high-profile festivals worldwide from Slamdance to Cannes, winning over 30 awards including multiple 鈥淏est Pictures鈥� and 鈥淎udience Awards鈥�. As her assistant, my tasks ranged from screening new projects (including scripts and pitch decks) for viability, completing applications for film festivals and award-based competitions, creating potential cast lists, and helping to compile resources to pitch film projects to production companies.
The highlights of my internship include sitting in on a conference call with Ms. Mitchell and several casting directors and Hollywood production executives, and being able to give my input in terms of casting, script, and set decisions. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading scripts for Ms. Mitchell鈥檚 upcoming dark comedy, 鈥淟arry: Portrait of a Killer鈥�, and her upcoming Netflix film, 鈥淏razen Virtue鈥�.
Not only did this internship combine all my interests, but it was also very applicable to my drama and theatre major, and to the career goals that I have set for myself: becoming a film and television director and screenwriter. Thus, this internship represented the perfect opportunity to get involved in the industry and make connections, and also assisted me in having background knowledge of today鈥檚 industry standards to compare with my future knowledge gained through the English department and classes I take there.
Because this internship was remote, I was able to do it from Montreal while Ms. Mitchell was located in Vancouver. The first month I spent in British Columbia, and we were able to conduct a few socially distanced in-person meetings. Once I arrived back in Quebec, the funds generously given from the Arts Internship Award were used to pay my rent, groceries, WiFi bill, and other important expenses that allowed me to complete a technically unpaid full-time internship while still living on my own and balancing my budgets. It was certainly a difficult adaptation to move from what I was used to (sitting in on in-person meetings and weekly sessions where Ms. Mitchell and I would debrief the events of the week) to holding these events entirely online, but I was eventually able to adapt to the new schedule and make sure my work was being done efficiently and on time. My tips for working from home include changing your clothes and moving out of your bedroom in the morning, keeping a bullet journal to be up to date on tasks, and regular coffee breaks.
