When I got the job at Sundance last fall, I went into it with a big fat question mark: what would I do when the job ended?
My mantra then was Scarlett O’Hara’s: I’ll think about that tomorrow. All I knew was that I was on my way. I was making a change, getting a new perspective, having a go at something completely different and I was ready for it.
But then, the last few weeks have been brutal. Following the end of my winter job, following the traveling abroad (two whirlwinds I won’t soon forget) I suddenly found myself in an all-but-empty apartment in a city and state where I didn’t know anyone and had no real ties to the comings and goings around me.
I had plates spinning, though. I was applying to at least half a dozen jobs every day, and even got a few nibbles for interviews along the way. A film festival in Chicago. A non-profit in New York.
But there was one opportunity that kept poking its head out above all others. I skyped an interview two days before leaving for India and re-routed my flights home to visit New York City and meet the team in person. I skyped another interview with another member of their team, and then waited. And waited. And interviewed elsewhere. And tried to get as excited about those jobs as I was this one. And then I waited some more.
Now the dust has settled, the terms are agreed upon and it’s all official. Starting June 3rd, I’ll be the Marketing & Publicity Manager at Film Movement, a boutique film distributor in Manhattan. I’ve worked with them in programming films like The Day I Saw Your Heart, King of Devil’s Island, Found Memories and Only When I Dance in Indianapolis, some of my favorites over the years. When I saw the role come up (god bless LinkedIn), I immediately reached out. I’m a huge fan of the company – the films they represent, the multi-channel release structures, the direct-to-consumer efforts to expose bigger and bigger audiences to otherwise unseen films. I knew right away I could sink my teeth into this work if they’d be willing to give me the chance. Wonder of wonders, they are! It’s a jump from the film festival world, but it’s exactly the kind of leap I’m ready to take.
When I got my first car in high school, I knew I wanted one of Illinois’s vanity license plates – I just wasn’t sure what it should say. I ended up going with “BWY BND 2” – Broadway Bound. From my tiny high school in a tiny farm town, I was sure I’d be taking the Big Apple by storm before long. It may’ve taken a bit longer than expected, but it’s finally official.
New York, here I come!
