Each semester, EWLP students do exciting internships that provide them with enlightening experiences in fields ranging from journalism to communications to publishing. This year, it’s no different: students (from left to right) Nalu Gruschkus (EWLP '25), Liliana Zimberg (EWLP ‘24), and Marco Parolin (Film & Digital Media ‘24) are currently working alongside journalist Alina Trabottini of EuroNews, creating both written and visual content for the 2024 Italian Globo d’Oro film festival.
The Italian Globo d’Oro has been awarded annually since the 1960s. Similar to the Golden Globes in the USA, the Globo d’Oro is awarded by the country’s Foreign Press Association. The internship takes place weekly at the Foreign Press office, and it was first brought to the students’ attention through program director Lisa Colletta. She put them in contact with Trabattoni, one of the co-artistic directors of event alongside Claudio Lavagna.
For Zimberg and Gruschkus, both film minors, it is a great opportunity to extend their evolving skills in writing and filmmaking. Parolin feels the same as a film major, and he jumped on the opportunity as soon as he heard about it. So far, Trabattoni and Lavagna have been impressed with their work. “The American University of Rome volunteers have been very supportive and have quickly become part of the team following Italy’s top film directors and actors,” they said. “They have just integrated seamlessly.”
The trio has been attending the festival’s weekly film screenings for over a month now. Every Tuesday, they watch that week’s featured film. Following the screening, they participate and take notes during the Q&A with the director, often getting to interact with film crew and celebrities. They also record, photograph, and write about the film for both social media and for the organization’s web page.
So far, Parolin has focused on photographing the events; some of his photos have already been published on the Globo d’Oro Instagram feed. Zimberg and Gruschkus both film and edit videos, and Zimberg does some article writing as well. The trio are also being encouraged to produce and direct a short on the Italian Golden Globes that may – quality permitting – be aired at the gala ceremony being held next summer that is always attended by the glitterati of the cinema world and last year feted John Malkovich with a special prize.
Overall, the students have been able to focus on the type of work they’re most interested in. “I have complete freedom,” Parolin said. “[Alina] tells me what she needs, and I do it the way I would have done it.”
In terms of challenges, both Zimberg and Gruschkus have had to work on their writing in Italian. “It was definitely a learning curve,” Gruschkus said, noting that she had to shift some of her expectations once she began the internship. Additionally, the trio is the first set of interns the event has had in a few years. “We’re all getting used to our presence there,” Zimberg said. “But once we’re all more comfortable with our roles, it will feel much easier.” But despite the challenges, the team has been putting their skills and strengths together to produce quality work each week.
The internship is also teaching the trio how to deal with deadlines, which are taken seriously in the world of journalism. Since the screenings are just once a week, Parolin said, “everything is very packed. We meet from 5-7, then we meet with the director by 8, and then by 10:30 we have to send all our photos and articles.” However, because the internship is a once-a-week commitment, it hasn't overwhelmed the students’ schedules.
“I was scared it was going to be really serious and high-maintenance,” Zimberg said, highlighting a worry students often have regarding internships. If those in charge aren’t accommodating to student schedules, it can be a stressful experience. Trabattoni, however, has been very understanding. “I get out of class at 5, so I can’t attend the screenings, but I just go when I’m done with class,” Gruschkus said. Each student agrees that it has been a manageable internship so far, complementing their academic studies to prepare them for a job.
The event is set to take place on July 3rd and will likely give the trio a variety of other new tasks, such as assisting and helping out celebrities and other people in attendance. Until then, they plan to continue attending the weekly film screenings, building their portfolios, gaining experience, and getting to enjoy contemporary Italian cinema.