Students learn the tricks and traps of running a film festival

In 12 short weeks, RMIT media students put together a film festival as part of their degree. The theme is nifty: first films by directors, both famous and emerging.

The Debut International Film Festival (DIFF) is an entirely student-run event, from theme to programming, website design, venue hire and fundraising.

Running over three nights, from 31 May to 2 June, and across two venues in Melbourne’s CBD (The Capitol and RMIT’s Kaleide Theatre) the event is a chance for the 21 media students to fully understand the elation and last-minute panic of running a real, ticketed event.

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Rochelle Siemienowicz is the ArtsHub Group's Education and Career Editor. She is a journalist for Screenhub and is a writer, film critic and cultural commentator with a PhD in Australian cinema. She was the co-host of Australia's longest-running film podcast 'Hell is for Hyphenates' and has written a memoir, Fallen, published by Affirm Press. Her second book, Double Happiness, a novel, will be published by Midnight Sun in 2024. Instagram: @Rochelle_Rochelle Twitter: @Milan2Pinsk